Tag Archives: Great North of Scotland Railway

The Strathspey Line – Part 2 – Dufftown to Ballindalloch

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This is the second article following the Strathspey Line. The first can be found here. [22]

The featured image above shows Carron Railway Station early in the 20th century, © Public Domain. [61]

We start this next leg of the journey in Dufftown at the Railway Station which is the terminus of the Keith & Dufftown Railway.

Dufftown Railway Station at the turn of the 29th century. [3]

Beyond Dufftown we continue a descent at 1 in 78 and 1 in 80 through the Fiddich Gorge. “The engineering works on this section include two masonry bridges over the Fiddich, a deep rock cutting at Corbie’s Craig, and a diversion of the river to enable an embankment to be formed on what had been the bed of the stream. The line emerges from the gorge at Craigellachie, a short distance from the confluence of the Fiddich and the Spey.” [1: p5-6]

A short distance North of Dufftown Railway Station, the line bridged an access road. [4]
The A941 runs alongside the route of the old railway (shown orange on this extract from the satellite imagery provided by railmaponline.com). The house which appears top left matches that which appears in the same location on the map extract. Duff Town is a new access road. The original road under the line turned East close to the house. [5]
The next location along the line was a bridge carrying an access road to Balvenie House. [6]
The same location in the 21st century. [5]
The line bridged the next minor road which crossed the line to the North of Balvenie House. [6]
The same location in the 21st century. [5]
The next structure was a bridge over the River Fiddich which the line has been following since Dufftown. [7]
The same location in the 21st century. [5]
Construction of the line required the diversion of a short length of the River Fiddich. [7]
The same location in the 21st century. [5]

The railway continues its sinuous way down the valley of the River Fiddich before reaching Popine Mills. …

Just prior to bridging the River Fiddich once again, the line ran to the North of Popine Mills. [8]
Approximately the same area as it appears on the satellite imagery provided by railmaponline.com. The orange line marks the approximate route of the railway. [5]
Just beyond Popine Mills a minor road which provided access to the mills bridged the line. There is no sign of the access road on modern satellite imagery. [8]
The Fiddich Viaduct, Craigellachie was a three-span girder bridge. [8][17]
The Fiddich Viaduct in the 21st century is now used as a footpath crossing of the River Fiddich on The Glenfiddich Way. [Google Maps, January 2026]
The Fiddich Viaduct, © Joseph Snitch, September 2025. [Google Streetview, September 2025]

Once across the viaduct trains immediately entered Craigellachie Junction Railway Station. The River Fiddich was on the East side of the station site.

Craigellachie Junction Railway Station at the turn of the 20th century. [9]
The ESRI satellite imagery shows approximately the same area in the 21st century. [9]
The ‘middle’ platform at Craigellachie. The platform for the Speyside Railway is on the left. The two platform faces that served the line to and from Elgin are on the right of this image. This photograph was shared on the Disused Stations Facebook Group by Brian Prevett on 23rd October 2024. The photographer is not known. [15]
A snowbound 1968 view of the station which shows the Speyside platform face with the platforms on the Elgin line at the right of the image – the footbridge can just be made out. This image was shared on the Disused Stations Facebook Group by John Clark on 30th May 2018. He comments: “The line through the station remained open until 15th November 1971 when the section between Dufftown and Aberlour closed to freight. … Despite the blizzard the shot was taken on 6th April 1968. [16]
The view Southeast through the Station in 1988, towards Keith and Aberdeen, © Ben Brooksbank and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [10]
The remains of one of the platforms at Craigellachie Station. This view looks Southeast through the station, © Anne Burgess, September 2018, and authorised for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [11]
The view Northwest through Craigellachie Station. At the far end of the platform is the bridge carrying the A95 road over the railway line, © Anne Burgess, September 2018, and authorised for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [12]

An excellent photograph of steam at Craigellachie can be found here. [23]

Craigellachie Junction Railway Station was opened as Strathspey Junction on 1st July 1863 by the Great North of Scotland Railway. It was renamed Craigellachie on 1st June 1864. There was a large goods yard to the west. The station closed to passengers on 6th May 1968 and to goods traffic on 4th November 1968. [13]

This was a three platform station and junction, with two platforms on the route between Elgin East and Keith via Dufftown and one platform on the Strathspey route to Boat of Garten.  Almost immediately after leaving the station, trains for Elgin crossed the Craigellachie Bridge to reach Dandaleith.

The erstwhile railway bridge over the River Spey. It should not be confused with Thomas Telford’s road bridge further to the West of this location. This railway bridge carried the line to Elgin. [14]
The same location in the 21st century as shown on the ESRI satellite imagery supplied by the National Library of Scotland (NLS). [14]

The main station building at Craigellachie Junction Railway Station was a long single-storey building situated on the platform between the Elgin line and the Boat of Garten line. There was a smaller waiting room structure on the platform that served Dufftown trains from Elgin. There was a goods yard on the West side of the station site. A turntable sat at the Southwest corner of the site.

The station had three signal boxes, all opened in 1900. The South box, “located on the east side at the south end of the station at the junction between the Boat of Garten and Elgin East routes and the turn out for the goods yard. This box above the west bank of the River Fiddich with a large stone base. The line crossed over the Fiddich just to the south by a girder bridge.” [17]

The other two signal boxes, the West box and the North box were at the North end of the two platforms.

Vallance wrote of Craigellachie Station: “Craigellachie Station … has three, platform faces, of which two serve the Elgin line, and the third the Boat of Garten trains. Sidings and a run-round loop for locomotives adjoin the third platform.” [1: p6]

In a relatively deep cuttings, the Speyside Line curved away from Craigellachie Station to the West and then Southwest. [18]
The same location in the 21st century. The Speyside Way follows the old railway formation. [Google Maps, January 2026]
Looking back into the station site from the modern A95 bridge. The Goods Shed once sat to the right of this image. [Google Streetview, June 2025]
Looking forward along the Speyside Way (which follows the old railway route) from the A95 overbridge. [Google Streetview, June 2025]

Vallance continues: “The Strathspey line reaches the right bank of the Spey a short distance beyond the station, and a glimpse is caught of Telford’s graceful iron bridge. with embattled towers, erected in 1815 to carry the Elgin road over the river. The train then passes through a short tunnel (65 yd. long), the only one on the line, and one of the very few on the former Great North of Scotland Railway.” [1: p6]

Telford’s graceful Craigellachie Bridge seen from the East.  © Tama66, and made available under a Creative Commons licence (CC0 – Public Domain. The bridge is a cast iron arched structure. It was actually opened to traffic in 1814. [19]
The Elgin Road crossed the line before crossing Telford’s bridge. [20]
The same location in the 21st century. [5]
Looking Northwest along the A95, the parapets of the bridge over the Speyside Way (the old Speyside Line) are visible on each side of the road. [Google Streetview, June 2025]
The short tunnel mentioned by Vallance sits between the River Spey and [21]
The same location in the 21st century. The green flag marks the approximate location of the tunnel, one very few on the whole of the old Great North of Scotland Railway network. [5]
Looking North from the tunnel mouth, © Simon Bliault, 2023. [Google Maps, January 2026]
This view shows the South Portal of the tunnel, © Howard Lennox, 2023. [Google Maps, January 2026]

Vallance continues: “A run of 4.75 miles beside the wooded banks of the river takes the train past the crossing station of Aberlour to the single-platform halt of Dailuaine.” [1: p6]

The line spans a tributary of the River Spey – the Burn of Allachoy. [28]
The same location in the 21st century. [14]
Looking North from the A95 towards the River Spey, which can just be seen in the photograph, from adjacent to the Bridge of Allachoy. The track running parallel to the road and crossing the field access is the formation of the old railway and now The Speyside Way. [Google Streetview, June 2025]
Aberlour Railway Station and Goods Yard at the turn of the 20th century. The village’s full name is Charlestown of Aberlour. [29]
The same area in the 21st century. [14]

The village was founded by Charles Grant of Elchies in 1812 – with the name of Charlestown of Aberlour after his son Charles. It is commonly referred to simply as Aberlour. [30] The railway Station closed to passengers in 1965 and to freight in 1971. The station building is now the Speyside Way Visitor Centre and Cafe. [31]

Looking Northeast through Aberlour Railway Station from the footbridge carrying a public right of way over the line at the Southwest end of the station site. When opened, Aberlour was a single platform station. The goods yard was to the Northeast of the station, accessed from the North. The loop, signal box and second platform were added in 1910. The signal box sat at the Northeast end of the additional platform, directly opposite the Goods shed.  The station closed to passengers in 1965. The signal box closed 3 years later, when the Aberlour became the terminus of the linefrom Dufftown. The station closed to freight in 1971. [31]
The original station building at Aberlour Railway Station, seen from the East. [Google Streetview, June 2025]
Aberlour Railway Station building, seen from the South. The running lines were beyond the building and would have been visible to the left of the building. [Google Streetview, June 2025]
Only a short distance to the Southwest of the station the line bridged the Burn of Aberlour which spilled into the River Spey a short distance to the Northwest of the line. [32]

The next significant location on the line was some distance further to the Southwest bridging another stream close to Dailuaine Halt.

