Alyth Junction

Location type

Station

Names and dates

Meigle [1st] (1861-1876)
Alyth Junction (1876-1967)

Note: text in square brackets is added for clarity and was not part of the location's name.

Opened on the Scottish Midland Junction Railway.
Opened on the Alyth Railway.
Opened on the Dundee and Newtyle Deviations (Dundee and Perth Railway).

Description

This was one of the busiest stations on the Strathmore main line having main line trains from Perth to Aberdeen, branch trains to Alyth, and Dundee West to Newtyle [2nd] to Alyth trains.

This was originally a three platform station at the end of the road from Newtyle close to Nethermill and the Belmont Arms with goods facilities to its west, north side of the line. The station opened with the Alyth Railway (1861). It had two through platforms and a bay platform on the north side at the east end of the station. A further platform opened on the new flyover from Newtyle Junction (1868) and it become a four platform station. The flyover had a platform line and a goods line / loop which bypassed it. The flyover line connected with the Alyth branch so branch to Newtyle movements could be made without fouling the main line.

There was a tall two storey station building on the westbound platform, the upper floor being at road level (the west end of the passenger station was crossed by the road between Newtyle and Meigle). (The surviving building at Auldbar Road has a little in common with it and a large bay window.) There were waiting rooms on the platforms.

The station's two signal boxes, west and east, were replaced in 1911 with a single box. The originals had been on the south side of the line. The west box was opposite the goods yard. The east box was opposite the junction.

The new box was on the north side of the main line junction at the east end of the mainline eastbound platform. The flyover line passed behind (to the north of) the box to reach the branch.

The Alyth branch closed to passengers in 1951 and passenger trains ceased to use the flyover route between Alyth Junction and Newtyle Junction. However, in 1952 the line between Newtyle Junction and Ardler Junction closed, with Blairgowrie branch trains being diverted to Alyth Junction.

After calling at the flyover platform trains would make an awkward run round and reversal on the Alyth branch and then pause at the northbound platform ('wrong line') and crossover to the southbound line west of the station before continuing its run to Coupar Angus and Blairgowrie.

The Dundee West to Blairgowrie service ended in 1955 and the Alyth Junction to Ninewells Junction (Dundee) closed to passengers.

The flyover, latterly only used to access Newtyle [1st] goods, closed in 1964 and the Alyth branch closed completely branch in 1965.

The station closed in 1967 with the end of the passenger service on the Strathmore Line. The signal box was closed. The line survived until 1982 as a freight only branch from Stanley Junction to Forfar [2nd]. Sidings in the goods yard remained open (with a carriage as a bothy).

The loading bank, parts of the main platforms, portions of the other two platforms and some station cottages remain. The road bridge over the west end of the station's main line platforms remains. The embankment of the flyover to the west of the station remains, the bridge over the line removed.

After the opening of the Alyth Railway the name should perhaps have changed, that line having a station named Fullarton which was closer to Meigle. The name Meigle also applies to the district which perhaps allowed some leeway and the branch station was roughly half way between Fullarton and Meigle. Not long after the Caledonian Railway owned both the main line and branch Meigle was renamed Alyth Junction.

Tags

Station Junction

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67




Nearby stations
Meigle Upper Junction
Newtyle [2nd]
Meigle [2nd]
Newtyle [1st]
Meigle [3rd]
Kirkinch
Washington [N and CAR]
Ardler
Leason Hill
Jordanstone
Pitcrocknie Platform
Auchterhouse [1st]
Auchterhouse [2nd]
Eassie
Alyth
Nethermill Junction
Newtyle Incline
Newtyle Junction
Newtyle Junction Turntable
Newtyle Mill
Ardler Junction
Meigle Burn Bridge
Hatton Incline
Tourist/other
Camno Crossing
Belmont Castle
Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum
Meigle House
Hatton Castle
Drumkilbo House
Nevay Church
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.


Belmont Castle


To the north west is Belmont Castle, once the home of James Key Caird, jute baron and mathematician. His name was given to the whaleboat James Caird, famous for the Voyage of the James Caird which led to the rescue of the members of Ernest Shackleton's Endurance expedition.


Chronology Dates

03/08/1868Dundee and Newtyle Railway Dundee and Newtyle Deviations (Dundee and Perth Railway)
New line from Newtyle Junction to new platforms at Alyth Junction and line passing north of Alyth Junction to meet the Alyth Railway opened (the construction was known as the 'Forfarshire Works'). This replaced the earlier Newtyle and Glammis Railway curve north of Newtyle.
29/09/1941Newtyle and Coupar Angus Railway
Newtyle and Glammiss Railway
Dundee and Newtyle Deviations (Dundee and Perth Railway)
Separation of the Ardler Junction and Alyth Junction routes moved from Newtyle Junction to the north end of Newtyle [2nd], junction and station both remodelled. Newtyle Junction signal box closed and replaced by a ground frame off the Alyth Junction line for access to the goods yard at Newtyle [1st].
15/01/1951Dundee and Newtyle Railway
Dundee and Newtyle Deviations (Dundee and Perth Railway)
Alyth Railway
Dundee West to Alyth passenger train withdrawn. Alyth Junction to Newtyle [2nd] essentially closed to passengers until 1952 when Ardler Junction to Newtyle [2nd] is closed and Dundee West to Blairgowrie trains diverted via Alyth Junction.
02/07/1951Alyth Railway
Alyth town to Alyth Junction closed to passengers. Alyth Shed track lifted.
27/04/1952Newtyle and Coupar Angus Railway Scottish Midland Junction Railway
Ardler Junction taken out and trailing crossover removed. Line between Ardler Junction (excluded) and Newtyle [2nd] (excluded) officially closed 04/04/1953 and Ardler Junction box closed. Alyth Junction to Newtyle Junction re-opens to passengers.
10/01/1955Newtyle and Glammis Railway
Dundee and Newtyle Railway
Dundee and Newtyle Deviations (Dundee and Perth Railway)
Alyth Junction to Dundee West closed to passengers. Newtyle [2nd], Auchterhouse [2nd], Dronley, Baldragon, Baldovan and Downfield, Lochee, Liff closed.
07/09/1964Newtyle and Glammis Railway
Dundee and Newtyle Railway
Newtyle [1st] (Newtyle Goods) to Alyth Junction closed to goods and completely.
01/03/1965Alyth Railway
Alyth town to Alyth Junction closed to freight.
04/09/1967Newtyle and Glammis Railway
Alyth Junction to Glammis [2nd] closed to passengers.
04/09/1967Scottish Midland Junction Railway
Newtyle and Coupar Angus Railway
Newtyle and Glammis Railway
Arbroath and Forfar Railway
Aberdeen Railway
Stanley Junction to Kinnaber Junction closed to passengers. Coupar Angus, Alyth Junction, Forfar and Bridge of Dun stations closed.

Books


A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: The North of Scotland v. 15 (Regional railway history series)

An Illustrated History of Tayside's Railways

Bradshaw's Guides Scotlands Railways West Coast - Carlisle to Inverness: 5

Dundee and Newtyle Railway Including the Alyth and Blairgowrie Branches (Oakwood Library of Railway History)
Getting around Old Dundee
Railways of Dundee (Oakwood Library of Railway History)

Tayside's Last Days of Steam
The Railways of Strathmore (Perth, Forfar and Brechin)