First published in 2008, this is the second edition of the Railways of Buchan, which has now been expanded, and enlarged to B5 size. Produced by the Great North of Scotland Railway Association it is a well-illustrated publication covering the Buchan lines, which ran north from the GNSR main line at Dyce to link Aberdeen with the two important fishing ports of Peterhead and Fraserburgh.
Beginning with the formation of the Great North of Scotland Railway in 1845 the authors, Keith Fenwick and Douglas Flett, look at the railway schemes, both successful and unsuccessful, which were put forward for lines in the north-east of Scotland. One difficulty was that after railway mania reached its peak in 1846, many railway companies found that they could not raise the finance needed as investment in railway companies had become unpopular. However, in 1855 a proposal by The Aberdeen, Peterhead & Fraserburgh Railway prompted the GNSR to review an earlier plan for the area. The GNSR revised the plan and it was put forward as The Formartine and Buchan Railway (Formartine being an ancient name for the area north of Dyce). The two companies went head-to-head and it was on the third submission to the House of Commons that The Formartine and Buchan Railway was approved. Due to lack of finance construction of the railway had to be completed in phases, first the line from Dyce to Mintlaw, followed by Mintlaw to Peterhead and finally Maud to Fraserburgh. The railway served a rich farming area, as well as the ports of Peterhead and Fraserburgh.
It was to be another 40 years before the GNSR constructed any branch lines, but in 1897 a line from Ellon to Boddam was opened. The line was developed to serve the fishing port at Boddam, as well as stopping at Cruden Bay, a popular holiday resort where the GNSR built an hotel. The final extension was a light railway which ran from Fraserburgh to the fishing port at St Combs.
The Boddam line, never a success, closed first. Although passenger services ceased on the rest of the system in 1965, the last freight service was not withdrawn until 1979. Today, much of the trackbed is the Formartine & Buchan Way, a long-distance footpath which is open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders, and Maud station is now the site of an enterprising small railway museum.
Well illustrated with over 90 photographs, accompanied by a variety of miscellaneous items such as maps, plans and layout diagrams, timetables, tickets and other advertising ephemera.
18 colour and 81 black & white photographs. 96 pages.