Artist Lynette’s efforts are now on the right tracks

AS a non-driver, Lynette Gray is used to letting the train take the strain.

Living in Kinghorn, she and husband Douglas are regulars on the line running through Fife.

Although her grandad was a railwayman, Lynette, 60, admits she loves the stations and their buildings rather than the trains themselves.

She’s seen their fortunes falter over the years as staff numbers were reduced and the buildings largely fell into disuse.

But in recent times those fortunes have taken a turn for the better thanks to an Adopt A Station scheme run by Scotrail.

Many of the stations still had part-time ticket offices, so it was the rest of the buildings that needed tender loving care and a new purpose.

Back in 2009 artists Lynette and Douglas put in a bid for taking over a bit of Kinghorn station. It took a couple of years to get the process completed, but the once-empty rooms were restored and brought back to life.

The refurbished upper floors became studios for the couple. Meanwhile, what had been the ladies’ waiting room became Kinghorn Gallery.

There they could run workshops, providing a focal point for the community.

Other station properties along the line were similarly revitalised. Burntisland’s restored station house and platform buildings provide studios for a variety of artists.

But just a few months ago Lynette went along to look at another property falling into disrepair, Aberdour Signal Box.

And, totally unexpectedly, she fell in love with it on the spot.

She was won over by its rare charm as a stone-built, not brick-built, box.

While the Kinghorn project was a long drawn-out business, Aberdour has been a high-speed affair.

It’s all been beautifully restored back to its original pristine status and Lynette has had her paintbrush in hand all week putting the finishing decorative touches to the studio where she’ll create ceramics and do workshops.

The reason for the haste is that Saturday sees the launch of the Artline Open Doors Weekend involving 10 of the venues on the east coast mainline opening to display their art.

It’s been a lot of work for Lynette, but she’s certain now she’s on the right tracks.