Loch Skerrow

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Loch Skerrow (1955-1963)

Opened on the Portpatrick Railway.

Description

This was a halt at a remote location alongside Loch Skerrow. There was a passing loop, two short platforms, a siding, water tank, signal box and railwaymen's cottages. Due to the exposed location there were lengths of sleeper fencing and trees planted as a wind break.

The principal purposes of Loch Skerrow were a place for locomotives to take water and as as a passing place to break the long single track section between New Galloway and Gatehouse of Fleet stations. With no local population there was no need for a conventional station.

Being at the end of the climb from New Galloway, to the east, a water tank was provided for the locomotives. Water was pumped from Loch Skerrow itself.The climb from Palnure, to the west, ended at Gatehouse of Fleet although there were a further two climbs from there approaching Loch Skerrow.

The platforms, built with of concrete panels on brick piers (dating from 1943 and replacing the timber originals), were short and staggered. These were about half way along the loop. The signal box (built 1891 and a G&SWR Type 3) was at the east end of the westbound platform. Opposite the box was a short locomotive sidings (approached by reversal from the east) and a pair of water tanks. The eastbound platform was the the west of the tanks. Railway cottages were on the south side of the loop, to the west of the platforms.

West of the westbound platform was a small brick hut, the original 'tablet house' which was replaced by the signal box.

The halt, loop, signal box and line closed in 1965.

Today it remains a remote location. One platform remains intact, the other being half demolished, the felled water tank pillars remain and the station cottages are ruined. The trackbed is a footpath walkable from both New Galloway and Gatehouse of Fleet. In places the ballast remains almost intact with each sleeper indentation well preserved.

The base of the water tank was demolished by the Royal Engineers in 1987 (at the same time the Little Water of Fleet Viaduct was demolished).

The bases of water columns, signal pulleys and several signal post bases can be found. Sleeper fences ran along the south of the site from the signal box to the cottages.

Tags

Halt station footpath GSW Type 3

Aliases

Loch Skerrow Halt Loch Skerrow Platform Lochskerrow

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67



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