The Dailuaine-Glenlivet Distillery was South of this location. The railway bridge over the tributary of the Spey is shown here on an extract from the 25″ Ordnance Survey revision of 1903, published 1905. The distillery remains active and is owned by Diageo in the 21st century. [24]
The location of Dailuaine Halt. The halt opened in November 1933 and closed to both passengers and goods on 18th October 1965. [25]
This extract from the railmaponline.com satellite imagery shows the site of the Dailuaine Distillery. The Speyside line runs across the top-left corner of this extract. The thinner orange line is the short branch which served the distillery. [14]
A dedicated Barclay locomotive served the branch. [26]

More photographs of the Dailuaine Distillery branch and its locomotive can be found here. [27]

A short distance to the West. The industrial line formed a junction with the main line before the line crossed the River Spey and entered Carron Railway Station. in so doing, the line left “Banffshire, and [crossed] to the Morayshire side of the Spey on [the Bridge of Carron] with a central iron span of 150 ft., flanked on each side by a single masonry arch, which also [carried] a public road.” [1: p6]

Before reaching the Bridge Of Carron the line bridged a minor road which continued alongside the line and crossed the Bridge of Carron alongside the railway. [33]
The same location shown on railmaponline.com,’s satellite imagery. [14]
Seen from the South, this is the location where the line bridged the road. [Google Streetview, September 2025]
Railway and Road crossed the Bridge of Carron over the River Spey on the same structure. [34]
The Bridge of Carron as shown on the satellite imagery from railmaponline.com. [14]
The Bridge of Carron seen from the Southeast. Trains crossed the bridge to the left of the road. The Speyside Way now uses the railway route over the bridge. [Google Streetview, September 2025]

The Bridge of Carron was built for the Strathspey Railway in 1863, to a design by Alexander Gibb, an engineer for the Great North of Scotland Railway. It was fabricated by the iron founders William McKinnon and Co. It originally carried both the railway and a roadway. [35]

This photograph of the Bridge of Carron was taken on 16th May 2014. The structure is an intricate cast iron bridge, thought to be one of the last large-span cast iron bridges to be built in the UK, © Valenta and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [36]
Just beyond the Bridge of Carron the line entered Carron Railway Station which sat alongside the Imperial Distillery which was rail served by a small number of sidings. The private sidings were accessed from the Strathspey line beyond the level crossing to the West of Carron Station. [37]
Approximately the same area as it appears on the railmaponline.com satellite imagery. [14]
On the other side of the Bridge of Carron we see the road ahead with the route of the old railway alongside. [Google Streetview, September 2025]

Once over the Bridge of Carron the goods yard of the railway station opened out alongside the road with a Saw Mill and timber yard immediately next to the road. The railway curved gently through the Station.

The station opened on 1st July 1863 with only one platform but another was later added. To the north was a goods yard and to the west were sidings that served the Imperial distillery. The station closed to passengers on 18th October 1965 and closed to goods on 4th November 1968. The station building has survived. [37]
Carron Railway Station, seen from the West. The Goods Yard was on the North side of the line behind the signal box. The station building , which is closest to the camera, has survived. [1: p7]
Carron Railway Station building in the 21st century, seen from the Southeast, © Joseph Snitch and shared on Google Maps in January 2026.
Carron Railway Station building seen from the Northwest. [Google Streetview, September 2025]

An August 1978 view of the station after closure can be found here, [38] and another view, here. [39]

Vallance continues: “Carron Station … has a crossing loop, and its solidly-constructed stone buildings are typical of those provided by the G.N.S.R. at many other roadside stations. The large whisky distilleries at Carron and at Knockando, 2.5 miles further on, bring a considerable amount of traffic to the railway.” [1: p6]

Imperial Distillery which was immediately to the South of the Station, was built by Thomas Mackenzie in 1897. In 1925, Imperial joined The Distillers Company, in 1989, it was sold to Allied Distillers. The distillery was demolished in 2013 and a new distillery, Dalmunach, established on the site in 2015. [40]

A monochrome postcard image of Imperial Distillery, Carron. Note the large rake of wagons! This image was shared on Facebook by Graeme Scott on 8th August 2024, © Public  Domain. [41]

The line continued West from Carron ….

At Millhaugh the line bridged the Ballintomb Burn. [42]
The same location on mapping provided by railmsponline.com. Satellite imagery shows very little of interest at this location as the area is heavily wooded. [14]
Another burn is bridged just a short distance to the West. [43]
The same location on railmaponline.com’s mapping. Tree cover means that it is impossible to see features below the canopy on the satellite imagery. [14]

The line continues on the North bank of the Spey running by Knockando distillery.

Vallance writing in 1959, says that, “When the railway was opened, there was no station between Carron and Blacksboat, a distance of 4.75 miles, but on 1st September 1869, a platform, at which certain trains called by request, was opened at Knockando, 1.25 miles from Carron. This platform (now known as Knockando House Halt) ranks as an unadvertised private station for the Knockando estate. On 1st July 1899, a public station was brought into use at a distillery siding, 1.25 miles south of the private platform. Known at first as Dalbeallie, the name of this station became Knockando on 1st May 1905.” [1: p6]

Further West from Knockando Distillery, the line enters Dalbeallie Railway Station which itself sat just to the East of the Tamdhu-Glenlivet Distillery. [44]
Dalbeallie Railway Station  became Knockando Railway Station in 1905. It is marked on the railmaponline.com satellite imagery as Tamdhu Station. [14]
Dalbeallie Railway Station while still open, early in the 20th century. [45]
Dalbeallie until 1905, then Knockando or Tamdhu Railway Station into the 21st century, now a pleasant stop on the Speyside Way, © Alpin Stewart and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [46]

More about the Tamdhu Distillery and its whisky can be found here. [47]

As trains left the station travelling West they crossed the Knockando Burn and ran to the South of the Tamdhu Distillery. The distillery was rail served from sidings alongside the Speyside Line.

The Tamdhu Distillery – a set of three sidings ran parallel to the main line with further sidings on the West side of the distillery. [48]

Beyond the Tamdhu Distillery, the Speyside Line curved round to the South following the river bank and crossed the burn shown on the map extract below. Vallance, writing about this location, says: “About three-quarters of a mile beyond Knockando, the railway crosses the Allt Arder, a tributary of the Spey, on a masonry bridge of three spans, one of 50 ft. and two of 40 ft. Difficulty was experienced in obtaining sound foundations for the piers of this structure, and after loose boulders and shingle had been excavated to a depth of 16 ft., piles had to be driven for a further 15ft.” [1: p6]

The railway crossed the burn at Dalvenuan and continued in a southerly direction. [49]
The next station was Blacksboat Railway Station which sat close to the River Spey. Approaching the station from the North trains passed under an access road to the river bank. [50]
The access track at the North end of the Station led down to a ford which allowed access across the Spey when water levels were low. The ford was supplemented by two ferry routes for when river levels were higher. [50]
The same location in the 21st century as it appears on the ESRI satellite imagery provided by the National Library of Scotland (NLS). [50]
The satellite imagery from railmaponline.com shows the old railway in orange, the location of Blacksboat Railway Station and the B9138. [14]
Looking back North from the B9138 bridge over the Speyside Way – the old railway line. [Google Streetview, September 2025]
Looking South from the same bridge in 1961 through Blacksboat Station, © Ben Brooksbank and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [51]
The same view in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, September 2025]
As an aside, this is the Blacksboat river bridge carrying the B9138 over the River Spey. This photograph was taken from the road on the East bank of the river. [Google Streetview, September 2025]

Blacksboat Railway Station opened on 1st July 1863. It had a rectangular-shaped building and a wooden goods shed. The station closed to both passengers and goods traffic on 18th October 1965. [52] It had a single platform on the West side of the line and a small Goods Yard to the South. The station building is well-preserved.bdetsils of the building can be found here. [53]

Looking South, this is the station building in the 21st century. [53]
Close to the Mill of Pit-chroy the line bridged Allt a’ Gheallaidh (Burn of the Promise). [54]
The satellite imagery from railmaponline.com shows very little as the tree canopy hides the topography. The mapping shows that the original road alignment has been changed significantly in the area close to the Allt a’ Gheallaidh. Following the line of the road on Google Streetview it is not possible to identify the location of the stream. [14]
The next significant structure on the 25″ Ordnance Survey from the turn of the 20th century is this bridge over the line. It gave access to Dalnapot (just off the bottom of this map extract. [55]
A wider area is shown on this extract from the satellite imagery from railmaponline.com. [14]
O er this length of the line the road runs at the top of the cutting which carried the old railway. At the location of the bridge shown on the OS Map extract above it is just possible to make out the parapet wall of the bridge in this modern view. [Google Streetview, September 2025]

The access road to Dalnapot ran down the far side of the cutting from the bridge. That lane has been abandoned in favour of a more direct route between the B9102 and Dalnapot Futher South along the line of the old railway.

Looking Southeast from the B9102 into the access road to Dalnapot the old railway crosses the access road at level just a short distance down the access road. [Google Streetview, September 2025]

Vallance continues his narrative: “Beyond the single-platform station of Blacksboat, the train returns to the Banffshire side of the Spey on a lattice girder bridge of 198 ft. span, and reaches Ballindalloch Station, 12.25 miles from Craigellachie. In less than a mile, however, the county boundary crosses to the eastern side of the river, and Morayshire is re-entered.” [1: p6]

A short distance further South the Strathspey Line crossed the River Spey again over Ballindalloch Viaduct. [56]
Ballindalloch Viaduct remains in use in the 31st century carrying the Speyside Way. [Google Maps, January 2026]

Ballindalloch Viaduct crosses the Spey at Ballindaloch, linking the parishes of Inveravon in Banffshire and Knockando in Moray. It is a wrought iron lattice girder bridge, with a single-span of 195 feet (59 metres), supported by rubble abutments, and with plate girder spans at either end giving an overall length of around 250 feet (75 metres). The viaduct was designated a Category A listed building in 1987, and was a scheduled monument until 2006. It is open to pedestrians and cyclists, forming a part of the Speyside Way. [57]

Looking South over Ballindalloch Viaduct, © Alan O’Dowd and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [58]

Immediately after crossing the River Spey over Ballindalloch Viaduct, trains entered Ballindalloch Railway Station which was situated on a relatively tightly curved length of the Strathspey Line.

Ballindalloch Railway Station as it appears on 25″ OS mapping from the turn of the 20th century. [59]
Ballindalloch Railway Station looking towards Craigellachie, © H.A. Vallance, Public Domain. [1: p7]
Still looking towards Craigellachie, this view is taken from a location a little further West through Ballindalloch Railway Station in 1961, © Ben Brooksbank and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [59]

Ballindalloch Railway Station opened on 1st July 1863 by the Great North of Scotland Railway. To the north was Cragganmore distillery, which had opened because it was close to the railway. There were two goods sheds: a two-storey goods shed that connected with the distillery and the other was in the middle of the large goods yard which was to the east of the station site. The two-storey goods shed was used to store whisky from the distillery. The station closed to both passengers and goods traffic on 18th October 1965. [60]

References

  1. The Railway Magazine Volume 105 No. 693, Tothill Press, London, January 1959.
  2. H.A. Vallance; The Strathspey Line; in The Railway Magazine Volume 105 No. 693, Tothill Press, London, January 1959, p3-9.
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  49. https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17.1&lat=57.44677&lon=-3.36446&layers=168&b=ESRIWorld&o=100, accessed on 28th January 2026.
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  51. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1821111, accessed on 28th January 2026.
  52. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacksboat_railway_station, accessed on 28th January 2026.
  53. https://content.knightfrank.com/property/prh012394818/brochures/en/prh012394818-en-brochure-5fd5c7a8-3c29-45a6-a0ea-609a65decad0-1.pdf, accessed on 28th January 2026.
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  57. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballindalloch_Railway_Bridge, accessed on 28th January 2026.
  58. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5020155, accessed on 28th January 2026.
  59. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1747084, accessed on 29th January 2026.
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  61. http://gnsra.org.uk/carron%20station.htm, accessed on 29th January 2026.

The Strathspey Line – Part 1 – Keith to Dufftown

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The featured image for this article is the last of the Great North of Scotland 4-4-0s was No.62277 ‘Gordon Highlander’, nick named ‘The Soldier’.  Before being retired for preservation and resorted to its original green livery, No.62277 spent its remaining days in regular service working the goods between Keith and Elgin, and over the Speyside branch, © W.J.V.Anderson. [48]

The January issue of The Railway Magazine usually focussed on Scotland. The January 1959 edition was no exception. [1] Included in the Magazine were articles by:

  • H.A. Vallance about The Strathspey Line.
  • J.W. Grant about Scottish 0-4-4 Tank Engines.
  • G.H. Robin about The Lanarkshire & Dunbartonshire Railway.
  • M.D. Grenville about Scottish Railways in 1859.

This article picks up on the article by H.A. Vallance, and begins a journey along the Strathspey line which ran down the valley of the River Spey from Keith towards Abernethy. Initially the line ran Southwest along Strathisla before crossing the watershed to Strathspey.

At much the same time (November 1860) as the Highland Railway promoted its scheme from Forrest to Grantown-on-Spey and on across the Grampians by the Druimuachdar Pass into Strathtay, the Great North of Scotland Railway subscribed £100,000 to a nominally independent scheme was promoted by the Keith & Dufftown Railway. In addition to its subscription, the Great North of Scotland Railway undertook to work the railway.

Vallance tells us that from Dufftown, “the Strathspey Railway was to run north-westwards for nearly four miles to Craigellachie, and thence in a south-westerly direction, through Strathspey, for some 28 miles to Abernethy. Connection with the Inverness & Perth Junction Railway (IPJR) was to be provided by a short branch south of Grantown. The railway was authorised on 17th May 1861 (five days before the IPJR), and the construction of the main line went ahead with all possible speed, but the works on the branch at Grantown were not undertaken.” [1: p4]

The railway between Dufftown and Abernethy opened on 1st July 1863. Two months later, on 9th September, the last section of the IPJR was opened. The lack of a physical link between the two lines meant that the Strathspey line suffered financially. Vallance says that powers for the link were obtained on 5th July 1865, “when the Strathspey Company was authorised to extend its railway from Abernethy to a junction with the line to Perth some two miles north of Boat of Garten. Earlier in the year, the IPJR and its associated companies had been amalgamated, and in June had assumed the title of the Highland Railway.” [1: p5]

The Strathspey trains were extended from Abernethy to Boat of Garten on 1st August 1866, but a dispute with the Highland Railway soon arose with the Highland Railway over costs associated with the junction signal box meant a temporary closure of the link until the dispute could be settled. The link reopened 1st June 1868 on the basis that a separate track would provided for the Strathspey, from the original junction as far as the Station at Boat of Gareth where a physical connection would occur.

