Author : A. Gordon Pirie
ISBN : 9780853617655
Cover : paperback
Price : £15.95

This narrow gauge railway was built in 1899 by the Seaton Brick and Tile Company Limited. Their line ran from the company’s brickworks at Strabathie to Bridge of Don on the northern outskirts of Aberdeen. The Murcar Golf Club Limited was granted running powers and operated its own railcar known as ‘The Murcar Buggy’ from their clubhouse at Bridge of Don. When the brickworks closed in 1924, the golf club took over the southern portion of the line. Regular services ceased in 1950. The book comprises fourteen chapters starting with the history of the brick and tile company, then proceeding to the origins and building of the railway, and through its various periods of operation. The last chapters deal with the ‘final years’, and the railway remains. There are also fourteen appendices, including the Strabathie Brickworks Song, building costs, rolling stock, train services and timetables, golf club fares and tickets, usage figures, etc. The book illustrations are a good mix of photographs, maps, tickets, letterheads and plans. Overall a comprehensive overview of this unsung Scottish light railway.