Strabathie Light Railway (Blackdog Light Railway; Murcar Railway)



Owner Seaton Brick and Tile Company Limited
Opened 1900 (for goods and workers; steam)
Operator Seaton Brick and Tile Company Limited
Golf service introduced 5th June 1909
Operator Seaton Brick and Tile Company Limited
Taken over (golf club services) 25th December 1909 (Murcar Links Golf Club [petrol])
Voluntary liquidation 27th December 1917 (Murcar Links Golf Club)
Golf service re-introduced March 1919 (for the newly formed Murcar Golf Club [steam])
Operator Seaton Brick and Tile Company Limited
Taken over (golf club services) April 1919 (Murcar Golf Club [petrol])
Voluntary liquidation August 1924 (Seaton Brick and Tile Company Limited)
Taken over (railway and land) November 1924 (Murcar Golf Club)
Closed 30th June 1950
Length 3.25 miles (1.75 miles after 1924)
Gauge 3ft 0ins

Button description Uniforms not worn

Comments
The Strabathie Light Railway was not a tramway as such, but an industrial railway line whose primary purpose was to transport the owning company's goods and workers, the latter using ex-Aberdeen District Tramways horsecars re-gauged to 3ft 0ins and hauled by the company's steam locomotive. In 1909 however, it gained a unique place in British railway history by agreeing to the use of a portion of its line (circa 1.75 miles) by Murcar Links Golf Club), ultimately allowing the latter to operate their own petrol railcar. Following the demise of the company in 1924, the golf club bought the track and the land, and continued to operate services until 1950. Although a single photo shows a railcar driver in uniform (see link), this was possibly his own (perhaps Great War surplus), as all other photos show staff in informal attire; it is therefore highly unlikely that uniform buttons ever existed.