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Description

This was a three platform station and junction. It was not convenient for the village of Stanley, being on its northern edge. It was the junction between main lines to Aberdeen and Inverness.

This station replaced Stanley [SMJR], a half mile to the south. It opened in 1857, one year after the Perth and Dunkeld Railway which had running powers south to Perth from Stanley.

There were two platforms on the Perth to Forfar [2nd] line - the down platform (northbound) being used by Aberdeen and Inverness trains and the up platform Aberdeen only. A goods yard and loops existed to the north on the mainline. The goods yard was on the east side, accessed from the south.

The station was junction for the Perth and Dunkeld Railway. After opening of the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway the down platform became an island. The outer face was used for the southbound trains from Inverness, crossing over to the up line south of the station. The old down platform on the mainline was extended some way along the Inverness line to the point where it singled. There was a siding alongside the island, served from the north.

This was a somewhat unusual layout. It allowed a southbound (up) train from the Highland main line to be held to await the road south to Perth without blocking the single track Highland main line. Similarly a short northbound Highland main line train could wait clear of the junction with the Caledonian Railway for a southbound Highland main line train.

There was a two storey building on the up platform and another building on the island, both are now gone.

The original 1874 signal box was in the 'V' of the junction.

The station was partly rebuilt in 1881 when the Highland Railway extended the island platform north of the junction on the Inverness route.

The station closed to passengers in 1956.

This box was replaced with a modern box in 1961 which also subsumed Luncarty and Strathord Junction boxes. The new box was built on the site of the northbound platform. Although a modern box, semaphore signalling was used, unlike the resignalling in the Perth area.

The goods yard closed in 1965.

The main line through Forfar [2nd] to Aberdeen, the Strathmore Main Line, was closed to passengers in 1967. It was cut back to Forfar North Junction and singled that year.

After closure of the Forfar [2nd] route in 1982, the modern box was retained as it still controls the point where the double track line coming north from Perth becomes single track (actually some way south of the box). Construction subsequent to the closure has taken place on the former main line, north/east of the station.

In 2019 the box took control of Pitlochry station with the closure of its box.

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