Drybridge Platform railway station: Difference between revisions

Drybridge Platform

Letterfourie
Drybridge Platform; Letterfourie
	View from Drybridge or Letterfourie Platform
General information
Location	Drybridge, Moray; Scotland
Coordinates	57°39′11″N 2°56′48″W / 57.653129°N 2.946597°W
Grid reference	NJ 435 629
Platforms	1
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Highland Railway
Pre-grouping	Highland Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1 April 1885	Station opens as 'Drybridge Platform'
7 August 1915	Station closes to passengers
1928	Station named 'Letterfourlie' by the LMS

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Latest revision as of 21:48, 17 May 2024

Drybridge Platform railway station or Drybridge railway station ^[4]^[5] was a station which served the hamlet of that name in the parish of Rathven and in addition provided transport for the inhabitants of the Parish of Deskford,^[6] Scottish county of Moray. It was served by trains on the Buckie and Portessie Branch north of Keith.

The station was renamed Letterfourie station, the title of the nearby estate by the LMS^[3] and this name is used on the 1928^[7] and the 1938 OS maps.^[8]

History

The station was not included in the tenders issued for the building of the stations even though Drybridge had been included in the list agreed upon on 3 July 1883 by the Highland Railway Board.^[9] Following the delivery of a petition from the inhabitants of Drybridge village a station was opened by the Highland Railway on 1 April 1885 at a cost of £210.^[1] It was located on the "up" side of the line and was reached via a gate at the roadside and a path through the field.

In 1889 the inhabitants of Drybridge petitioned for a goods station however it was decided that the gradients were too steep and the request was declined. Seven years later a second attempt was made with the same result.^[10] In December 1906 it was decided to install a siding about one mile from Drybridge on the "Down" line facing Keith and lying towards Rathven for the delivery of clay and pipes required to construct a reservoir. By March 1909 the works had been completed and the siding was duly lifted.^[11]

In 1889 Drybridge was upgraded in status through the appointment of a station master, Alexander Dott, who had been a porter at Buckie and who was to be the only station master for Drybridge.^[12]^[13] The station did not prosper for it was decided that not all trains should stop at Drybridge and the station became a request stop.^[14]

The construction of the GNoSR Moray coast route "effectively doomed the Highland route. Westbound journeys were shorter via the GNSR, and although the route to Aberdeen was longer, the Moray Coast Railway had services that were faster, more frequent and more convenient, with through trains running from Elgin, along the coast and to Aberdeen. As a rather straggly branch line, the Highland route struggled to compete, and the population between Buckie and Keith was too sparse to provide much additional traffic."^[3]

Suspension of services and final closure

Drybridge had a short life with services being suspended during World War I on 7 August 1915^[2]} and the rails south of Buckie removed for use at Inverness and Invergordon by the Admiralty,^[15] the station buildings being left intact as it was hoped to restart services after the war had ended.

The line remained closed in 1923,^[16] when the Highland Railway was absorbed by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). After this the track was relaid following the removal of whin and gorse scrub and the laying of new ballast, but services were not restarted even though the station was officially renamed 'Letterfourie' in April 1925^[17] due to the presence in Ayrshire of another Drybridge that had passed to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway from the Glasgow and South Western Railway.^[17] The track was removed again^[18] in 1937.^[19] The nearby Aultmore became the terminus of a goods spur from Keith and continued in use until 1966.

Work had begun on the Keith to Portessie line of the Highland Railway on 7 November 1882. Wartime economies led to closure of the line on 7 August 1915 and in 1917 the track between Aultmore (towards Keith) and Portessie was requisitioned by the Admiralty.^[20] The Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) re-opened the north and south sections of line by 1919, but the Aultmore to Portessie section (passing through Drybridge) was never re-opened and the track was again removed in 1937 to 'aid the war effort'.^[20]^[21]

As stated 'Letterfourie station' is recorded at this site on the 1938 OS map with railway track in situ,^[8] the name is that of the nearby house and estate. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) had renamed the station, but never actually reopened it or this section of the line.^[3]

