Fort Matilda Station

From Inverclyde Now:

THE Fort Matilda Station building in Greenock has an appropriate new lease of life – as a home for Greenock and District Model Railway Club.

The B-listed building has been empty and unused for 25 years since British Rail stopped issuing tickets there.

The building is seen by the club as providing ideal accommodation for its activities as well as potentially providing a valuable community asset.

Already an approach has been made to use the accommodation by Gourock Wargames Association.

Talks have also been held with Port Glasgow Regeneration Trust about other possible compatible uses for the building.

Possibilities also exist for other organisations to make an approach to the Model Railway Club for accommodation.

Presently the building, whilst in a reasonably good external state, has no internal facilities and it will take a lot of work to bring it up to a habitable standard.

It is hoped to attract funding from a number of bodies to provide facilities such as toilets suitable for use by people with disablities, a kitchen area, level floors and heating.

The club also hope that eventually the exterior of the building can be restored with window and door boarding removed and new main doors fabricated to the original 1900-design.

The Model Railway Club was formed more than 30 years ago and hosts its 25th annual exhibition in Greenock Town Hall from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 6 November and noon to 5pm on Sunday 7 November. There will be an information stand about the plans for the building at the exhibition.

The club’s re-use of the building has been enthusiastically supported by MSP Stuart McMillan and local councillor Alan Blair.