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.

Tags

Station LMS Type 12

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

12/03/1861Portpatrick 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.
  /02/1895Portpatrick Railway
During a period of very heavy snowfall a train is held up at Creetown for 3 days.
14/06/1965Portpatrick 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.

News items

17/11/2021The magnificent lost Edinburgh mansion that was mistaken for a Chinese pagoda [Edinburgh Live]

Books


Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Railways (Library of Railway History)
Rails to Portpatrick (Local History Series)
The Port Road: Dumfries to Stranraer, Portpatrick, Kirkcudbright and Whithorn