Methven Branch Railway

[Dava]

The Methven Branch railway was a short line which left the Perth-Crieff line at Methven Junction. Absorbed by the Caledonian Railway it closed to passengers in 1937 and all traffic in 1965. Not to be confused with Methven, New Zealand.

 

https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/40/616/

 

https://www.railscot.co.uk/Perth_Almond_Valley_and_Methven_Railway/

 

Apart from the RailScot sources, does anyone know of any track plans of Methven station, photos of the line and structures, or details of freight traffic? The NLS 6" map shows a simple track plan but it's incomplete, not showing loop points.

 

I am interested in its potential as a small branch line project in 7mm scale.

 

The next station towards Perth, Almondbank at Huntingtower, also had a long private siding, visible on OS maps, serving a local industry, the Pitcairnfield Bleachworks with its own rail system which looks interesting.

https://maps.nls.uk/view/75655757

 

Thanks for any suggestions,

Edited December 15, 2018 by Dava

[pH]

The National Library of Scotland has a 25 inch to the mile OS map (1888-1913) which shows the layout reasonably well:

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18.50532703572095&lat=56.4116&lon=-3.5868&layers=168&b=1

 

I know I've seen pictures of the terminus just before closure. I'll see if I can find them and post links if I do.

 

(Edit - I see Dava found the NLS maps and added the link in the time between me reading his initial post and adding my reply. I've found a couple of pictures which I'll post, but I now think the pictures I was remembering were of Bankfoot, and not Methven.)

Edited December 16, 2018 by pH

[Dava]

Thanks pH, the 25" map certainly gives a better impression of the track layout at Methven than the 6" I found. In the meantime I've been looking at the bleaching works at Huntingtower which had an interesting rail system I'd like to find out more about also.

[pH]

This is at Methven. The complete caption doesn't show, but you can see a station name on the building on the right:

https://rcts.zenfolio.com/steam-lner/d-4-4-0/d34/hB9352C72#hb9352c72

The engine is standing in much the same place as 54485 in the first picture in the OP.

 

Methven in Caledonian days:

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5AFn23zNIUc/WfiMUVpKf-I/AAAAAAADVBM/j7o5-Cj16m8_ScIzE2hFiV7E2T-6H2sXACLcBGAs/s1600/Old%2BPhotograph%2BKildrummie%2BRailway%2BStation%2BMethven%2BPerthshire%2BScotland.jpg

 

and in LMS days:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Methven-Railway-Station-Photo-Tibbermuir-and-Perth-Line-Caledonian-Railway-1-/251643552366

 

and another, with no date or clues to date:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Methven-Railway-Station-Photo-Tibbermuir-and-Perth-Line-Caledonian-Railway-3-/262761050049

 

"LMS Engine Sheds. Volume 5 - The Caledonian Railway" by Hawkins and Reeve also shows the second and fourth pictures above. The engine shed is the tall building on the right of these pictures.

[Caley Jim]

The line is fully described in 'Branch Lines of Strathearn' by John Young available from the Caledonian Railway Association.

 

Jim

[Corrour]

The Methven Branch railway was a short line which left the Perth-Crieff line at Methven Junction. Absorbed by the Caledonian Railway it closed to passengers in 1937 and all traffic in 1965. Not to be confused with Methven, New Zealand.

 

https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/40/616/

 

https://www.railscot.co.uk/Perth_Almond_Valley_and_Methven_Railway/

 

Apart from the RailScot sources, does anyone know of any track plans of Methven station, photos of the line and structures, or details of freight traffic? The NLS 6" map shows a simple track plan but it's incomplete, not showing loop points.

 

I am interested in its potential as a small branch line project in 7mm scale.

 

The next station towards Perth, Almondbank at Huntingtower, also had a long private siding, visible on OS maps, serving a local industry, the Pitcairnfield Bleachworks with its own rail system which looks interesting.

https://maps.nls.uk/view/75655757

 

Thanks for any suggestions,

 

Hi Dava, For related interest here's the diagram for the Junction. As previously noted I would highly recommend John Young's book.

 

kind regards,

 

Robert

Methven-Jcn-M5-1939-Rev.1-rot.pdf

[Argos]

Hi Dava,

 

At one point I was giving serious consideration to modelling Almondbank in 2mm.

