Wick and Lybster Light Railway

(Redirected from Wick and Lybster Railway) Former railway line in Scotland

Wick and Lybster Light Railway
Remains of Thrumster railway station
Overview
Locale	Scotland
Stations	8
History
Opened	1 July 1903
Closed	3 April 1944
Technical
Line length	13 miles 39 chains (21.7 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

Wick & Lybster
Light Railway

Legend

					Wick
					Sutherland & Caithness Rly
					Thrumster
					Welsh's Crossing Halt
					Ulbster
					Mid Clyth
					Roster Road Halt
					Occumster
					Parkside Halt
					Lybster

The Wick and Lybster Light Railway was a light railway opened in 1903, with the intention of opening up the fishing port of Lybster, in Caithness, Scotland, to the railway network at Wick. Its construction was heavily supported financially by local government and the Treasury. It was worked by the Highland Railway.

The line was never heavily used and the anticipated expansion of the fishing trade did not take place. When a modern road to the south was built in the 1930s, transits from Lybster were considerably shorter and quicker by that means, and the railway closed completely in 1944.

History

The fishing village of Lybster lies 13 miles (21 km) to the south of Wick, and up to the end of the nineteenth century was relatively inaccessible on land. As early as 1864 a railway from Wick through Lybster to Dunbeath had been proposed, but nothing came of the idea at that time.

The government passed the Light Railways Act 1896 with the intention of encouraging the construction of low-cost railways to serve such localities.

When a new light railway was proposed connecting Lybster to the main line railway network at Wick, considerable support was expressed locally. Wick was one of the northern termini of the Far North Line from Inverness, owned and operated at the time by the Highland Railway. An application was made for a Light Railway Order, Caithness County Council taking the lead in submitting it on 5 March 1896.

The order was granted on 27 November 1899. The capital of the railway company was £30,000, but the anticipated construction cost was considerably more; grants were anticipated from the County Council and the Treasury.

In the event the Duke of Portland, a substantial landowner in the district, subscribed £15,000, and the Highland Railway £1,000. Caithness County Council "advanced" £15,000, the Corporation of Wick £15,000 and the Corporation of Pultenytown (later absorbed into Wick) £1,000. The Treasury made a grant of £25,000. In fact £8,000 of shares remained unsubscribed at 28 March 1900.

The fees of the Board of Trade in granting the Order were £1,311. A contract was let to William Kennedy of Partick, Glasgow, for the actual construction.

The Highland Railway agreed to take charge of the construction, but they were clearly unwilling to let any shortfall in funding fall to them. William Whitelaw, the vice chairman of the Highland Railway visited Wick and stated that he required personal guarantees from the local directors; those directors were reluctant to accept the commitment, but after reflection they gave the required undertakings. However negotiation was successful in persuading the Treasury to increase its loan by £5,000 in 1900. A working agreement with the Highland Railway was finalised on 27 February 1901. The wrangle had cost a year in the construction timescale.

Construction started on 1 April 1901 to the plans by William Roberts, engineer-in-chief to the Highland Railway. The line was subject to an interim inspection by Major Druitt on 20 August 1902 when he surveyed the first 10 miles (16 km) of the line in a fish-wagon propelled by one of the light engines.

After an inspection by Major Druitt, the Board of Trade Inspector, the line opened on 1 July 1903. On the opening day, the first train left Wick at 11.00am. The engine, christened Lybster, was decorated with bunting, and flags were displayed throughout the town. Mrs. Miller, wife of the chairman signalled the departure of the first train. She was presented with a gold whistle as a memento of the occasion. The inaugural train ran non-stop to Lybster in around 30 minutes.

Three trains ran each way every weekday, the journey occupying 40 minutes. The maximum permitted speed was 25 mph (40 km/h).

The financial performance of the line was always poor, with the dividend never exceeding 1.5%.

When the burgh of Wick voted to prohibit the sale of alcohol, some passenger traffic was generated by drinkers who travelled to Lybster to do so.

The Wick and Lybster Light Railway Company was simply a financial shell, receiving the working charge from the Highland Railway. The Railways Act 1921 was passed with the aim of grouping the railways of Great Britain; the Highland Railway was a constituent of the new London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) but the W&LLR was simply absorbed; the LMS exchanged £100 ordinary shares in the W&LLR for £12 10s cash; the company was valued at £42,515.