The Strathspey line also formed a junction at Craigellachie with the Morayshire Railway which gave a cess Loosiemouth via Elgin. The short connection between the Morayshire Railway and the Strathspey line was opened on 1st July 1863. Vallance notes that once the working agreement with the Great North came into force, “the Morayshire Railway virtually lost its separate identity. The Great North thus secured complete control of a route from Keith to Elgin, but many years were to elapse before through trains between Aberdeen and Inverness ran via Craigellachie.” [1: p5]

An extract from a drawing in H.A. Vallance’s article which shows the length of the Strathspey line from Keith through Dufftown and Craigellachie to Boat of Garten. Great North of Scotland lines are shown solid black, those of the Highland Railway are shown dashed. [1: p4]

On 30th July 1866, “the Great North obtained powers to absorb the Keith & Dufftown and the Strathspey Railways, and the fusion became effective two days later. At the same time, the Morayshire Company was authorised to amalgamate with the Great North as soon as mutually acceptable terms had been agreed; but so involved were its finances that it was not possible to reach an agreement until 1880.” [1: p5]

Keith to Dufftown

This length of the line has become the preservation line, the Keith and Dufftown Railway. Their website is on this link. [41]

Keith Station as it appears on the 25″ OS mapping of 1903, published in 1905. [3]
Keith Railway Station on 21st century satellite imagery. [Google Maps, January 2026]
Keith Railway Station in April 2008, © Anne Burgess and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [4]
Keith Railway Station in April 2008, looking towards Inverness, © Anne Burgess and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [5]

In the 21st century, “only a single platform remains in full-time use at Keith Railway Station, though the Dufftown branch platform (numbered 1) is available if required for turning back trains from the Aberdeen direction. … The bays have been filled in, having been abandoned and tracks lifted in the early 1970s after the closure of the Moray Coast Line (for which the station was a terminus). A signal box (which retains the name Keith Junction) remains at the eastern end to control a passing loop on the single track main line beyond the station, the now little-used goods yard (formerly used by trains accessing the nearby Chivas Regal whisky plant) and the stub of the Dufftown branch.” [6]

Further information about Keith Railway Station can be found here. [7]

Vallance describes a journey along the line in 1959. Starting from Keith Station (Junction), “the Craigellachie line ascends Strath Isla for some eight miles, past the single-platform station of Keith Town, Auchindachy, and Drummuir.” [1: p5]

Keith Town Station as it appears on the 25″ OS mapping of 1903, published in 1905. [8]
Keith Town Railway Station as shown on the satellite imagery from RailMapOnline.com. [9]
Keith Town Station seen from the A96 to the West – looking East. [Google Streetview, August 2025]
Keith Town Railway Station seen from the Northeast in August 2025. The Keith Town Railway Station serves the Keith–Dufftown heritage railway line, also known as “The Whisky Line”. The photograph shows one of the line’s two trains, known as the “Spirit of Banffshire”, © Lucas Kendall and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [10]
Keith Town: the railway station is visible to the top left of this map extract which shows the town as laid out by the Earl of Findlater in 1750. [11][14]
The same area of Keith as shown on the map extract above, as it appears in the 21st century. The railway station is just visible to the top left of this satellite image. [Google Maps, January 2026]

The line continues from Keith Town Station, Southwest towards Auchindachy.

Just to the Southwest of Keith Town Station the line passed under two bridges. The first carries Bridge Street which became the A96. The second  [11]
Approximately the same area in the 21st century as seen on Railmaponline.com’s satellite imagery. [9]
The bridge carrying the A96 over the line as seen from the next bridge down the line. [Google Streetview, October 2014]
The bridge carrying Old Town over the line to the Southwest of the A96, seen from the South on Old Town. [Google Streetview, October 2014]

Strathisla Mill sat on the banks of the Isla.

Strathisla Mill on the banks of the River Isla was passed just before the line bridged the river. [12]
The same location in the 21st century. The older mill buildings are now part of the Strathisla Distillery complex. [Google Maps, January 2026]
The bridge over the River Isla to the South of the mill buildings. [12]
The same bridge over the River Isla, in the 21st century. [Google Maps, January 2026]
The next bridge along the line. [13]
The same location in the 21st century. [Google Maps, January 2026]
The same bridge seen from the Southeast. [Google Streetview, October 2014]
The same bridge seen from the North. [Google Streetview, October 2014]

Further Southwest another overbridge links the Douglasbrae Lime Kilns to the road network. The main road here is now the B9014.

The next overbridge carried the access road to Douglasbrae Lime Kilns over the River and the railway. [13]
The same location in the 21st century. I am not quite sure what I think about the two different names given to the site of what we’re on e the Douglasbrae Lime Kilns – Strathisla Pet Crematorium sounds so much better than Douglasbrae Knackery! [Google Maps, January 2026]
Looking back to the Northeast from the bridge carrying the access road. [Google Streetview, October 2014]
The bridge carrying the access road, seen from the Southwest on the B9104. [Google Streetview, June 2023]
The view Southwest along the line from the access road bridge. [Google Streetview, October 2014]

The line continues Southwest towards Bridge of Maisley.

At Bridge of Maisley the line passed under what is now the B9104, close to a junction with a minor road which first served Maisley Lime Works, before running West on the North side of the River Isla. The railway then bridges the river, crossing from the North bank to the South bank. [13]
The same location in the 21st century, the three bridges are still evident. [Google Maps, January, 2026.
The bridge which carries the B9014 across the railway, seen from the road to the Northeast of the line. [Google Streetview, June 2023]
The view back to the Northeast along the railway. [Google Streetview, June 2023]
The view ahead to the Southwest along the line. [Google Streetview, June 2023]
The railway bridge over the Isla is hidden by vegetation from the B9014. This is the view from the North on the minor road mentioned above. [Google Streetview, March 2022]
The railway remains on the South side of the river for a very short distance before crossing back to the other bank, travelling in a southerly direction. [13]
The same location in the 21st century. [Google Maps, January 2026]

A short distance to the South, the line approaches Auchindachy Station.

Auchindachy Station as shown on the 1868 25″ Ordnance Survey, published in 1869. [15]
The location of Auchindachy Station as shown on the ESRI satellite imagery provided by the National Library of Scotland (NLS). [16]

Auchindachy Railway Station had two platforms set on a gentle curve. Photographs of the station can be found here. [17]

Auchindachy Railway Station in the 20th century. It closed with the line to passengers in 1968.  The line survived for freight and eventually  became the Keith and Dufftown Heritage Railway. The station building is now in private ownership and fenced off along the platform. This image comes from September 1974. © Graham Johnston and shared on the Disused Stations Facebook Group on 9th July 2021. [18]
The same location in 1997, seen from a little further to the Southeast, © Ben Brooksbank and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [19]
Immediately to the South of the station the railway passed the Mill of Towie. Here, the road crossed the line again. [15]
The B9014 crosses the line once again. [Google Maps, January 2026]
Looking North from the bridge we can see both the railway and the road approaching the bridge. [Google Streetview, May 2022]
Looking South from the bridge we can see the railway heading South and the B9014 to the right with a minor road approaching the bridge on the left. [Google Streetview, May 2022]
The next significant structure is at Bridge of Howdoup as shown on the 1st edition of the 25″ Ordnance Survey. [15]
The same location in the 21st century. [Google Maps, January 2026]
The bridge over the railway at Bridge of Howdoup as seen from the B9014. [Google Streetview, March 2022]
The view back to the North along the line from the bridge over the railway at Bridge of Howdoup. [Google Streetview, March 2022]
The view South along the line from the bridge over the railway at Bridge of Howdoup. [Google Streetview, March 2022]
Just to the South East of Lower Towie Bridge was Limekilns Siding. This extract is from the 1st Edition 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1868 which was published in 1869. [20]
The same location as it appears on the 2nd Edition 25″Ordnance Survey of 1903, published in 1904. The site is in use as Towiemore distillery. [21]
The same location in the 21st century. The site is now occupied by L.H. Stainless Ltd. The company’s main activities include process engineering, vessel manufacture and design services for the distilling, brewing and offshore industries. [Google Maps, January 2026][22]
A short distance to the Southwest the line passes under the B9014, down here on the 1st Edition 25″ Ordnance Survey [20]
The realigned road overbridge as it appears in the 21st century. The railway can be seen, but the bridge also spans the River which is shrouded in vegetation. [Google Maps, January 2026]
Looking back Northeast along the line. The view is almost completely obscured by vegetation. [Google Streetview March 2022]

Turning to look to the Southwest.  In 2022, the view along the line was completely obscure by tree growth. The photograph below was taken earlier in the 21st century.

