Location type

Station

Name and dates

Friockheim (1848-1955)

Opened on the Arbroath and Forfar Railway.

Description

This station was originally on the Arbroath and Forfar Railway built to the 5'6'' gauge. After control passed to the Aberdeen Railway the line was converted to standard gauge and doubled, a part of the line becoming a portion of the West Coast Main Line. This was a two platform station, partly built on an bridge over a road with a goods yard at the south or east end consisting of two sets of sidings both making trailing connections to the railway, one set to the north of the southbound platform reached by reversal from the south and another opposite the southbound platform reached by reversal from the north west. The main station building was on the southbound platform, a stone building with a small portico, which was augmented with a second building later, a timber structure with a canopy. Nearby was Friockheim Junction. There was a signal box at the south end, west side of the line (despite there being a box so close by at the junction).

A curiosity was that although the Friockheim Junction to Glasterlaw Junction curve was closer to Friockheim itself the station was on the older alignment - perhaps due to the light traffic on the newer curve and its chequered opening and closing history.

Run down

The line was singled between Guthrie Junction and St Vigeans Junction (with a passing loop at Leysmill) in 1936 and the signal box closed, replaced by a ground frame for the goods sidings. With the westbound line being lifted, the southbound platform remained in use. A short portion of the southbound line, and a new connection to the remaining line, kept the southern set of sidings accessible. These sidings saw oil traffic use.

The line closed to passengers in 1955. The bridge, dividing the westbound and southbound platforms, was removed after line closure in 1965. The station building, without canopy some time after 1960, survived until at least 1967.

The stone station building, now a house, remains standing as do the abutments of the bridge. A little of the hump of the westbound platform remains on the west side of the bridge site.

Tags

Station

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

Nearby stations Guthrie Glasterlaw Leysmill Colliston Auldbar Road Carmyllie Letham Grange Farnell Road Denhead Cauldcots Cuthlie Inverkeilor Arbirlot Clocksbriggs Arbroath	Friockheim Viaduct Friockheim Junction Legaston Quarry Guthrie Junction Border Quarry Glasterlaw Junction Leysmill Quarry Guthrie Gate Woodside Farm Bridge Tourist/other Border Signal Box Guthrie Castle Colliston Castle Milldens Crossing Letham Grange Hotel Muirmills Level Crossing
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.