BRUCKLAY TO MAUD JUNCTION
Now heading south from Brucklay for the 4 mile walk to Maud Junction. Another quite colourful walk through the Buchan countryside, with a number
of over and under bridges and the drop down into Maud. This concentrates on the Fraserburgh side of Maud station. The Peterhead side is covered more
on my Maud to Mintlaw walk.
Left: Heading southwards from the Brucklay site. Right: Back towards Brucklay station site.
Heading south you run into a short, wooded cutting.
Sleepers, used as a barrier to snow drifts.
Probably a farm water reservoir of some sort!
Left: Back towards Brucklay. Right: Southwards towards Maud.
A 'C' road, leading from the A950.
Southwards towards Maud. 32.5 miles from Dyce.
Bridge over South Ugie River, to the north of Maud.
The bridge over the Ugie, from the New Pitsigo to Maud road. Maud to the left.
Farm Access bridge, to the north of Maud.
Left: North side of the bridge, looking southwards. Right: The south side of the bridge, looking northwards.
Bridge over a burn, leading to the South Ugie River.
Looking southwards. Our first view of Maud up ahead. This is where the Up distant signal stood for the station.
Left: Looking back towards the over bridge. Right: Dropping down to Maud station site.
The village of Maud from the west side of the track bed.
Approaching the north side of Maud Village.
Looking back to the over bridge, towards Strichen.
Demolished bridge site over the B9106 (Victoria Road) on the final approach, from the north, into Maud station.
Maud Village from the B9106 (Victoria Road).
Internet/0321BetweenMaud&Mintlaw(19thSept2015).JPG)
From the main road, approaching the demolished over bridge site. Left: A GNSR Box Van seen in a field. Right: The track bed coming in from Brucklay.
Back up on the track bed, towards Maud Station site. The grassy embankment is quite pleasant in the afternoon sunlight.
Left: The Peterhead branch as it runs into Maud stn, level with the Fraserburgh branch.
Right: Old Pillbox at the north end of the station site. It stands in the centre of the two branch lines.MAUD JUNCTION
Maud Station & Junction Layout (NLS Maps)
Left: The Fraserburgh platforms . The Down platform was seldom used (on the right) with all trains using the Up platform that was signalled in both directions. (See below left).
Right: North End, with the Peterhead platforms behind the Fraserburgh Up platform.
Left: Reverse view of above left. Passenger train entering the Up Fraserburgh platform at Maud. (1960's). Right: Approximately the same spot today. N.B. the staff crossing in
front of the locomotive, is where the present day steps are built for ease of getting on and off the island platform. (Video film screen grab).
Left: Peterhead Down & Up platforms. Towards Peterhead. See below. Right: Towards Dyce.
Rails laying on the island platform.
Right: South end of the Peterhead platorms on the left. Fraserburgh platforms on the right. The ground opens up to the right, as the junction turnedinto the Goods Yard.
Left: South end of Peterhead Up Platform, with old signal box store room still in place. The signalbox was immediately to it's right.
Right: Down & Up Peterhead platforms. South end, towards Peterhead.
Maud Signal Box in the 60's. Shows the concrete store on the left.
(Video Film Screen Grab).
Left: The signalbox was to the right and this is where the track split from the single line, into the Goods Siding and int the station, either for Fraserburgh or Peterhead.
The train stopped at the signal, outside the box and the loco and first two coaches (Or more) were uncoupled and run into the down Peterhead platform. Once clear,
the Fraserbugh light engine, that was standing on the Up platform, was signalled onto the two (or more) cloaches and coupled up. Once completed the train was
signalled into the Up Fraserburgh platform for it's onward journey. The Down Fraserburgh platform was seldom used by passenger trains. I expect this was for
easier shunting moves in the signal box.
The turntable pit remains in the Goods Yard.
Left: The north end of the Goods Yard towards the station entrance by the Hotel and shop. Right: South end of the station layout, heading to Auchnagatt.
Information board shoing local interest and 4.5 miles to Auchnagatt.
Getting into the start of the walk towards Auchngatt.=============================================
Update October 2016
PRESERVED PRISONER'S COACH (Maud Jctn Site)
On the 17th of September 2016 I enjoyed a visit to Maud Junction Station Site (Waling from Mintlaw to Maud and back).
The reason for the visit was to see the preserved Peterhead Prisoner's Coach that has recently been preserved and put
on display on a section of track by the old Up Fraserburgh-Aberdeen platform. It is accompanied by a Tool or Explosives
Van that had been on display at the Prison, which is now a Prison Museum.They have done an excellent job of the preservation of the Prisoner's Coach which ran on the Stirling Quarry that ran between
the quarry, at Boddam, to the breakwater pier at Peterhead. It was a standard gauge branch and fully signalled. The quarry and
trains were worked by prisoners, under armed gaurd. The work on the two breakwater piers began in the 1890's and was
expected to take 25 years. However, due to delays by the two World Wars it was not completed until 1958. The branch was
closed and dismantled immediatly after completion of the work.
Left: My first sighting of the wagons as I approached the Ex Down Fraserburgh platform.
The wagons stand on the Ex Up Fraserburgh to Aberdeen platform.
The small wagon may have been a Tool or Explosives wagon.
The especially designed wagon held a number of prisoners so that they were well secure.