Looking Southwest along the line from the bridge carrying the B9014 over the line. [Google Streetview, August 2011]
A short distance further Southwest the railway bridges the River Isla again. [20]
The same location in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, January 2026]

In short shift trains heading South entered Drummuir Railway Station. …

Drummuir Railway Station at around the turn of the 20th century. [23]
The same location in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, January 2026]

Drummuir station was first opened in 1862 by the Keith and Dufftown Railway. The station was closed to passengers by British Railways in May 1968, but the line remained open for freight and special excursions for some time. It was reopened as a preserved station in 2003 by the Keith and Dufftown Railway Association.

Drummuir Railway Station in 1977, © Ben Brooksbank and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0)[24]
Drummuir Railway Station in preservation, © Lucas Kendall and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [25]

Further pictures of Drummuir Railway Station can be found here. [26]

Immediately Southwest of the site of Drummuir Station the line passes under a road bridge and crosses the Burn of Drumhendry.  This is the location at the turn of the 20th century. [27]
The same location in the 21st century. [Google Maps, January 2026]
Looking back to the Northeast through Drummuir Railway Station. [Google Streetview, September 2011]
Looking Southwest from the road bridge, the view ahead is obstructed by foliage but it is possible to seethe Burn of Drumhendry after it has passed under the railway. [Google Streetview, September 2011]
The bridge over the Burn of Drumhendry seen from a point to the Northwest of the bridge over the railway. [Google Streetview, September 2011]
The next structure along the line, again at the turn of the 20th century. [27]
The same location in the 21st century. The railway can just be made out but the route of the road is less easy to pick out so its centre-line is highlighted by the blue line. [Google Maps, January 2026]
At the same location, the bridge parapet and the view back along the line towards Drummuir. [Google Streetview, May 2022]
At the same location, the other bridge parapet and the view ahead along the line. [Google Streetview, May 2022]

“About a mile beyond Drummuir is Loch Park, a narrow sheet of water lying in a wooded gorge. The railway skirts its southern shore on a narrow ledge at the foot of the precipitous hillside.” [1: p5]

Just before passing the dam at the East end of the Loch the line passes under the road which runs across the West end of Loch Park.

Just before the line passes Loch Park it is bridged once again. [27]
The same structure in the 21st century. [Google Maps, January 2026]
The tidy looking structure seen from the road to the East. [Google Streetview, May 2022]
Looking East back along the line from the bridge. [Google Streetview, May 2022]
Looking West along the line from the bridge towards Loch Park. Note the well-kept permanent way but between the railway and the road. [Google Streetview, May 2022]
A view from the West looking past the platelayer’s hut towards the road bridge. [Google Streetview, May 2022]
This modern satellite image shows the railway running alongside Loch Park. Its route appears as a dark line in the trees immediately adjacent to the Southeast shore of the Loch. [Google Maps, January 2026]
A very similar area as it appears on the 25″ 2nd Edition OS Map from the turn of the 20th century. [28]

“From the summit at the western end of Loch Park, the line descends at 1 in 60 into the valley of the River Fiddich, which is crossed on a masonry bridge shortly before Dufftown is reached. ” [1: p5]

The next structure to the Southwest appears on the map extract below. …..

The line passes under what will be the B9014. [29]
The same location with the B9104 crossing the line in the 21st century. [Google Maps, January 2026]
The bridge seen from the Northeast. [Google Streetview, May 2022]
Looking Northeast along the line from the B9014 bridge. [Google Streetview, May 2022]
Looking Southwest from the same bridge. [Google Streetview, May 2022]

The next map extract shows the junction close to the Parkmore Distillery, where a branch serving Parkmore Lime Works and Glendullan and Mortlach distilleries left the main line. …

The line to Dufftown continued to the West on the South side of the Parkmore Distillery, while the short branch ran south to serve local industry. At the turn of the 20th century, the Parkmore Limekilns had their own short siding. [30]
Approximately the same area in the 21st century. [Google Maps, January 2026]
The railway bridge over the B9104, seen from the North. [Google Streetview, May 2022]
A view from the South on the B9104. The railway bridge carrying the line over the B9104 is on the left. The access road from rail level down to the road network is on the right. The branch line ran through the area which, in the 21st century, is wooded at the right side of the image. [Google Streetview, March 2022]
Glendullan Distillery had its own short siding with the line running towards Mortlach Distillery. [31]
Glendullan Distillery is owned by Diageo in the 21st century. The alignment of the old railway siding and branch are shown by the orange lines superimposed on the Google Maps satellite imagery. [9]
The line curves round the East side of Dufftown. [32]
The route of the line as it appears on the railmaponline.com satellite imagery. [9]
The bridge carrying the A941 over the route of the old branch to Mortlach Distillery and over Dullan Water – the Bridge of Crachie. [Google Streetview, June 2023]
A closer view of the bridge over rail and river. [32]

The branch only ran a short distance beyond the Bridge of Crachie to serve Mortlach Distillery

The short branch terminated at Mortlach Distillery. [33]
A similar area in the 21st century with the railway route superimposed again. [9]

Returning to the main line we see it bridging the River Fiddich. …

The main line bridges the River Fiddich and begins to curve round to the Northwest. [34]
The route of the line is again superimposed on the modern satellite imagery. [9]
The view looking East from Castle Road (B975) towards the bridge over the River Fiddich. [Google Streetview, September 2025]
As the line approached Dufftown Station it passed Glenfiddich Distillery. [35]
The Glenfiddich Distillery in the 21st century with the original railways shown as orange lines superimposed on the satellite imagery from railmaponline.com. [9]
Looking North alongside Glenfiddich Distillery from Castle Road (B975), the line can be seen in a shallow cutting on its approach to Dufftown Railway Station. A DMU can be made out in the middle left of the photograph. [Google Streetview, September 2025]

A remarkable number of distillery buildings survive in the 21st century in the immediate vicinity of Dufftown. The most famous of these is the Glenfiddich Distillery which continues to produce a significant volume of Whisky. [37]

Parkmore Distillery buildings are no longer used for producing Whisky. They were operational from 1894 but mostly silent from 1931, closing officially in 1988; its well-preserved buildings are now used by Edrington Group for whisky warehousing, with its rare existing whisky valued by collectors and its grounds sometimes hosting whisky experiences. [38]

Glendullan Distillery is a significant but often behind-the-scenes producer of single malt Scotch whisky, primarily for Diageo’s blends like Johnnie Walker, though it also contributes to The Singleton range. Founded in 1897, it operates a larger, modern facility built next to the original, which now serves as storage and workshops after its closure in 1985. [39]

And Mortlach also remains active. It was founded in 1823 and is now owned by Diageo. Its Whisky is a key component in several Johnnie Walker bottlings,and Diageo also markets four Mortlach single malts. [40]

Balvenie Distillery, owned by William Grant & Sons Ltd., sits to the Northeast of the Glenfiddich Distillery on the East side of Dufftown Station. Grant left his employment at Mortlach Distillery to set up his own company in 1886 when the foundations of the new distillery were laid. The distillery remains active. “David Stewart MBE, Balvenie’s Malt Master, is one of the industry’s most experienced experts and began working with William Grant & Sons in 1962. He was the first to create the process that would later be known as wood finishing, whereby whiskies are matured in one type of cask, such as ex-Bourbon barrels, then transferred into a second cask type (such as ex Sherry, Port or Rum), resulting in a greater depth and complexity of the final flavour of the whisky. He received his MBE from Queen Elizabeth II on the 5th of July, 2016, for his services to the Scotch Whisky Industry.” [42]

Kininvie Distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Dufftown, owned by William Grant & Sons, built in 1990 primarily to supply their popular blends like Grant’s and Monkey Shoulder, though it now releases its own single malts, often using shared facilities (mash/fermentation) with its sister distillery, The Balvenie. [43]

Dufftoen Railway Station at the turn of the 20th century. [36]
Dufftown Railway Station in the 21st century. It is now the terminus of the preservation line. [9]

Dufftown Railway Station “first opened on 21st February 1862 by the Keith and Dufftown Railway. There was a goods yard to the southwest, which is used for stock storage nowadays. The station closed on 6th May 1968 to passengers. The line for westbound trains was lifted shortly after. Goods traffic ceased around 1991. In 2003, the Keith and Dufftown Association reopened the station and the line as a preserved railway and set up their headquarters at the station.” [44]

Some images of Dufftown Station can be found here [45] and here. [47]

Dufftown Railway Station, looking along the line towards Keith, © Rosser1954 and authorised for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 4.0). [46]

We complete this leg of the journey standing on the platform of the preservation railway at Dufftown Railway Station. The next leg of the journey will take us over the watershed into Strathspey.