 

Literature on the line is quite slim but as Jim mentioned above John Young's book provides some detail.

 

What period are you looking to model?

The branch lost its passenger service quite early but freight soldered on.

For a while in Caley days the branch engine was one of the elderly 0-4-4 well tanks, a rather superb beast and rarely modelled.

 

 

The private sidings you refer to near Alomondbank grew into quite an extensive private rail network serving a Royal Navy Air Service depot, so was missed off published maps of the period (50s & 60s)

 

The depot railway was powered by OLE with exchanges sidings just off the mainline.

 

This was covered in an early True Line article and is on the disc available from the Caledonian Railway Association.

Edited December 16, 2018 by Argos

[Dava]

Thanks for all the suggestions and sources about the Methven branch and the line to Perth. I need to get hold of the 'Branch Lines of Strathearn' by John Young, I see its Lightmoor Press so quite easy to find and still in print.

 

I stumbled across the branch while looking at an old OS map of the area and wondered about how practical it would be to model Methven as the basis for a small 7mm layout. It would require compression....I have around 8-10 feet available.

 

I am also interested in the industrial line to the bleachworks at Huntingtower. Industrial, light and private railways tend to be more interesting for me as modelling projects.

The factory, though now demolished, is quite well documented in Canmore. No photos of the works railway have come to light so far.

 

I'm intrigued to hear about the RNAS depot and the overhead electrification and want to find out more about these aspects. Was this a separate system or did it take over the bleachworks railway? I had thought about a naval or military depot as a source of traffic.

 

https://canmore.org.uk/site/26798/huntingtower-haugh-huntingtower-bleachfield?display=collection&collection_items_page=1

 

So its all information gathering at this stage, for its own sake and to see what might ultimately form the basis of a small layout. Sadly in my visits to the Fife and Perth area I never travelled via Methven and Huntingtower, so it may require a trip back next year.

 

There was a previous thread on RmWeb about the RNAS railway, starting with an electric loco picture and then useful information from PhilJ W:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/65731-unknown-location-can-you-help/

 

Dava

Edited December 16, 2018 by Dava

[Corrour]

Hi Dava,

 

I may have some detailed map detail on the layout of the RNAW at Almondbank. There were several different locations in the area during wartime.....now reduced to Vecto Aerospace. Will have  a look for you.

 

kind regards,

 

Robert

[souwest]

There were a few photos in Railways of Perthsire, published by the Angus Railway Group - a paperback with a wealth of photos and track plans in it.

[Corrour]

The Methven Branch railway was a short line which left the Perth-Crieff line at Methven Junction. Absorbed by the Caledonian Railway it closed to passengers in 1937 and all traffic in 1965. Not to be confused with Methven, New Zealand.

 

https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/40/616/

 

https://www.railscot.co.uk/Perth_Almond_Valley_and_Methven_Railway/

 

Apart from the RailScot sources, does anyone know of any track plans of Methven station, photos of the line and structures, or details of freight traffic? The NLS 6" map shows a simple track plan but it's incomplete, not showing loop points.

 

I am interested in its potential as a small branch line project in 7mm scale.

 

The next station towards Perth, Almondbank at Huntingtower, also had a long private siding, visible on OS maps, serving a local industry, the Pitcairnfield Bleachworks with its own rail system which looks interesting.

https://maps.nls.uk/view/75655757

 

Thanks for any suggestions,

Dava,

 

Here an early layout plan.

 

kind regards,

 

Robert

[scottystitch]

Hi Dava,

 

I may have some detailed map detail on the layout of the RNAW at Almondbank. There were several different locations in the area during wartime.....now reduced to Vecto Aerospace. Will have  a look for you.

 

kind regards,

 

Robert

Just FYI, and not being pedantic at all, but now AeroStandard rather than Vector.

[Dava]

I'd just like to thank everyone who has responded to this thread and who's posted or sent me information about the Methven branch and the Huntingtower Bleachworks and RNAS Almondbank system.

 

So I know a lot more than I did a week ago and will be thinking about the options for a future Gauge 0 small layout. Just dont expect a finescale totally accurate model.

 

Along the way I've found out about a RNAS depot and industrial overhead electric system I didnt know existed. 

 

Many thanks guys and have a great Christmas and Happy Hogmanay.

 

Dava