Skye Marble Railway
Overview | |
---|---|
Fleet size | 1 Hunslet Engine Company steam locomotive |
Headquarters | Broadford, Skye |
Locale | Isle of Skye, Scotland |
Dates of operation | 1910–1912 |
Successor | Abandoned |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
Length | 4 mi (6 km) |
The Skye Marble Railway was a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge[1] industrial railway on the Isle of Skye, Scotland[2] which operated from 1910 to 1912.
Marble was discovered near Kilchrist in Strath Suardal about 3 miles (5 kilometres) south west of Broadford around 1907. A large factory was built near the quarry for cutting and polishing the quarried blocks. In January 1910, the company put before the Skye District Committee plans for the railway including a level crossing in Broaford.[3] The plans were accepted by the Committee with the provision that the company take responsibility for any accident which happened at the crossing. By August 1910, it was reported that the railway to the marble quarries was progressing well and expected to be completed within the anticipated timeframe.[4]
The light railway extended 4 mi (6 km) from Broadford pier[5] to the quarries, and there was a branch line to the factory.[6] The blocks of marble were cut in workshops on the Island and shipped to Antwerp from the pier in Broadford.[7] The railway was operated by a Hunslet Engine Company steam locomotive named Skylark, which was acquired second-hand from Ireland.
Shortly after completion in late October 1910, Lachian Macleod, a native of the Isle of Raasay, was employed by the company on a service train between Broadford and the quarry when a wagon got out of control on an incline. He leapt from the wagon and received a fracture of the skull which proved fatal.[8]
The quarry railway was not successful for very long, and by 1913 the line was being offered for sale as part of the liquidation of the business.[9] The sale comprised a 9½-in, 4-wheeled locomotive, 500 tons of 35 pounds (16 kg) and 56 pounds (25 kg) flat-bottomed rail and 9,000 6-foot creosoted sleepers.
References
- ^ "Skye Marble Railway". Hlrco.wordpress.com. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
- ^ "Am Baile - Letter concerning the railway construction of Skye Marble LTD, page 1". Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
- ^ "Skye District Committee". Northern Chronicle and General Advertiser for the North of Scotland. Scotland. 2 February 1910. Retrieved 24 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "The Western Isles". Northern Chronicle and General Advertiser for the North of Scotland. Scotland. 10 August 1910. Retrieved 24 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Aberdeen Journal. 3 July 1911. p. 4. Skye Marble Quarries. Industrial Transformation in the Highlands
- ^ Sheffield Telegraph. 18 February 1911. p. 8. Skye Marble. Highland Industry with a future.
- ^ "New Factory for Skye". Overland China Mail. England. 7 January 1911. Retrieved 24 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Skye. Broadford Man Killed on the Railway". Northern Chronicle and General Advertiser for the North of Scotland. Scotland. 2 November 1910. Retrieved 24 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Inverness-Shire - Marble Quarries. Skye Marble Ltd in Liquidation". The Scotsmanl. Scotland. 28 June 1913. Retrieved 24 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
57°13′05″N 5°56′35″W / 57.218°N 5.943°W / 57.218; -5.943
- v
- t
- e
- Caledonian Railway
- Glasgow and South Western Railway
- Great North of Scotland Railway
- Highland Railway
- North British Railway
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
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
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
- 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
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
- 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
![]() | This Scotland rail transport related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- v
- t
- e