References

  1. The Railway Magazine Volume 105 No. 693, Tothill Press, London, January 1959.
  2. H.A. Vallance; The Strathspey Line; in The Railway Magazine Volume 105 No. 693, Tothill Press, London, January 1959, p3-9.
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  38. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkmore_distillery, accessed on 14th January 2026.
  39. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glendullan_distillery, accessed on 14th January 2026.
  40. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortlach_distillery, accessed on 14th January 2026.
  41. https://keith-dufftown-railway.co.uk, accessed on 15th January 2026.
  42. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balvenie_distillery, accessed on 15th January 2026.
  43. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kininvie_distillery, accessed on 15th January 2026.
  44. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dufftown_railway_station, accessed on 15th January 2026.
  45. http://gnsra.org.uk/dufftown%20station.htm, accessed on 15th January 2026.
  46. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dufftown_railway_station_and_sidings._View_towards_Keith.jpg, accessed on 15th January 2026.
  47. http://theatreorgans.com/hammond/keng/kenhtml/KeithTownToDufftownSep2008/Keith%20&%20Dufftown%20Railway%20Sept%202008%20Page%204.htm, accessed on 15th January 2026.
  48. https://chasewaterstuff.wordpress.com/tag/great-north-of-scotland-railway, accessed on 16th January 2026.

Steam Railmotors – Part 5 – Articulated Steam Railmotors

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Earlier articles in this short series about steam railmotors can be found on these links:

The Earliest Steam Railmotors:

Steam Railmotors – Part 1 – Early Examples.

Dugald Drummond and Harry Wainwright:

Steam Railmotors – Part 2 – Dugald Drummond (LSWR) and Harry Wainwright (SECR)

The GWR Steam Railmotors:

Steam Railmotors – Part 3 – The Great Western Railway (GWR)

Rigid-bodied Railmotors of Different Companies in the first two decades of the 20th century:

Steam Railmotors – Part 4 – Rigid-bodied Railmotors owned by other railway companies

Articulated Steam Railmotors in the First 2 decades of the 20th Century

Jenkinson and Lane comment that although the articulated railmotors were numerically less significant than the rigid type, “the articulated option was to sprout just as many variations, and attracted the attention of a number of eminent locomotive engineers – perhaps because they  looked more like ‘real’ trains. Be that as it may, most of them, however short-lived or unsustainable they may have been, were of more than usually pleasant visual aspect.” [1: p26]

Examples of articulated railmotors were those  of the Taff Vale Railway (TVR), the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) the South Eastern & Chatham Railway (SECR),  the North British Railway (NBR), the London Brighton & South Coast Railway (LB&SCR), the North Staffordshire Railway (NSR), the Rhymney Railway (RR), the Port Talbot Railway (PTR), the Isle of Wight Central Railway (IWCR), the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR), and the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR).

We have already picked up on the decisions made by Harry Wainwright of the SECR. Others were making the same decisions at roughly the same time. …

The Taff Vale Railway Railmotors

Tom Hurry Riches (1846–1911) “became the Locomotive Superintendent of the Taff Vale Railway in October 1873, and held the post until his death on 4 September 1911. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest locomotive superintendent in Britain.” [5]

His steam railmotors “were built between 1903 and 1905, … one prototype and three main batches. There were 18 engine units and 16 carriage potions, … permitting stand-by power units to be available. … The pioneer power unit came from the company’s workshops (the last ‘locomotive’ to be built by the TVR in its shops at West Yard, Cardiff) followed by six each from Avonside and Kerr Stuart and a final five from Manning Wardle, the last type being much more powerful than the first three series, which were broadly identical.” [1: p21]

TVR No. 1, used on the Cardiff, Penarth & Cogan section of the TVR. 12 1st class, 40 3rd class passengers could be carried seated. It was built to the design of T. Hurry Riches, © Public Domain. [6]

The first-class compartment of Riches prototype was “furnished with longitudinal seats. The third-class compartment [was] furnished with transverse seats arranged in pairs, divided by a central gang-way. The car underframe [was] constructed of steel, and … carried at one end on an ordinary carriage bogie, the wheels of which [were] Kitson’s patent wood cushioned type; the other end of the car [was] carried on the engine.” [7]

Three photographs from the Railway Magazine of February 1904. The first shows the 1st Class compartment, the second, the 3rd Class compartment of a TVR Railmotor passenger portion.. [8]
A later view of a TVR Steam Railmotor. Engine No.6 which is in charge of an unidentified carriage portion and a single 6-wheel trailer coach, © National Museum of Wales. [9]

All of the TVR Steam Railmotors had transverse boilers and were driven from rearward-placed cylinders onto an uncoupled front axle. [7]

The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Steam Railmotors

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) operated two classes of twenty steam railmotors in total. [10]

Kerr Stuart Railmotors

Kerr, Stuart & Co. built 4 Steam Railmotors for the L&YR (2) and the TVR (2) as a single batch in 1905. [10]

One of the 2 Kerr Stuart Steam Railmotors on the L&YR. These shared their design, with transverse boilers, with those that Kerr Stuart built from the TVR. [12]

“The locomotive units had transverse boilers … where a single central firebox fed extremely short fire-tubes to a smokebox at each side. … These then returned to a central smokebox and chimney. The outside cylinders were rear-mounted and drove only the leading axle, without coupling rods. The locomotive units were dispatched separately to Newton Heath, where their semi-trailers were attached.” [10][11: p170-171]

Their coaches were semi-trailers, with reversible seats for 48 passengers and electric lighting. There were also a luggage compartment and a driving compartment for use in reverse. Folding steps were provided at each of the two doors on each side. [11: p155] They were built by Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works. [11: p170-171]

Hughes Steam Railmotors

George Hughes (9 October 1865 – 27 October 1945) was …  chief mechanical engineer (CME) of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). [13].

When the L&YR amalgamated into the LNWR in January 1922 he became the CME of the combined group and was appointed the CME of the LMS on its formation at the 1923 grouping. [13][14]

He retired in July 1925 after only two and a half years at the LMS. [11: p198] He was succeeded by Henry Fowler who had worked with him at Horwich Works before moving to the former Midland Railway’s Derby Works. [15: p38]

Hughes designed a second class of railmotors that were then built at Horwich and Newton Heath, in four batches over five years. They were of the “0-4-0T locomotive + semi-trailer type”, with conventional locomotive boilers. [11: p155, 170-171] In total, 18 power units were made to Hughes specification.

