Strathearn's Railways Exhibition 3

The somewhat poignant story of the Railway era for Crieff and Strathearn was told in a series of detailed descriptive posters. Pictures of wonderful old engines, noisy, smoky beasts of their time, pulling into the surprisingly large station at Crieff. Trains with 4 or 5 carriages were shown chugging along the tracks on the way from Perth or Gleneagles, carrying passengers to far away places like St Fillans, Lochearnhead or even further west and into the Highlands.

Several posters depicted some of the many small stations on the route, such as the Dalchonzie and Highlandman stops. We recognised well known local areas that were linked together - all too briefly. For a period of just over 100 years the railways were planned, then constructed and built up to connect the Crieff and Strathearn area, and bring prosperity to the town, and beyond. Before a 100 years had passed, closures had already begun, and the very last train - a small, single carriage ‘bus’ linking Crieff to Gleneagles - finally trundled along the tracks, bringing a sad end to an era, the like of which we probably will not see again.

An army of volunteers together with the Trustees of Crieff & Strathearn Museum came together to enable hundreds of visitors to enjoy the shared nostalgia. People told of their own childhood experiences. A model engine built from Meccano was a popular exhibit and it showed what a steam engine really looked like. There were other interesting exhibits, such as the silver spade used to dig the first turf for the construction of the Crieff to Comrie line. There were original station posters, timetables and tickets. Luggage, a trolly, various lamps, and a Station Master’s cap all made up an exhibition which entertained and educated, and which has been widely acclaimed as a Crieff & Strathearn Museum success.

Ann McIntosh