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Maud Railway Station Museum:
The last railway line in the Formartine and Buchan districts
of Aberdeenshire was closed in 1979. Formartine is the geographical
district south of the Ythan river, Buchan is north of the Ythan.
The thirty-eight mile route from Dyce (six miles north of Aberdeen
on the main railway line to Inverness) to Peterhead, plus the
sixteen mile route from Maud Junction to Fraserburgh, now form
the Formartine & Buchan Walkway. The railway line from Dyce
to Peterhead was opened to traffic in 1862. The Maud to Fraserburgh
branch opened three years later, in 1865.
Though the railway has now gone, there is still much interest
in its history. The small Railway Museum at Maud is located
within what was the administration office on the "Peterhead
Platform" of Maud's former station. Amongst the exhibits
is a model recalling Maud Junction in its heyday; when thousands
of head of cattle and sheep were transported by rail to and
from the livestock markets at Maud three days per week; when
passenger trains ran regular services to all stops on the Buchan
Line; when fully-laden fish trains ran daily from Peterhead
and Fraserburgh during the busy herring season; and when mixed-freight
trains hauled coal, livestock feed and the other necessities
of life to all points north of Dyce and delivered the engineering,
food, and farm produce of Buchan southwards. Also in the museum
are photographs and displays of railway memorabilia of all sorts
from the Great North of Scotland Railway (1861-1922), from LNER
days (1923-1947), and latterly British Rail (1948-1979). The
museum gives an insight into our Railway Heritage.
The museum "shop" sells books, souvenirs and collectables.
Maud Railway Museum is open on special occasions and for Group
Visits by arrangement - contact Aberdeenshire Heritage at Aden
Country Park, telephone 01771-622906
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