In LMS days, sitting at Horwich Loco Works, this is No 10617 and an unidentified passenger portion. [18]

“All were inherited by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1923, who numbered the locomotives 10600-17 and gave the trailers separate numbers in the coaching stock series. These were the only self-propelled vehicles numbered in the LMS locomotive series rather than the coaching stock series. The first was withdrawn in 1927, and only one survived by nationalisation in 1948. That railmotor, LMS No. 10617, was withdrawn in 1948 and given the British Railways internal number 50617, but got withdrawn in March of the same year. None were preserved.” [10][16]

The best-remembered of these railmotors was the ‘Altcar Bob’ service from Southport to Barton railway station (also known as ‘Downholland’) (before 1926, it ran to Altcar and Hillhouse) and the ‘Horwich Jerk’ service from Horwich to Blackrod. The latter became the last part of the L&Y System which made use of Hughes Railmotors.[10][16]

Many of the last survivors of these 18 Railmotors ended their lives at Bolton MPD and in their final hours were used on the workmen’s’ trains between that town and the works at Horwich. [17]

South Eastern & Chatham Railway (SECR) Steam Railmotors

These were covered in the 2nd article in this short series:

Steam Railmotors – Part 2 – Dugald Drummond (LSWR) and Harry Wainwright (SECR)

SECR Steam Railmotor No.1 – the first of a second series of six steam railmotors on the SECR. All six in the series were articulated. This steam railmotor operated on the Sheppey Light Railway for a few years before being moved to Tonbridge for the Otford to Sevenoaks service in 1907. In 1910, it went to Dover to serve on the Sandgate route and by 1914 was at the Bricklayers Arms to work the Woodside to Sheldon Road service. It was ‘set aside’ in 1915, © Public Domain. [19][1: p26]

Jenkinson and Lane comment that the SECR was surprisingly a leader in the field. “Harry Wainwright supervised the design of eight beautifully stylish examples in 1904-5.” [1: p26]

Despite determined efforts over the years to improve their efficiency, the Railmotors were non-too-popular and were scheduled for withdrawal in 1914. The war intervened and gave a longer life to some units, but soon after the war they were all set aside, although some survived unused into the grouping era.

Great Northern Railway (GNR) Steam Railmotors

Ivatt, on behalf of the GNR, had six railmotors built in pairs, with similar passenger accommodation but differing in other details. He had them produced “as part of a GNR experiment with self-propelled passenger units and numbered in a new series 1&2, 5&6, 7&8, the missing 3&4 being kept for two proposed petrol engined cars of which … only one was bought.” [1: p28] All six units utilised the underfloor area of the carriage portion to house the water tanks. [1: p28]

Nos. 1&2 were built by the GNR themselvescat Doncaster in 1905, the passenger portions were among the earliest passenger ‘coaches’ to be given full elliptical roofs. “In 1930, the passenger ends were converted to an articulated twin (Nos. 44151-2) but only lasted until 1937 because of damage received in a mishap at Hatfield.” [1: p27]

GNR Railmotor No. 2, © Public Domain. [25]

Nos. 5&6 were built by Kitson and Co. in 1905. The locomotive portion was of very similar design to Nos 1&2. Their passenger bodies were supplied by Birmingham Carriage and Wagon Works. They had the traditional flatter roofs which tied in with the profile of the roof of the engine portions. [1: p28]

Kitson built GNR Railmotor No. 6 standing at King’s Cross engine shed in 1924, © Public Domain. [25]

Nos. 7&8 were built by Avonside with carriage bodies from Bristol Carriage and Wagon Works. The Avonside locomotive portion was rather bulky (Jenkinson and Lane describe it as ‘brutish’ [1: p28]) and was soon remodelled because maintenance was hampered by an engine casing which cloaked most of the fitments. The passenger portions of these units were converted to another pair of articulated carriages (Nos. 44141-2) which survived until they were condemned in 1958. They “worked the Essendine- Bourne branch until 1951 and afterwards in such widespread like captions as Mablethorpe, Newcastle-Hawick and finally Bridlington-Scarborough.” [1: p28]

GNR Railmotor No. 8, before remodelling. The engine casing on these units, was removed as early as 1907, © Public Domain. [26][1: p28]
Avonside built GNR Railmotor No. 7, after the engine portion was remodelled, is standing at Louth in 1910, © Public Domain. [25]

These railmotors lasted in service until 1917 when they were set aside. After the grouping, the LNER saw little use for the units and as noted above “the carriage parts were converted into articulated ‘twins’ … And the engine portions [were] withdrawn. ” [1: p28]

Articulated twin set Nos. 44141 & 2, built from GNR  Railmotors Nos. 7&8 sitting at Bourne Station in 1951, © Public Domain. [25]

Steam Railmotors on the London Brighton & South Coast Railway (LB&SCR)

Jenkinson and Lane say that the LB&SCR and the North Staffordshire (see below) articulated steam railmotors had much in common, both being built by Beyer Peacock in 1905-6.[1: p30][21: p62] “They displayed a sort of cross-bred powered end, partially enclosed but with smokebox front and chimney projecting in a rather quaint fashion beyond the ‘cab’ –  probably very practical for cleaning purposes. The engine portions were identical on both railways but the carriage portions displayed different styling – those of the Brighton line being rather neater. Fortunately, … both types were reasonably well recorded photographically, especially those of the NSR.” [1: p30]

The LB&SCR examples did not seem to be well received and only lasted for a few years, albeit not being formally withdrawn for some time. [1: p30]

Both companies’ railmotors, by comparison with other articulated railmotors, were rather ungainly looking with a sort of tramcar-like passenger part. [1:p30]

LB&SCR Steam Railmotor No. 1 when brand new in 1905. The carriage bodywork was built by the Electric Railway and Tramway Carriage Works of Preston, Lancashire. It did not match the normal company stock of the time but appears quite stylish. Jenkinson and Lane tell us that after the unit was formally withdrawn in 1919, it was sold, in November 1919, to the Trinidad Government Railways. This image was shared on the Ferrovias & Trens Facebook Page on 23rd January 2022. It is a Southern Railway Official Image. [20][1: p30]

The pair of steam railmotors “were stationed at Eastbourne and St Leonards and ran services on the East and West Sussex coast lines. They were both loaned to the War Department in 1918/19 before being sold to the Trinidad Government Railway. [21: p67] There they have never been put in operation. One of the coach parts was converted into the Governor’s saloon and the other into a second class carriage.” [2][22]

North Staffordshire Railway Steam Railmotors (NSR)

As we have already noted, the three [1:p9][23] steam railmotors owned by the NSR were built by Beyer Peacock in 1905-6. Jenkinson and Lane comment that, given their longer active lives, (the three NSR examples ran until 1922), “they must have generated a bit of revenue during the 16 years or so before they went the way of the rest.” [1: p30]

Three steam railmotors were built for the North Staffordshire Railway by the United Electric Car Company which originated as the Electric Railway and Tramway Carriage Works Ltd. in the East Works buildings, Preston, in 1897. These were very similar to the Railmotors Beyer Peacock supplied to the LB&SCR. [24] Jenkinson and Lane note the strong visual locomotive similarities to the Brighton cars and remark on the somewhat less stylish bodywork of the set. [1: p31]

Rhymney Railway (RR) Steam Railmotors

After Tom Hurry Riches moved to the Rhymney Railway he had Hudswell Clarke build a pair of railmotors for the RR. They consisted of an 0-4-0 engine portion semi-permanently articuled with a 64-passenger coach. T. Hurry Riches designed the combination, contracting with Cravens Ltd of Sheffield to build the passenger coaches. All seating was designed for third class and was divided between smoking and non-smoking sections. [27]

Rhymney Railway Steam Railmotor No. 1, © Public Domain. [32]

In 1911, RR No. 1 “was converted to an independent, mixed-traffic tank locomotive that operated chiefly between Rhymney Bridge, Ystrad Mynach, and Merthyr with four six-wheel coaches. At that time, No. 2 still ran on the Senghenydd branch.” [27]

Port Talbot Railway and Docks Co. (PT&DR) Steam Railmotor

The Port Talbot Railway Railmotor was the largest of the Steam Railmotors and had a six-coupled power section. [31]

Port Talbot Railway and Docks Company (PT&DR) owned a single rigid-bodied steam railmotor, numbered No.1. The GWR persuaded the PTR&DR to purchase it. Tenders were submitted by 15 companies “and a joint tender from Hurst, Nelson & Co. Ltd and R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company was accepted and the vehicle was delivered in early 1907. This was the largest steam railmotor ever to run in the UK. it was 76 ft 10 in (23.42 m) long, and the bodywork was metal, that covering the engine fashioned to match the carriage. Retractable steps were fitted under each of the four recessed passenger doors, although the steps were later fixed in position.” [28][29]

