Maud Railway Museum

About the museum

Maud Junction was a railway hub in the Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, where the lines to Peterhead and Fraserburgh divided. The station opened on 18 July 1861 as New Maud Junction, was renamed Maud Junction in 1866 and became simply Maud in 1925. Passenger trains stopped in 1965 as part of the Beeching cuts, freight carried on until 1979 and the track through the station was then lifted. The former line is now the Formartine and Buchan Way, a path for walkers and cyclists.

The station buildings now house the Maud Railway Museum, which is run by the Friends of Maud Railway Museum, a group of volunteers, with help from members of the Great North of Scotland Railway Association. The museum fills two units: the old booking hall and waiting area, and the former station refreshment rooms, which hold audio-visual, model and photographic displays.

Outside, historic railway vehicles stand beside old platform trolleys and barrows. They include a van that once carried convict labour from Peterhead prison to the Stirlinghill Quarry, where granite was cut for the harbour breakwaters. Visitors can see a large railway lamp collection, a 00-gauge model of the junction, a miniature railway and a train driving simulator for the Buchan line.

Highlights

• Railway lamp collection in the Lamp Room
• 00-gauge model of Maud Junction before the Second World War, with digital control
• Miniature railway ride on a model Class 20 locomotive
• Train driving simulator for the Buchan line
• Historic railway vehicles on the platform, including a prison van

Permanent exhibitions

• Lamp Room – A large collection of railway lamps displayed in the relocated Lamp Room on the platforms.
• Rails and Tales visual studio – Photographs, films and stories about the Buchan line, its stations, bridges and railway people.
• Maud Junction model railway – A pre-war 00-gauge model of Maud Junction with digital control that lets several trains run at once.

Operated by

Friends of Maud Railway Museum

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free. Donations and purchases from the small bookshop area help to cover costs.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Tourism information describes the museum as accessible by wheelchair in all parts of the building. The museum has full toilet facilities including an accessible toilet and baby changing.

Kids & families

• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

Children can ride the miniature railway when the weather allows (up to 16 passengers on the model locomotive), and visitors can try the train driving simulator when staff are available.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the former Maud Junction station buildings at the end of Station Road in Maud village.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Museum shop

There is no café on site, but cafés and a village pub are close by, and the village shop sells hot snacks. A small bookshop area sells publications.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit