Stepford railway station

Stepford (NX864815) was one of the minor request stop stations on the Cairn Valley Light Railway branch from Dumfries. It served a very rural area in Dumfries and Galloway. The line was closed to passengers during the Second World War.[1]

Stepford railway station
General information
LocationStepford, Dumfries and Galloway
Scotland
Platforms1
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyCairn Valley Railway
Pre-groupingGlasgow & South Western
Key dates
1 March 1905Opened
3 May 1943Closed to passengers
4 July 1949Closed to freight

History

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The CVR was nominally independent, but was in reality controlled by the Glasgow and South Western Railway.[2] The line was closed to passengers on 3 May 1943, during the Second World War[1] and to freight on 4 July 1949,[3] and the track lifted in 1953.

The station was very basic with just a short wooden platform with a tin shelter and a siding with a loading bank for goods traffic.[4] A station master's house was provided, designed by the company with a pyramid roof truncated by a central chimney stack.[4] The shelter had been demolished by 1949.[4] The station master's house, a simple cottage, rather than the standard company design, survives as a private dwelling.

Morrington Quarry was nearby and was rail connected,[5] however the contract was lost to a road haulier in around 1943.[6]

The siding was worked by down trains only, goods for Dumfries being taken to the nearest station along. The points were unlocked with an Annett's key that was kept in a locked box on a post adjacent to the point.[7]

Trains were controlled by a 'lock and block' system whereby the trains operated treadles on the single line to interact with the block instruments.[2]

See also

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References

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Notes
  1. ^ a b Awdry, page 64
  2. ^ a b Sanders, page 50
  3. ^ Thomas, page 203
  4. ^ a b c Kirkpatrick, Page 21
  5. ^ Kirkpatrick, Page 45
  6. ^ Kirkpatrick, Page 71
  7. ^ Kirkpatrick, Page 91
Sources
  • Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
  • Kirkpatrick, Ian (2000). The Cairn Valley Light Railway. Usk : The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-567-5.
  • Sanders, Keith and Hodgins, Douglas (1995). British Railways. Past and Present South West Scotland. No. 19. ISBN 1-85895-074-0.
  • Thomas, David St John & Whitehouse, Patrick (1993). The Romance of Scotlands Railways. Newton Abbot : David St John Thomas. ISBN 0-946537-89-5.
Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Newtonairds   Glasgow and South Western Railway
Cairn Valley Railway
  Dunscore

55°06′55″N 3°46′56″W / 55.1153°N 3.7822°W / 55.1153; -3.7822