Infrastructure

The station had a single platform, a small shelter with two sections, a signal in 1902 only and an over bridge on the Rathven side.^[8]^[22] Drybridge platform was built of timber.^[20] In April 1907 the signals were taken out of use at the intermediate stations.^[23]

Buckie and
Portessie Branch
(Highland Railway)

Portessie Junction

(GNoSR)│(HR)

Inverness & Aberdeen

Junction Railway

Keith West Junction

Keith and Dufftown Railway

Keith Junction

Keith East Junction

Inverness & Aberdeen

Junction Railway

The station buildings consisted of a single platform and a small building consisting of a ticket office and a waiting room.^[1] After confirmation of closure the station was sold to one of the demolition workers for £5 and was taken to Keith.^[21]

The site today

No remains of the station are to be found at the site, however the gate post survives in situ and the sections of the road leading to the overbridge remain together with remnants of the bridge itself. The style of the nearby cottages suggests that they may have been built for railway workers.

References

Footnotes

^ ^a ^b ^c Wilkinson 1988, p. 36.
^ ^a ^b Wilkinson 1988, p. 48.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Long Lost Railways Accessed : 2015-01-23
^ RCAHMS Site Record
^ Banffshire Sheet II.SW. Publication date: 1905. Date revised: 1902.
^ Wilkinson 1988, p. 52.
^ Banffshire Sheet II. SW Publication date: 1931. Date revised: 1928.
^ ^a ^b ^c Banffshire Sheet II.SW. Probable Publication date: ca. 1949. Date revised: 1938
^ Wilkinson 1988, p. 25.
^ Wilkinson 1988, p. 39.
^ Wilkinson 1988, p. 44.
^ Wilkinson 1988, p. 40.
^ Wilkinson 1988, p. 49.
^ Wilkinson 1988, p. 41.
^ Wilkinson 1988, p. 54.
^ Vallance & Clinker 1971, p. 39.
^ ^a ^b Wilkinson 1988, p. 58.
^ Vallance & Clinker 1971, pp. 174–175.
^ Geograph
^ ^a ^b ^c Historic Environment Scotland & LB50114.
^ ^a ^b Wilkinson 1988, p. 62.
^ Elginshire Sheet XIV.NE. Publication date: 1905. Date revised: 1903.
^ Wilkinson 1988, p. 43.

Sources

Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-508-1.
Historic Environment Scotland. "Drybridge, Old Highland Railway Bridge (Category C Listed Building) (LB50114)". Retrieved 28 March 2019.
Vallance, H.A.; Clinker, C.R. (1971). The Highland Railway. Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-330-02720-5.
Wilkinson, Brian (1988). The Heilan Line. The Portessie Branch of the Highland Railway. Dornoch Press. ISBN 0-9513358-2-0.

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Enzie		Highland Railway Buckie and Portessie Branch		Rathven

External links

RAILSCOT on Buckie and Portessie Branch

[FOOTNOTEWilkinson198836-1] Wilkinson 1988, p. 36.

[FOOTNOTEWilkinson198848-2] Wilkinson 1988, p. 48.

[ll-3] Long Lost Railways Accessed : 2015-01-23

[4] RCAHMS Site Record

[5] Banffshire Sheet II.SW. Publication date: 1905. Date revised: 1902.

[FOOTNOTEWilkinson198852-6] Wilkinson 1988, p. 52.

[7] Banffshire Sheet II. SW Publication date: 1931. Date revised: 1928.

[os-8] Banffshire Sheet II.SW. Probable Publication date: ca. 1949. Date revised: 1938

[FOOTNOTEWilkinson198825-9] Wilkinson 1988, p. 25.

[FOOTNOTEWilkinson198839-10] Wilkinson 1988, p. 39.

[FOOTNOTEWilkinson198844-11] Wilkinson 1988, p. 44.

[FOOTNOTEWilkinson198840-12] Wilkinson 1988, p. 40.

[FOOTNOTEWilkinson198849-13] Wilkinson 1988, p. 49.

[FOOTNOTEWilkinson198841-14] Wilkinson 1988, p. 41.

