South Alloa railway station

South Alloa railway station, located south of the River Forth, served the village of South Alloa, Scotland and the town of Alloa via a ferry link from 1850 to 1885.

South Alloa
General information
LocationSouth Alloa, Falkirk
Scotland
Coordinates56°06′21″N 3°48′18″W / 56.1057°N 3.8050°W / 56.1057; -3.8050
Platforms1
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyScottish Central Railway
Pre-groupingCaledonian Railway
Post-groupingLondon Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
2 September 1850 (1850-09-02)Opened as Alloa
1854Renamed as South Alloa
1 October 1885Closed to passengers
1 September 1950 (1950-09-01)Closed completely

History

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The station was opened on 2 September 1850 as Alloa by the Scottish Central Railway (SCR) as the northern terminus of a branch from their Larbert to Stirling main line.[1] The branch ran from Alloa Junction and was known as the Alloa Branch, in the opening notification in the newspaper, or South Alloa Branch, on the OS map.[2][3]

The station was about 200 yards (180 m) south of the ferry pier where ferries ran across the Forth to Alloa pier, a short distance from Alloa Ferry station. In 1860 the station consisted of a small building with one platform on a run-around loop, there were several sidings and a goods shed, close by to the west was a connection to some coke ovens.[4]

At the time of opening the station the SCR took over the running of the ferry and it was reported to be a great benefit until the Stirling and Dunfermline Railway's Alloa to Stirling line opened in 1852.[5]

The station's name was changed to South Alloa in 1854 to avoid confusion with the North British Railway station. It closed to passengers on 1 October 1885 when the Alloa Swing Bridge opened on a direct route to Alloa.[1][6]

By 1895 there were a lot of sidings to the west of the station servicing a timber depot.[3] The line closed to goods on 1 September 1950.[7]

Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Airth
Line and station closed
  Caledonian Railway
Scottish Central Railway
  Terminus

References

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  1. ^ a b Quick, Michael (2022) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (PDF). version 5.04. Railway & Canal Historical Society. p. 49. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Scottish Central Railway". Alloa Advertiser. 7 September 1850. p. 3. Retrieved 27 July 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ a b "South Alloa on 25 inch map Stirlingshire XVIII.7 (Airth; Alloa; Clackmannan)". National Library of Scotland. 1895. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  4. ^ "South Alloa on 25 inch map Stirlingshire XVIII.7 (Airth)". National Library of Scotland. 1862. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Scottish Central Railway". Stirling Observer. 27 September 1855. p. 3. Retrieved 27 July 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ Thomas, John; Turnock, David (1989). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Vol. 15 The North of Scotland (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 311–312. ISBN 0-946537-03-8.
  7. ^ Hurst, Geoffrey (1992). Register of Closed Railways: 1948-1991. Worksop, Nottinghamshire: Milepost Publications. p. 5 (ref 0151). ISBN 0-9477-9618-5.
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