In 1903 an 0-4-4 tank locomotive that had been working on the Strathpeffer branch was transferred to work the Wick and Lybster Light Railway. It had been built in 1890 by David Jones as a saddle tank; it was given a second-hand boiler, and in 1901 it had been altered to a side-tank configuration.

Topography

The line was 13 miles 39 chains (21.7 km) in length, and was single; there were no passing places.

A new bay platform for the branch trains was provided at Wick station, on the north side of the line. (The main Highland Railway line approaches from the west.) The Lybster line started at a junction just outside the station and curved to the south; it then ran south one mile (1.5 kilometres) or so inland, then curving west with the coast and converging with it at the terminus, Lybster. Intermediate stations were at Thrumster, Ulbster, Mid Clyth and Occumster.

The terrain is rocky and hilly, and gradients on the line were stiff. From Wick the line rose almost continuously, with a ruling gradient of 1 in 50, to a summit 100 metres (328 ft) above sea level just before the 7 milepost (i.e. 11 km). Undulations followed with equally severe gradients, and the final mile descended into Lybster station, which was at a higher elevation (65 m or 214 ft) than Wick (12 m or 38 ft). The station was located at the north end of the main street and was some distance from the harbour.

There were numerous level crossings on the line.

Closure

The construction of a modern road over the Ord of Caithness in the 1930s was a boost to the area but it spelt the end of the railway; the distance from Lybster to Helmsdale by rail via Wick was 74 miles (119 km), but by the new road it was just over 20 miles (32 km). The line closed completely after the last train on 1 April 1944. John Skene who drove the first train on the opening day of the railway in 1903 started the engine for the last trip on 1 April 1944. A large party of people gathered at Lybster station for the last train which was decked with flags for the occasion. By September the Ministry of Transport had begun the process of dismantling the line.

Notes

These figures from the contemporary report in the Railway Magazine; Ross says Wick subscribed £1,500, and Pulteneytown £1,500, and the Treasury grant was a loan.

References

^ David Ross, The Highland Railway, Tempus Publishing, Stroud, 2005, ISBN 0 7524 3479 9
^ Anonymous author in Railway Magazine, August 1903
"Wick and Lybster Railway. The Construction Begun". John o’Groat Journal. Scotland. 5 April 1901. Retrieved 15 July 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
"Inspection of the Wick and Lybster Railway". John o’Groat Journal. Scotland. 22 August 1902. Retrieved 15 July 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
"The Wick and Lybster Light Railway. The Opening Ceremony". Aberdeen Journal. British Newspaper Archive. 2 July 1903. Retrieved 15 August 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
H A Vallance, C R Clinker, Anthony J Lambert, The Highland Railway, David and Charles, Newton Abbot, 1985, ISBN 0 946537 24 0
"Drove First Train: Started Last". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 3 April 1944. Retrieved 15 July 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
"Lybster Railway". Aberdeen Weekly Journal. Scotland. 28 September 1944. Retrieved 15 July 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.

External links

Railscot on Wick and Lybster Railway

v t e Constituent railway companies of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Constituent companies	Caledonian Railway Furness Railway Glasgow and South Western Railway Highland Railway Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway London and North Western Railway Midland Railway North Staffordshire Railway
Subsidiary companies	Arbroath and Forfar Railway Brechin and Edzell District Railway Callander and Oban Railway Cathcart District Railway Charnwood Forest Railway Cleator and Workington Junction Railway Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway Dearne Valley Railway Dornoch Light Railway Dundee and Newtyle Railway Harborne Railway Killin Railway Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway Knott End Railway Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway Maryport and Carlisle Railway Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway North and South Western Junction Railway North London Railway Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railways Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company Solway Junction Railway Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway Wick and Lybster Light Railway Wirral Railway Yorkshire Dales Railway
Former joint railways	Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway Citadel Station Joint Committee Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway Furness and Midland Joint Railway Goods Traffic Committee Lancashire Union Railway North Union Railway Preston and Longridge Railway Preston and Wyre Joint Railway Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway
(Full list of constituents)

