Railways in the Shetland Isles?

[Steptoe]

On a recent visit to Lerwick harbour I noticed what appeared to an old concrete stop block and reference to a station on the building across the road from this block; however I could find no references on the web to any form of railway infrastructure on the Shetlands.

I can therefore only assume that the stop block was used for another purpose and the sign is an clever bit of advertising based on the block but wonder if anyone does know the story behind these?

 

[randyrippley]

former bus depot presumably?

 

[gazthomas]

There was a Herring station previous on the site

 

[Gloster]

I don’t think there have ever been any railways in the Shetlands, with the possible exception of temporary arrangements in military or port facilities. The concrete block could have been for any one of a wide variety of purposes.

 

[MadMarsupial]

I don’t think there have ever been any railways in the Shetlands, with the possible exception of temporary arrangements in military or port facilities. The concrete block could have been for any one of a wide variety of purposes.

Apparently there were a number of narrow gauge railways on Shetland. There is even a book that has been written about them. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Railways-Shetland-W-Simms/dp/0952888130

 

[341o2]

A number of narrow gauge lines were built to serve quarries or fishing ports, with particular reference to the herring industry (as already mentioned)

Mr Ivens explained that the Shetland railways were mainly constructed to serve the fishing industry of the herring boom days, as well as quarries, such as the Hagdale Chromate Railway in Unst which ran from the Hagdale quarry to the pier at Baltasound.

There was even a proposal for a railway from Scalloway to Lerwick, which never came to fruition.

https://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/201...as-enthusiast-opens-his-very-own-railway-line

Mr W Pedia also has an article on the Hagdale Chromate railway
Well, a few lines

The Hagdale Chromate Railway was a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gauge railway on the Isle of Unst, in the Shetland Islands. Built in 1907, it connected the chromite quarries at Hagdale with a pier at Baltasound. None of Shetland's few narrow-gauge railways were preserved.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagdale_Chromate_Railway

 

[The Lad]

There is a short length of standard gauge at Lyness on the Island of Hoy which was used for the vertical boilered steam cranes used to lift out and maintain the anti-torpedo nets for Scapa Flow.
A few wagons rusting also.

 

[Gloster]

There is a short length of standard gauge at Lyness on the Island of Hoy which was used for the vertical boilered steam cranes used to lift out and maintain the anti-torpedo nets for Scapa Flow.
A few wagons rusting also.

Hoy is in the the Orkneys.

 

[MadMarsupial]

There is a short length of standard gauge at Lyness on the Island of Hoy which was used for the vertical boilered steam cranes used to lift out and maintain the anti-torpedo nets for Scapa Flow.
A few wagons rusting also.

Getting off topic but this article about Orkney Railways from the IR Society is interesting. https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/10/orcadian_railways.htm

 

[randyrippley]

This page has a photo of a narrow gauge incline railway on Unst, the author assumes for peat cutting

A Shetland railway, Baltasound © Mike Pennington cc-by-sa/2.0

Long-rusted, this short track with its pulley system was presumably used to transfer peats to land after they had been brought in by boat.

www.geograph.org.uk

 

[Dr Hoo]

There was a ‘funicular’ built for construction of the Muckle Flugga lighthouse off the very north tip of Shetland, powered/‘hoisted’ by a 7.5hp steam engine apparently.

Sorry can’t post google link from mobile.

Further checking of '25-inch' maps on the invaluable NLS site shows at least four 'tramways' loosely around Lerwick Harbour, not necessarily all at the same point in time.

The quays and piers were collectively know as the "Fishing Station" - hence the "Station Garage".

All rather 'normal' really.

 

[Steptoe]

Thanks to everyone for the interesting replies and confirmation that the 'stop-block' was never used for a standard gauge siding; in fact there was no evidence that the usual timber baulk was ever attached. (the blue fittings are lengths of hollow piping presumably inserted during casting to enable something to be fitted to the face of the block)

 

[zwk500]

(the blue fittings are lengths of hollow piping presumably inserted during casting to enable something to be fitted to the face of the block)

The blue fittings look like quite modern piping to me, presumably they're for drainage. (Blue normally = water).

 

[stuving]

That block isn't there on the 1965/67 1:2500 OS map, instead there's a building parallel to the later road (Holmsgarth Rd). The block faces diagonally across the quay; and fits nothing visible on any maps or the current surroundings.

Of course the whole area was massively changed in the 1970s, and since then too, and the quayside has moved outwards. But, having worked out what's where (based on the few surviving buildings) it must be something put there to hold those three posts and what was attached to them. Probably something quite temporary, despite being so massive - without knowing what was around it or who built it it's hard to know what to expect.