[FOOTNOTEWilkinson198854-15] Wilkinson 1988, p. 54.

[FOOTNOTEVallanceClinker197139-16] Vallance & Clinker 1971, p. 39.

[FOOTNOTEWilkinson198858-17] Wilkinson 1988, p. 58.

[FOOTNOTEVallanceClinker1971174–175-18] Vallance & Clinker 1971, pp. 174–175.

[19] Geograph

[FOOTNOTEHistoric_Environment_ScotlandLB50114-20] Historic Environment Scotland & LB50114.

[FOOTNOTEWilkinson198862-21] Wilkinson 1988, p. 62.

[osa-22] Elginshire Sheet XIV.NE. Publication date: 1905. Date revised: 1903.

[FOOTNOTEWilkinson198843-23] Wilkinson 1988, p. 43.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
-{{Infobox UK disused station
+{{Use British English|date=August 2017}}
-| name      =  Drybridge Platform
+{{Infobox station
-| image_name= Cottages from the site of Drybridge (Letterfourie) railway station.JPG
-| caption   = View from Drybridge or Letterfourie Platform
+| name                = Drybridge Platform
+| native_name         = Letterfourie
-| locale    = Drybridge
-| borough   = [[Moray]]
+| status              = Disused
+| image               = Cottages from the site of Drybridge (Letterfourie) railway station.JPG
-| original    = [[Highland Railway]]
+| caption             = View from Drybridge or Letterfourie Platform
-| pregroup    = Highland Railway
+| borough             = Drybridge, [[Moray]]
-| postgroup   = [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]]
+| country             = Scotland
-| platforms = 1
+| coordinates         = {{coord|57.653129|-2.946597|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
-| latitude  = 57.649298
+| grid_name           = [[Ordnance Survey National Grid|Grid reference]]
-| longitude = -2.94911
+| grid_position       = {{gbmapscaled|NJ 435 629|25|NJ 435 629}}
-| gridref   = NJ 434 625
+| platforms           = 1
-| years     = 1 April 1888{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=36}}
+| original            = [[Highland Railway]]
-| events    = Station opens as 'Drybridge Platform'
+| pregroup            = Highland Railway
-| years1    = 1928
+| postgroup           = [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]]
-| events1   = Station named 'Letterfourlie' by the LMS<ref name=ll/>
-| years2    = 7 August 1915{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=48}}
+| years               = 1 April 1885{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=36}}
-| events2   = Station closes to passengers
+| events              = Station opens as 'Drybridge Platform'
+| years1              = 7 August 1915{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=48}}
-| years3    =
+| events1             = Station closes to passengers
-| events3   =
+| years2              = 1928
-| other_name= Letterfourie
+| events2             = Station named 'Letterfourlie' by the LMS<ref name=ll/>
 }}
 '''Drybridge Platform railway station''' or '''Drybridge railway station''' <ref>[http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/133315/details/drybridge+platform/ RCAHMS Site Record]</ref><ref>[http://maps.nls.uk/view/75496731 Banffshire Sheet II.SW. Publication date: 1905. Date revised: 1902.]</ref> was a station which served the hamlet of that name in the parish of [[Rathven]] and in addition provided transport for the inhabitants of the Parish of Deskford,{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=52}} [[Scotland|Scottish]] county of [[Moray]]. It was served by trains on the [[Buckie and Portessie Branch]] north of [[Keith railway station|Keith]].
@@ Line 27: / Line 28: @@
 ==History==
-The station was not included in the tenders issued for the building of the stations even though Drybridge had been included in the list agreed upon on the 3 July 1883 by the Highland Railway Board.{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=25}} Following the delivery of a petition from the inhabitants of Drybridge village a station was opened by the [[Highland Railway]] on the 1st April 1885 at a cost of £210.{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=36}} It was located on the "up" side of the line and was reached via a gate at the roadside and a path through the field. }
+The station was not included in the tenders issued for the building of the stations even though Drybridge had been included in the list agreed upon on 3 July 1883 by the Highland Railway Board.{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=25}} Following the delivery of a petition from the inhabitants of Drybridge village a station was opened by the [[Highland Railway]] on 1 April 1885 at a cost of £210.{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=36}} It was located on the "up" side of the line and was reached via a gate at the roadside and a path through the field.