v t e Historical Scottish railway companies
Primary companies	Caledonian Railway Glasgow and South Western Railway Great North of Scotland Railway Highland Railway North British Railway
Caledonian Railway	Aberdeen Railway Alloa Railway Alyth Arbroath and Forfar Busby Railway Cathcart District Clydesdale Junction Crieff Junction Crieff and Comrie Crieff and Methven Junction Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Dunblane, Doune and Callander Dundee and Perth Dundee and Perth and Aberdeen Forfar and Brechin General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Garnkirk and Glasgow Glasgow Central Railway Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Greenock and Wemyss Bay Hamilton and Strathaven Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Leadhills and Wanlockhead Lesmahagow Railway Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Comrie Paisley and Barrhead District Perth, Almond Valley and Methven Polloc and Govan Rutherglen and Coatbridge Scottish Central Scottish Midland Junction Scottish North Eastern Solway Junction Symington, Biggar and Broughton Talla Railway Wishaw and Coltness Lines built by the Caledonian Railway Balerno line CR Cleland and Midcalder CR Main Line CR Douglas Branch CR Hamilton Branch CR Hamiltonhill Branch CR The Switchback Independent lines worked by the Caledonian Railway Callander and Oban Killin Railway
Glasgow and South Western Railway	Ardrossan Railway Ardrossan and Johnstone Ayr and Dalmellington Ayr and Maybole Junction Ayr to Mauchline Ayrshire and Wigtownshire Barrhead Branch Bridge of Weir Railway Cairn Valley Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Castle Douglas and Dumfries Dalry and North Johnstone Darvel Branch Girvan and Portpatrick Junction Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Greenock and Ayrshire Kilmarnock and Troon Largs Branch Maidens and Dunure Maybole and Girvan Paisley and Renfrew Paisley Canal Line
Great North of Scotland Railway	Aberdeen and Turriff Aboyne and Braemar Alford Valley Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Boddam Branch Deeside Denburn Valley Formartine and Buchan Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction Keith and Dufftown Moray Coast Morayshire St Combs Light Railway Strathspey Railway
Highland Railway	Buckie and Portessie Branch Dingwall and Skye Duke of Sutherland Findhorn Railway Fortrose Branch Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Inverness and Aviemore Direct Inverness and Nairn Inverness and Perth Junction Inverness and Ross-shire Kyle of Lochalsh Extension Perth and Dunkeld Sutherland and Caithness Sutherland Railway Independent lines worked by the Highland Railway Dornoch Light Railway Wick and Lybster Light Railway
North British Railway	Aberlady, Gullane and North Berwick Anstruther and St Andrews Railway Ballochney Bathgate and Coatbridge Blane Valley Border Counties Railway Border Union Railway Campsie Branch Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock Company Charlestown Railway and Harbour Company Coatbridge Branch Devon Valley Railway Dunfermline and Queensferry East of Fife Railway Edinburgh and Bathgate Edinburgh and Dalkeith Edinburgh and Glasgow Edinburgh and Hawick Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway Edinburgh and Northern Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Esk Valley Eyemouth Railway Fife and Kinross Railway Forth and Clyde Junction Gifford and Garvald Glasgow, Bothwell, Hamilton and Coatbridge Glasgow City and District Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Glasgow and Milngavie Junction Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank Kelvin Valley Railway Kincardine Line Kinross-shire Railway Kirkcaldy and District Railway Leadburn, Linton and Dolphinton Leven Railway Leven and East of Fife Railway Macmerry Branch Monkland and Kirkintilloch Monkland Railways Montrose and Bervie Mallaig Extension Newburgh and North Fife Railway (worked by NBR) Newport Railway North Berwick Branch North British, Arbroath and Montrose Peebles Railway The St. Andrews Railway Stirling and Dunfermline Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Slamannan Slamannan and Borrowstounness Wemyss and Buckhaven Railway West Highland Railway West of Fife Mineral Railway Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness
Joint lines	Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction City Union Dundee and Arbroath Darvel and Strathaven Glasgow and Paisley Joint Glasgow and Renfrew District Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint
Other lines	Brechin and Edzell District Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway Dundee and Arbroath Hagdale Chromate Railway Invergarry and Fort Augustus Lealt Valley Diatomite Railway Lochaber Narrow Gauge Perth, Almond Valley and Methven Rothesay and Ettrick Bay Light Railway Skye Marble Railway Tranent to Cockenzie Waggonway

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