Crofthead railway station

{{Short description|Former railway station in Scotland}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2018}}

{{Infobox station

| name = Crofthead

| native_name = Fauldhouse and Crofthead{{Sfnp|Butt|1995|p=95}}

| status = Disused

| image = File:Fauldhouse & Crofthead railway station (site), Lothian (geograph 5206586).jpg

| caption = The site of the station in 2016

| borough = Fauldhouse, West Lothian

| country = Scotland

| coordinates = {{coord|55.8252|-3.7032|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

| grid_name = Grid reference

| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|NS 933 604|25|NS 933 604}}

| platforms = 1

| original = Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway

| pregroup = Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
North British Railway

| postgroup = London and North Eastern Railway

| years = 2 June 1845{{Sfnp|Butt|1995|p=71}}

| events = Opened

| years1 = April 1848{{Sfnp|Butt|1995|p=71}}

| events1 = Closed to passengers

| years2 = May 1850{{Sfnp|Butt|1995|p=71}}

| events2 = Re-opened

| years3 = December 1852{{Sfnp|Butt|1995|p=71}}

| events3 = Closed to passengers

| years4 = 1 October 1864{{Sfnp|Butt|1995|p=71}}

| events4 = Re-opened

| years5 = 1 October 1906{{Sfnp|Butt|1995|p=95}}

| events5 = Renamed Fauldhouse and Crofthead

| years6 = 1 May 1930

| events6 = Closed to passengers{{Sfnp|Butt|1995|p=95}}

}}

Crofthead railway station{{Sfnp|Butt|1995|p=71}} or Fauldhouse and Crofthead{{Sfnp|Butt|1995|p=71}} was a station on the Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway (WM&CR) that served the area of Crofthead and its miners rows, Greenburn and Gowanbrae near Fauldhouse in West Lothian. The station was located 7 miles 40 chainsReport dated 11 June 1845 in Parliamentary Papers Railway Department, Session: 22 January – 28 August 1846 east of Morningside railway station.

The company at first adopted the standard track gauge for mineral lines of 4 ft 6 in, often referred to as Scotch gauge. The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway took over the WM&CR in 1849, the track gauge already having been changed in August 1847, from the now almost obsolete 4 ft 6 in to the generally accepted standard gauge of 4 ft 8½ in.Knox, Harry (2010). The Story of Bathgate's Railways - 1849 to 2010, Bathgate Historic Conservation Society]

Crofthead station had at first just a single short platform and this is clearly indicated on the OS map of 1854,[http://maps.nls.uk/view/74963456 Linlithgow Sheet XI.12 (with inset XI.11) (Whitburn). Survey date: 1854. Publication date: 1856.] It was accessed off Bridge Street near the hamlet of Drybridge, close to Fauldhouse.[http://maps.nls.uk/view/74427804 Linlithgowshire, Sheet 12 (includes: Livingston; West Calder; Whitburn). Survey date: 1854-5. Publication date: 1856][http://maps.nls.uk/view/74427803 Linlithgowshire, Sheet 11 (includes: Cambusnethan; Shotts; Whitburn). Survey date: 1854-5. Publication date: 1856] In 1895 the station site is shown with several buildings, sidings and loading docks in addition to a single platform.[http://maps.nls.uk/view/82895388 Linlithgowshire 011.11 & 12 (includes: Cambusnethan; Shotts; Whitburn). Publication date: 1898. Revised: ca. 1895.]

File:Fauldhouse Moor Bing - geograph.org.uk - 426039.jpg

The Caledonian Railway (CR) established a goods and mineral depot nearby and Fauldhouse station is also located in the vicinity of the old Fauldhouse and Crofthead station.[http://maps.nls.uk/view/75652022 Linlithgowshire Sheet XI.SE (includes: Cambusnethan; Shotts; Whitburn). Publication date: 1899. Date revised: 1895.] A number of mineral lines ran from near the station to collieries in the area, Polkemmet Moor, Cult, Rigghouse, etc.[http://maps.nls.uk/view/74400709 Sheet 73 - Falkirk & Motherwell. Publication date: 1926.]

The station is also recorded by the North British Railway (NBR) study group as opening on 02/06/1845 and closing under the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) as Fauldhouse and Crofthead on 1 May 1930.{{Cite web |url=http://www.nbrstudygroup.co.uk/nbr/pdfs/station_list.pdf |title=North British Railway. List of Stations with opening and closing dates from 1828 to 2003. |access-date=17 May 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025119/http://www.nbrstudygroup.co.uk/nbr/pdfs/station_list.pdf |url-status=dead }}