The Sidings Inverurie

19/10/2017

A warm welcome awaits...

19/10/2017

19/10/2017

The Sidings was built in 1950 re-using stones from the Palace Hotel in Aberdeen which had been destroyed by fire on 31 October 1941. Initially erected close to Harlow Road, it was used as a canteen to feed the Loco Works staff. Totally demolished in 2010, all the stones were marked & numbered before Malcolm Allan Housebuilders rebuilt the building to its current location.

19/10/2017

The Loco Works played a major part in the history of Inverurie. The Loco Works site was constructed between 1898-1905 and occupied a 25-acre site next to the Great North of Scotland Railway line (GNSR) linking Aberdeen & Keith, and provided half of all employment in Inverurie.

The GNSR intended the Loco Works to build new locomotives but only 8 new engines were built before the First World War. An example still remains today - No 49 the "Gordon Highlander" on display at Glasgow Transport Museum.

In the late 1950's the Loco Works began to service diesel locomotives, along with a number of old steam engines, passenger and wagon fleets. They also disposed of a large number of old passenger carriages and wagons - many of these were separated from their under frames and sold onto local farmers to use as stores.

By the mid 60's, due to many closures of railway lines in the area, Inverurie Loco Works became redundant, only old wagons were sent here for disposal from southern Scotland and England. The Loco Works finally closed in 1969 and the abandoned site was sold to Aberdeenshire County Council for £25,000.

An oil company continued to use the workshops until 2003, then for the next 10 years the site was left derelict until local property developer Malcolm Allan Housebuilders bought the site. The Loco Works was brought back to life, securing the Works history as the listed buildings re-emerged in the form of luxury townhouses and apartments. The Sidings was re-located from the original position and re-built block by block!