Campbeltown railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Campbeltown Railway Station
A railway cutting in Campbeltown near the old station
Location	Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute Scotland
Coordinates	55°25′27″N 5°36′11″W / 55.4243°N 5.6031°W / 55.4243; -5.6031
Platforms	None
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway
Key dates
16 August 1906	Station opened
November 1931	Station closed
January 1932	Station re-opened
May 1932	Station closed to passengers
1934	Track lifted

Campbeltown was once home to a special railway station. It was located in the town of Campbeltown, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. This station served the town and its busy ferry terminal. It was part of the Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway. This was a unique railway line in Kintyre, Scotland. It connected Campbeltown with another town called Machrihanish. The trains on this line were a bit different. They ran on a "narrow gauge" track. This means the rails were closer together than on most railways. The next stop after Campbeltown was a place called Plantation Halt.

A Look Back at Campbeltown Station

The Campbeltown station was on Hall Street. It was quite unusual because it didn't have any raised platforms. Instead, passengers would board the train directly from the ground. There was a special track loop. This loop allowed the train's engine to move from one end of the train to the other. This was useful for changing direction near the Old and New Quays.

From Coal to Passengers

The railway line first started as a way to carry coal. It was used to transport minerals from mines. But in 1906, it was upgraded. It then began carrying passengers too. The railway didn't have many formal "stations" like we see today. Instead, there were specific places where the train would simply stop. This allowed people to get on or off.

Popular Day Trips

Many people who used the railway were day trippers from Glasgow. A large turbine steamer boat would bring these passengers to Campbeltown. They would arrive early in the morning. This gave them enough time to catch a train to Machrihanish. They could enjoy their day there. Then, they could make the return journey all in one day. It was a popular way to explore the area.

A Unique Narrow Gauge Railway

The Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway was very special. It used a narrow gauge of 2 feet 3 inches (686 mm). This was quite rare in the United Kingdom. In fact, only three other passenger railways in the UK used the exact same narrow gauge. All of these other unique lines were located in Wales. They were the Corris Railway, the Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway (which didn't last very long), and the Talyllyn Railway. This shows how unique the Campbeltown line was.