SRPS Birkhill Group

A couple of scenic pictures of the station from the first weekend of the Santa Train services to the North Pole South!

Snow arrived at Birkhill and the surrounding area just in time to create a little panic before the first Santa runs of 2023, but as always the society’s volunteers pulled out all the stops and got the show on the tracks, the schedule was a bit behind but hopefully didnt spoil the atmosphere that Santa brings to young and old alike with the added bonus of the white stuff!.

Following on from there article earlier in the year, the Courier has published a second article about the Monifieth Station and the building that was saved and eventually became Birkhill.

 

Here’s why the tale of Monifieth train station is a love story that’s set to run and run

 

Halloween ‘Steam & Scream’ at Birkhill was even more colourful this year, with two trains over the weekend. Even had the group decorator dress up as a skelly!

The final section of the north side has now been repainted. Work will commence on the South Side in 2024 as soon as the weather is right for painting. It is a hard slog trying to paint in good conditions and juggling with the running season and special events but that’s how it goes!

In between running days painting maintenance continues on the station build. It is hope to complete the north side in the next month, holidays and running days permitting!

Over the last few week’s the main activities has been keep on top of the vegetation, it might have been lacking the usual deluge of rain we often get at Birkhill the second growing ingredient, the sun, has been in abundance and as so the Birkhill spring has managed to supply sufficient water for the bedding plants!

The Lamp posts have now been given a lick of paint and the fancy moldings at the top stripped back of the many layers of paint to reveal more of the cast design. The platform edge has also had its white line spruced up and the main gates repainted at the entrance so hopefully looking a little more loved.

General outdoor maintenance has been the order of the day, strimming the East embankment which was cleared six or so weeks ago, its hoped by regularly trimming will keep the weeds, brambles and nettles away.  Three of the four new interpretation boards have also been installed. The fourth, for the footbridge, will be fitted once an appropriate fixing system has been worked out.

Its that time of year again at Birkhill with the first of three planned Days Out With Thomas events. Great to see so many happy faces on the platform both young and old alike!

Just by chance through google news on my phone, the following article by Graeme Strachan of The Courier newspaper popped up.

It provides a greater in-site of the history of the Station building whilst at Monifieth, Glasgow’s exhibition and finally its arrival  here at Birkhill.  A really good read and facts that we did not know about!

Monifieth railway station rose from the ashes and went from bust to bloom