RAILSCOT | Creetown

Creetown

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Creetown (1861-1965)

Opened on the Portpatrick Railway.

Description

This was a two platform station with the main station building on the westbound platform. The station building had an interesting attractive rubble construction style. The station had a loop on the single track line. The platforms were at the western end of the loop. The station was just under a mile north of Creetown itself.

There was a goods yard on the south side, accessed by reversing from the westbound platform.

The 1890 signal box at the east end of the westbound platform was replaced in 1931, after a fire, with a LMS box in Caledonian Railway style box, an LMS Type 12.

There was a water tank at the west end of the same platform.

The loop was lengthened in 1941 in preparation for the opening of the Cairnryan branch.

The station, box and line closed in 1965.

After closure the goods shed survived intact and the station building became roofless. The site was used by a coal merchant. Both have been restored as houses. A railway cottage also remains.

The architect was James Gowans who also designed the equally striking building at Lochee (also 1861).

Kilmabreck Quarry Tramway was to the south.

External links

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

Nearby stations Palnure Causewayend [WR] Wigtown Mains Crossing Gatehouse of Fleet Newton Stewart Kirkinner Whauphill Sorbie Millisle Exchange Platform Millisle Garliestown [2nd] Kirkcowan Loch Skerrow Broughton Skeog	Culcronchie Viaduct Graddoch Viaduct Kilmabreck Quarry Palnure Viaduct Carsegowan Munitions Factory Cree Viaduct Carty Siding Lower Bladnoch Viaduct Bladnoch Creamery Bladnoch Siding Newton Stewart Shed Tourist/other Cassencary Quarry Quay Carsluith Castle Cairn Holy Chambered Cairns Bladnoch Distillery
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.

Geometrically complex

James Gowans designed his own houses. His 'Rockville' in Napier Road, Edinburgh was more extraordinary than the station buildings, being described as 'The Pagoda'. Although demolished the boundary wall, with similar seemingly random but with a geometrically complex pattern laid out on a grid, still stands on the north west and north east corners of the intersection of Napier Road and Spylaw Road. 'Rockville' was replaced with 'The Limes' where unusual gateposts still stand.

Chronology Dates

12/03/1861	Portpatrick Railway Stranraer to Castle Douglas opened to the public. Most of the line was single track. Stations at; Stranraer, Glenluce, Kirkcowan, Newton Stewart, Creetown, New Galloway, Parton and Crossmichael.
/02/1895	Portpatrick Railway During a period of very heavy snowfall a train is held up at Creetown for 3 days.
14/06/1965	Portpatrick Railway Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway Challoch Junction (excluded) to Dumfries (excluded) closed to passengers. Glenluce, Kirkcowan, Newton Stewart, Creetown, Gatehouse of Fleet, New Galloway, Parton and Crossmichael closed. Challoch Junction to Maxwelltown Factory Siding (excluded) closed to all traffic. On the surviving part of the line Castle Kennedy and Dunragit stations closed.