Station master

For other uses, see Station master (disambiguation).
Station master's office - Norchard railway station

The station master (or stationmaster) was the person in charge of railway stations, in the United Kingdom and many other countries, before the modern age.[1] He would manage the other station employees and would have responsibility for safety and the efficient running of the station. The term is still sometimes used in large stations, although it has generally been replaced by 'station manager'. In the United States the role is termed 'station agent'.[2]

Invariably, he would be provided with a substantial house[3] and, in rural communities, would have significant social standing.[4]

Notably in the Beeching cuts of the 1960s many small stations were closed and the station master's house, along with other railway property, sold off. Typically, these buildings retained their original name and in many communities the Station Master's House can still be found as a private dwelling[4] or converted into a restaurant.[5]


References

  1. ↑ "Old Occupations in Scotland". Scot Roots.
  2. ↑ "Station Agent, Municipal Railway (#9131)". San Francisco Department of Human Resources. 15 January 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  3. ↑ "Woodford Station Master's house". The Transport Archive.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The history of Scotby Station".
  5. ↑ "Meopham". Kent Rail.