 In 1889 the inhabitants of Drybridge petitioned for a goods station however it was decided that the gradients were too steep and the request was declined. Seven years later a second attempt was made with the same result.{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=39}} In December 1906 it was decided to install a siding about one mile from Drybridge on the "Down" line facing Keith and lying towards Rathven for the delivery of clay and pipes required to construct a reservoir. By March 1909 the works had been completed and the siding was duly lifted.{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=44}}
@@ Line 37: / Line 38: @@
 ===Suspension of services and final closure===
 [[File:Ruins of old road overbridge at Drybridge (Letterfourie) railway station.JPG|thumb|250px|left|Ruins of the old overbridge.]]
-Drybridge had a short life with services being suspended during WWI on 7 August 1915{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=48}}} and the rails south of [[Buckie]] removed for use at [[Inverness]] and [[Invergordon]] by the Admiralty,{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=54}} the station buildings being left intact as it was hoped to restart services after the war had ended.
+Drybridge had a short life with services being suspended during World War I on 7 August 1915{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=48}}} and the rails south of [[Buckie]] removed for use at [[Inverness]] and [[Invergordon]] by the Admiralty,{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=54}} the station buildings being left intact as it was hoped to restart services after the war had ended.
-The line remained closed in 1923,{{sfn|Vallance|Clinker|1971|p=39}} when the Highland Railway was absorbed by the [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] (LMS). After this the track was relaid following the removal of whin and gorse scrub and the laying of new ballast, but services were not restarted even though the station was officially renamed 'Letterfourie' in April 1925{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=58}} due to the presence in Ayrshire of another [[Drybridge railway station|Drybridge]] that had passed to the [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] from the [[Glasgow and South Western Railway]].{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=58}}  The track was removed again{{sfn|Vallance|Clinker|1971|pp=174–175}} in 1937.<ref>[http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3458893 Geograph]</ref> The nearby [[Aultmore railway station|Aultmore]] became the terminus of a goods spur from Keith and continued in use until 1966.
+The line remained closed in 1923,{{sfn|Vallance|Clinker|1971|p=39}} when the Highland Railway was absorbed by the [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] (LMS). After this the track was relaid following the removal of whin and gorse scrub and the laying of new ballast, but services were not restarted even though the station was officially renamed 'Letterfourie' in April 1925{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=58}} due to the presence in Ayrshire of another [[Drybridge railway station|Drybridge]] that had passed to the [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] from the [[Glasgow and South Western Railway]].{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=58}}  The track was removed again{{sfn|Vallance|Clinker|1971|pp=174–175}} in 1937.<ref>[https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3458893 Geograph]</ref> The nearby [[Aultmore railway station|Aultmore]] became the terminus of a goods spur from Keith and continued in use until 1966.
-Work had begun on the Keith to Portessie line of the Highland Railway on 7 November 1882. Wartime economies led to closure of the line on 7 August 1915 and in 1917 the track between [[Aultmore railway station|Aultmore]] (towards Keith) and [[Portessie]] was requisitioned by the Admiralty.<ref name=hs/> The [[Great North of Scotland Railway]] (GNoSR) re-opened the north and south sections of line by 1919, but the Aultmore to Portessie section (passing through Drybridge) was never re-opened and the track was again removed in 1937 to 'aid the war effort'.<ref name=hs/>{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=62}}