Hawthorn Leslie built two steam railmotors for use in Great Britain, and at least one for abroad. [30]

“The locomotive was six-coupled with 3 ft diameter wheels; it had a conventional boiler with the firebox leading, 12 by 16 inch cylinders and a boiler pressure of 170 psi and a tractive effort of 9,792 lbs.” It was designed with a trailing load in mind. [28]

It was the only Steam Railmotor in the UK to have a six-coupled power section. [1: p9]

This Railmotor passed through GWR hands to the Port of London Authority (PLA). In 1915, the GWR moved it to their Swindon works then in 1920 it became PLA No.3. It remained in service until the North Greenwich branch of the PLA closed and was scrapped in 1928. [28]

Isle of Wight Central Railway (IWCR) Steam Railmotor

The Isle of Wight Central Railway had a single Railmotor which was built in 1906 by R.W. Hawthorn (engine) and Hurst, Nelson & Co. of Motherwell (carriage). Jenkinson and Lane tell us that this railmotor was delivered in-steam from Hurst, Nelson & Co. works to Southampton Docks.

This advertisement for R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company Ltd’s Forth Banks locomotive works (Newcastle-on-Tyne, England) is on display at the Head of Steam Railway Museum in the former Darlington North Road railway station in Durham County. The featured vehicle is Isle of Wight Central Railway (IWCR) steam railmotor No. 1. [33]

Once on the island, the railmotor took up duties on “the Merstone to Ventnor Town service, and then transferred to the Freshwater line in 1908. Although highly regarded in terms of economy, … it was … prone to oscillation and … ‘laid aside’ in November 1910.” [1: p34]

Once the railmotor was placed out of service, the two parts of the railmotor were repurposed. The carriage entered the regular coaching stock of the railway (with an added bogie). The engine “was given a small bunker and was used at Newport for occasional shunting, before being sold in 1918.” [1: p34] It was sold to Furness Shipbuilding, Haverton Hill and became their  No. 8.

Glasgow & South Western Railway (G&SWR) Steam Railmotors

The G&SWR had three steam railmotors on its books which lasted in service until 1917. Two to one design and the third to a slightly different design.

No. 1 and No. 2 were built at Kilmarnock in 1904. The ‘side tanks’ were used to carry coal with water carried in a 500 gallon well tank. These units were used on the Catrine branch shuttle to Mauchline and from Ardrossan to Largs and Kilwinning. [1: p34-5]

The only image that I have found of Railmotors No. 1 and No. 2 is a copyright protected thumbnail image. It can be seen by clicking here. [34]

No. 3 was not strictly a steam railmotor as the engine and carriage were close-coupled rather than articulated. Jenkinson and Lane winder whether it should be included within the scope of a book about railmotors but decide to include it because “it was designed as an integrated concept … Intended for the Moniaive branch on which one of the G&SWR railmotors certainly ran.” [1: p35]

Great Northern of Scotland Railway (GNSR) Steam Railmotors

The two GNSR railmotors had some unique design features – patented boilers and hemispherical fireboxes. They were, however, not a success and they were withdrawn after just a few years. [1: p34]

A GNSR Railmotor unit. The two portions of the railmotor appear to be engine No. 29 and coach No. 31, © Public Domain. The photo was carried in The Railway Magazine of October 1905, No. 100, p330. [36]

The two articulated units were designed by Pickersgill and built by Andrew Barclay & Co. of Kilmarnock and powered by vertical boilers made by Cochran & Co. of Annan. They entered service on the Lossiemouth and St. Combs branches in 1905. [35]

The boilers were new to locomotive work but of a type well-known in other fields. 10 in. x 16 in. cylinders were placed just ahead of the rear bogie wheels and drove on to the leading axle. Walschearts valve gear was used. The 4 wheels  of the power unit were 3 ft. 7in. diameter. [35]

A small bunker attached to the front of the coach body formed the back of the cab and held 15 cwt. of coal. Underneath the leading end of the coach there was a 650-gallon water tank.

The coach portion of the rail motor consisted of a long passenger compartment and a small compartment at the rear end, with doors for ingress and egress of passengers, also serving as a driving compartment when the unit was being driven from that end. The passenger compartment was 34 ft. 7in. long and seated 45 while the overall length of the car was 49 ft. 11 ½ in. and the total weight 47 tons. [35]

“The two engine units were numbered 29 and 31, (Barclay’s numbers 1056-7). The coaches were Nos. 28 and 29. Unit 29/28 went to work on the St Combs Light Railway on 1st November 1905, and 31/29 started working on the Lossiemouth branch on the same day.” [35]

The two units were not a success and “in the course of time the engine units were detached from the coaches and used as stationary boilers. Here they were apparently more successful; on the line they were dreadfully noisy and the boilers would not steam properly, and the hopes of their designer were not realized.” [35]

References

  1. David Jenkinson & Barry C. Lane; British Railcars: 1900-1950; Pendragon Partnership and Atlantic Transport Publishers, Penryn, Cornwall, 1996.
  2. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_steam_railcars, accessed on 14th June 2024.
  3. R.M. Tufnell; The British Railcar: AEC to HST; David and Charles, 1984.
  4. R.W. Rush; British Steam Railcars; Oakwood Press, 1970.
  5. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hurry_Riches, accessed on 19th June 2024.
  6. https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taff_Vale_railmotor_(Rankin_Kennedy,_Modern_Engines,_Vol_V).jpg, accessed on 19th June 2024.
  7. http://www.penarth-dock.org.uk/09_04_090_02.html, accessed on 19th June 2024.
  8. The Taff Vale Railmotor, in the Railway Magazine, February 1904; via http://www.penarth-dock.org.uk/09_04_090_02.html, accessed on 19th June 2024.
  9. National Museum and Galleries of Wales – Amgueddfa Cymru — National Museum Wales – archive; included in Mountfield & Spinks; The Taff Vale Lines to Penarth; The Oakwood Press; via http://www.penarth-dock.org.uk/09_04_090_02.html, accessed on 19th June 2024.
  10. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%26YR_railmotors, accessed on 19th June 2024.
  11. John Marshall; The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. Vol. 3: Locomotives and Rolling Stock; David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1972.
  12. https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/lancashire-and-yorkshire-hughes-rail-motors-running-backwards.222458, accessed on 19th June 2024.
  13. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hughes_(engineer),accessed on  19th June 2024.
  14. George Hughes; in Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History. Archived from the original on 20th June 2017 and retrieved 22nd August 2019, accessed via https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hughes_(engineer),accessed on  19th June 2024.
  15. Patrick Whitehouse & David St. John Thomas; LMS 150; David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1987.
  16. G. Suggitt; Lost Railways of Lancashire; Countryside Books, Newbury, 2003.
  17. https://wp.me/pwsVe-R1, accessed on 19th June 2024
  18. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275193815724?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=yXJFhbJMSuC&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=afQhrar7TGK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY; accessed on 19th June 2024.
  19. https://www.southeasternandchathamrailway.org.uk/gallery.html, accessed on 19th June 2024.
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  21. D.L. Bradley; Locomotives of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway. Part III.; Railway Correspondence and Travel Society Press, London, 1974.
  22. Locomotives of the Trinidad Government Rlys; in Locomotive Magazine and Railway Carriage and Wagon Review, Vol. 42 No. 522, 15th February 1936, p53–55. Archived from the original on 28th January 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023, accessed via https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_steam_railcars, on 20th June 2024.
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  27. https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=Great_Britain&wheel=0-4-0&railroad=rhymney, accessed on 20th June 2024.
  28. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Talbot_Railway_and_Docks_Company, accessed on 18th June 2024.
  29. Robin G Simmonds, A History of the Port Talbot Railway & Docks Company and the South Wales Mineral Railway Company, Volume 1: 1853 – 1907, Lightmoor Press, Lydney, 2012
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