Freight Traffic to Arisaig Station

[McRuss]

Hello,

 

I'm building a 00 scale modular 00 scale station based on the trackplan of Arisaig. My Arisaig version is called Arisvaig. These would be a fictisious station on the Westhighland Line. I wonder what kind of freight was reiceived or send from Arisaig station in the steam era.

 

You may wondering why I don't call my station Arisaig. It's because of the way it is constructed it couldn't represent the prototype as I would like. I will use the Peco lasercut kits for the buildings of the station.  Here is the track plan.

 

Arisvaig3a.pdf

 

Markus

Edited March 21 by McRuss

[Graham R]

I think the answer is “very little”. The land is poor and mostly crofted, and was energetically cleared by Lord Cranstoun in the mid-19th century before the railway was built (district population in 1880 1100; now 300) so there would be little in the way of inbound agricultural traffic. There was a small smithy at Arisaig but coal and iron most likely came from Glasgow by sea, as it did for most small communities along the west coast. Domestic fuel would mostly be locally-won peat and timber rather than coal. Fish was landed at Mallaig, not Arisaig, where the sea approach was narrow with many reefs and shoals according to a 1930s yachting guide. There was a “big house” built by Lord C which the Army used as a training centre in the second World War. That might have created extra inward traffic for food, ammunition  and other equipment but it handled special operations rather than squaddies so I would guess not much.

 

Outward traffic would be sheep, and possibly some commercial timber from the 1950s onwards.  Arisaig booked traffic from the public siding at Beasdale further south. The depopulated, but extensive, hinterland of Ardnamurchan was booked through Glenfinnan Station and then by steamer down Loch Shiel for destinations as far as Acharacle, or else by steamer from Mallaig to the Small Isles and places like Kilchoan, according to the 1921 NBR stations list.

 

Hope that helps. Rule 1 applies of course!

 

regards

Graham

Edited March 23 by Graham R
Repetition, hesitation.

[Graham R]

After a bit more thought … also small amounts of construction materials inwards - tar in barrels or later in drums,, cement, corrugated iron, drainage pipes, fence posts and wire; and wool out. But a few wagons a year, not every week. Or that traffic might have gone by sea as well, if it cost less.

[McRuss]

Hello Graham,

 

thank you for your replies. I think I will decorate the station for the late steam era, but as it would be part of modular FREMO meetings, there will also be session when more modern trains are running. For the first FREMO meeting my Arisvaig station is booked for, the modular arrangement is set in the 1980s. So Arisvaig will ship Timber on OTAs  or OBAs, and will receive some fertilizer for the forestry commision. 

 

Markus