+Work had begun on the Keith to Portessie line of the Highland Railway on 7 November 1882. Wartime economies led to closure of the line on 7 August 1915 and in 1917 the track between [[Aultmore railway station|Aultmore]] (towards Keith) and [[Portessie]] was requisitioned by the Admiralty.{{sfn|Historic Environment Scotland|LB50114}} The [[Great North of Scotland Railway]] (GNoSR) re-opened the north and south sections of line by 1919, but the Aultmore to Portessie section (passing through Drybridge) was never re-opened and the track was again removed in 1937 to 'aid the war effort'.{{sfn|Historic Environment Scotland|LB50114}}{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=62}}
 As stated 'Letterfourie station' is recorded at this site on the 1938 OS map with railway track in situ,<ref name=os/> the name is that of the nearby house and estate. The [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] (LMS) had renamed the station, but never actually reopened it or this section of the line.<ref name=ll/>
 ===Infrastructure===
-The station had a single platform, a small shelter with two sections, a signal in 1902 only and an over bridge on the [[Rathven railway station|Rathven]] side.<ref name=os/><ref name=osa>[http://maps.nls.uk/view/75529998 Elginshire Sheet XIV.NE. Publication date: 1905. Date revised: 1903.]</ref>  Drybridge platform was built of timber.<ref name=hs>[http://data.historic-scotland.gov.uk/pls/htmldb/f?p=2200:15:0::::BUILDING:50114 Historic Scotland site record]</ref> In April 1907 the signals were taken out of use at the intermediate stations.{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=43}}
+The station had a single platform, a small shelter with two sections, a signal in 1902 only and an over bridge on the [[Rathven railway station|Rathven]] side.<ref name=os/><ref name=osa>[http://maps.nls.uk/view/75529998 Elginshire Sheet XIV.NE. Publication date: 1905. Date revised: 1903.]</ref>  Drybridge platform was built of timber.{{sfn|Historic Environment Scotland|LB50114}} In April 1907 the signals were taken out of use at the intermediate stations.{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=43}}
 {{Buckie and Portessie Branch}} The station buildings consisted of a single platform and a small building consisting of a ticket office and a waiting room.{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=36}} After confirmation of closure the station was sold to one of the demolition workers for £5 and was taken to Keith.{{sfn|Wilkinson|1988|p=62}}
@@ Line 60: / Line 61: @@
 ===Sources===
-* {{cite book|last=Butt|first=R. V. J.|year=1995|edition=1st|title=The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present|publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd|isbn=1-85260-508-1|ref=harv}}
+* {{cite book|last=Butt|first=R. V. J.|year=1995|edition=1st|title=The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present|publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd|isbn=1-85260-508-1}}
+* {{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB50114|desc=Drybridge, Old Highland Railway Bridge|cat=C|access-date=28 March 2019}}
-* {{cite book|last1=Vallance|first1=H.A.|last2=Clinker|first2=C.R.|title=The Highland Railway|year=1971|publisher=Pan Macmillan|isbn=978-0-330-02720-5|ref=harv}}
-* {{cite book|last1=Wilkinson|first1=Brian|last2=|first2=|title=The Heilan Line. The Portessie Branch of the Highland Railway.|year=1988|publisher=Dornoch Press|isbn=0-9513358-2-0|ref=harv}}
+* {{cite book|last1=Vallance|first1=H.A.|last2=Clinker|first2=C.R.|title=The Highland Railway|year=1971|publisher=Pan Macmillan|isbn=978-0-330-02720-5}}
+* {{cite book|last1=Wilkinson|first1=Brian|title=The Heilan Line. The Portessie Branch of the Highland Railway.|year=1988|publisher=Dornoch Press|isbn=0-9513358-2-0}}
-* [http://www.railbrit.co.uk/Buckie_and_Portessie_Branch/frame.htm RAILSCOT on Buckie and Portessie Branch]
 {{Historical Rail Start}}
@@ Line 73: / Line 74: @@
 {{s-end}}
 {{Commons category|Drybridge (Letterfourie) railway station}}
+==External links==
+* [https://www.railscot.co.uk/companies/B/Buckie_and_Portessie_Branch_Highland_Railway/ RAILSCOT on Buckie and Portessie Branch]
 [[Category:Disused railway stations in Moray]]
-[[Category:Railway stations opened in 1899]]
+[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1885]]
-[[Category:Railway stations closed in 1915]]
+[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1915]]
 [[Category:Former Highland Railway stations]]