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STRICHEN TO ELLON WALK

(29th Sept 2015)

MAUD JUNCTION TO AUCHNAGATT

After a short rest at Maud station site for refreshment I started the walk southwards for the next stage at Auchnagatt. I remember this station quite
well as it was well used and the evening train to Fraserburgh saw a number of commuters from Aberdeen getting off, some of whom were railway
administration staff. It was a colourful station set by the main road. The branch wasn't run as a commuter service and some of these staff mus have
had quite a long day. Timings were poor and speeds very slow.
The bridge over the Ugie, from the New Pitsigo to Maud road. Maud to the left.

Information board at Auchnagatt.

 
Four & A Half Miles to Auchnagatt! Oh well, better get on with it.

 
Left: Back towards Maud.                                                          Right: Southwards towards Auchnagatt.

 
Right: Road bridge near Gilkhorn Farm

 
This runs through the area known as The Den Of Old Maud.

 
Through a short cutting.

 
Over bridge between Drymoor and Bulwark Moss. Left: Southwards. Right: Northward.

 
Right: Probably a temperature recording gadget.

 
Left: Rocks and Ganger's Hut (Northwards).                                                                                                            Right: Rock (Southward).

 
Left: Ganger' Hut (Northward).                                                                                        Right: Ex farm crossing.

 
Left: Looking south towards Auchnagatt.        Right: A clearing between tree planting. Looks as if it could have been an old branch line track bed.

 
Towards a short avenue of trees. Left: 18mm Wide View.                                                             Right: 55mm view from same spot.

 
Ex Crossing Keeper's House

 
Left: A farm access level crossing. Left: Towards Ellon.                                                                    Right: Towards Auchnagatt.

 
Right: Possibly part of the farm at North Greenbrae

 
Up and Down views, respectfully.

 
Another Ganger's Hut. Left: Towards Ellon.                                                                                     Right: Towards Auchnagatt.

 
The Ex level crossing for access to South Greenbrae Farm.

 
Cattle enjoying the shade from the warm sunlight.

 
Left: The farm track from the evel crossing, running up to South Greenbrae Farm, on the Up side of the track bed.
Right; Looking southwards from the farm crossing.

 
Left: Northwards from the south side of the crossing.                                          Right: Southwards from the level crossing.

 
Over bridge by the quarrie at Cairncummar.

 
Another farm access crossing.

Looking northwards.

 
Bridge over the Burn. Left: Towards Ellon.                                                                          Right: Towards Auchnagatt.

 
Ditto

 
Left: harvesting on th east side of the track bed.                                                               Right: Southwards.

 
Bridge over the Ebrie Burn to the north of Auchnagatt.

Little Annochie Farm

Auchnagatt Station Layout. A two platform station, with a Goods Yard at the north end and west side of the station.
 (NLS Maps).

 
Left: Looking across what was the Goods Yard, with the village boundary posts on the main road.
Right: First signs of the station platforms. Up platform on the left.

 
Left Ex Station Name board Posts. On the Up platform.                                         Right: Station buildings, north end of Station platform.

 
Left: Southwards along the Down platform. Right: The Up Platform.

 
The Down platform with the station building in the middle. See below.

1959 North end of the station, looking southwards. A Fish train for Peterhead waits for the signal on the Down platform. In the
background is the bridge over the main road, that has been demolished. The points going off in front of the loco goes into the
Goods Yard. Close to photos above.

From south end of the station, showing the Goods Sidings on the right. There may have been two signal boxes here
or it may be the old box on the left was the original one and had not yet been demolished. GNSRS Photo).

 
Concrete station platform lamp posts, remains. Up platform.

 
From the same spot. Left, fencing at where the Goods Yard was.                                             Right: The Up Platform.

 
Left: Modern building on the south end of the Down Platform..                                                     Right: platform Ramp. North end of the Up platform.

 
Left: The cut out on the Up platform that contained the angle joints for the signal wires.  Right: Towards Strichen.

 
Left: The Down platform and station building.                                                       Right: The Down platform towards Ellon.

  
Left: Southern ramp of the Down station platform. Just ahead the line came in below the now demolished road bride. The bus stop is for the two services a day from Ellon.
Right: Home built right up to the edge of the Down Platform. The Up platform is hidden in the trees to the right.

 
Left: From the north end of the Down platform, with the marked entrance to continue southwards on the track bed. This is due to the bridge having been demolished and the
road leveled. Right: The low platform became a comfortable seat while I took a 10-15 minute break for some refreshments and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine. This was
where the Footbridge Stood.

 
Taken where I was sitting at the south end of the Down platform, looking northwards through the old station site.

Auchnagatt Station House. The lower level had been a grocery shop during the
railway's time.

 
Left: The station House. Right: A wide view of the station building and the ground that was an allotment once stood. Today it is stone covered, with a rather bleak-looking
garage buit on the spot. The shop has been converted as part of the  building. See below.

Close to the photo above right. Possibly that last train. The station building is already demolished. The trees on the right
have matured a bit since then! An interesting comparison in that there was an allotment that has now been stone
covered, that won't soak up the rain water any more! Ah, such is progress! (D. Flett-GNSRA Photo).

    
Left: From close to the photo above right. A train just departing northwards for Fraserburgh and Peterhead. (Video film screen grab).
Right: The down station platform with the footbridge behind and the over bridge is just seen behind that and a passenger waiting for a train.

Where the railway dropped below the road over-bridge.

The south end of the station, with the edge of the Down platform still showing.
From approximately where the old over bridge stood.

 
Left: The direction board to enter back onto the track bed and southwards. Right: The entrance onto the south side track bed. This is a new path. The track bed ran
below the road to the left, where the over bridge has been demolished. Only 7 more miles to do!

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Video Screen grabs from the The Railways Of Scotland Volume 4 "Aberdeen and the Grampians". An excellent video available on DVD, from
Cinerail at: http://www.cinerail.com/   There are many great archive scenes of almost every Scottish route you can think of. Well worth a look.

Railscot: https://www.railscot.co.uk/ Excellent web site on Scotland's railways. Maps, photos and historical details.

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AUCHNAGATTE TO ARNAGE

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