Friockheim

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.


Chronology Dates

04/12/1838Arbroath and Forfar Railway
Leysmill to Forfar officially opened. Stations opened at: Leysmill, Friockheim, Guthrie, Auldbar Road, Clocksbriggs, Forfar [1st].
  /  /1845Aberdeen Railway
Act receives Royal assent. The line with run from Guthrie and Friockheim north largely by the coast to Aberdeen with branches to Brechin and Montrose.
30/07/1846Arbroath and Forfar Railway
Arbroath (Catherine Street) to Friockheim doubling contract let, contractor Robert Moffat (Junior).
07/08/1846Arbroath and Forfar Railway
Friockheim to Forfar (Playfield) doubling contract let, contractor David Murray.
  /  /1862Arbroath and Forfar Railway
Authorisation to expand Friockheim station, not done.
05/12/1955Arbroath and Forfar Railway
Arbroath to Forfar [2nd] local passenger trains withdrawn. Colliston, Leysmill, Friockheim, Guthrie, Clocksbriggs stations closed. St Vigeans Junction to Guthrie Junction closed to passengers.

Books


The Arbroath and Forfar Railway: The Dundee Direct Line and the Kirriemuir Branch (Oakwood Library of Railway History)