Location type

Station

Name and dates

Fraserburgh (1865-1965)

Opened on the Formartine and Buchan Railway.
Opened on the St Combs Light Railway (Great North of Scotland Railway).

Description

This terminus was in the east of Fraserburgh close to the quaysides of the harbour.

Original station

The original station was smaller. It had a trainshed (similar to that at Thurso) covering a platform on the west side of a loop.

On the west side, a little south of the trainshed, was the two road Fraserburgh Shed.

On the east side, projecting north of the station building was the northern end of the goods yard: the goods shed to the west and loading bank to the east. Fraserburgh Harbour was on the east side and a little to the north. Lines approached the station from the south.

The goods yard was rebuilt and expanded. A signal box opened in 1894 on the west side of the station 'throat'.

Reconstruction

The passenger station was rebuilt in 1903-04, the new station being considerably larger with longer platforms and a larger station building. The new building was in granite and a new glazed trainshed was located behind it covering the platform ends and circulating area. This was a three platform station. Canopies extended south from the trainshed over the platforms.

Much of the enlargement was due to the opening of the St Combs Light Railway (Great North of Scotland Railway) in 1903. This branch ran parallel with the 'main line' for around half a mile south of the signal box.

Fraserburgh Shed was retained and the goods yard altered a little but remained largely the same as the earlier enlargement. A very long headshunt for the goods yard was added, running down the east side of the passenger lines and extending as far south as the Kessock Road bridge.The new Faithlie Harbour was built to the east of the station goods yard.

The signal box was replaced in 1904, the replacement being on the east side south of the Links Road overbridge.

The Consolidated Pneumatic Tool Works opened to the south of the station, on the west side, in 1904. It was approached via a headshunt which was accessed from the north, a pair of sidings running north west into the works.

In 1912 the Great North of Scotland Railway took over an existing connecting bus service from the station to Rosehearty and New Aberdour, an alternative to building a light railway.

Run down and closure

The station's roof was cut back in 1955.

The St Combs line and main line both closed to passengers in 1965.

The signal box closed in 1966. The platform lines were lifted, although their approach to the south was retained for its loop. The goods yard remained relatively intact. A loading bank in the yard could be pressed into service as a platform when tours visited Fraserburgh.

The line closed in 1979.

The station building, canopies and platforms were removed in the 1980s (South Harbour Road was built along the former trackbed in 1987). It is perhaps apt that the station building site is now occupied by a Job Centre.

Much of the goods yard remained empty with industrial units steadily opening over its remains. A portion remains clear as a lorry park.

The locomotive shed has survived, the oldest part of the station site (after the 1904 rebuilding). This shed still stands on the west side of South Harbour Road, within the yard of Iceberg Ltd.

Local

The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses is in the north of the town.

Tags

Station terminus

Aliases

The Broch

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
12/12/2021

Nearby stations Kirkton Bridge Halt Philorth Halt Philorth Bridge Halt Rathen Cairnbulg St Combs Lonmay Mormond Halt Strichen Brucklay [2nd] Mintlaw Pitfour Curling Club Platform Abbey of Deer Halt Longside Maud	Fraserburgh Shed Fraserburgh Harbour James Noble (Fraserburgh) Ltd Consolidated Pneumatic Tool Works Philorth Bridge Sandhaven Meal Mill Sandhaven Shipyard Lonmay Ballast Pit New Pitsligo Peat Works Tourist/other Kinnaird Head Castle Lighthouse and Museum Philorth House Cairnbulg Castle Sandhaven Harbour Memsie Cairn Rosehearty Harbour
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.