Royal Deeside Railway
Coordinates: 57°03′23″N 2°25′45″W / 57.0564°N 2.4292°W
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The Royal Deeside Railway was formed in 1996 by a group of volunteers with the intention of reclaiming part of the former branch line from Aberdeen to Ballater.
Originally constructed between 1853 and 1856 by the Deeside Railway Company, the line was regularly patronised by the Royal Family and other VIP visitors to Balmoral. However due to its dwindling numbers the line was eventually closed by British Railways in 1966.
After many years of hard work by dedicated volunteers, the first ever steam-hauled passenger services on the newly reclaimed line were operated in 2010.
The Royal Deeside Railway currently offers a passenger train service that stretches over 1 mile of track from Milton of Crathes to Birkenbaud Crossing (soon extending to a new station; Riverside Halt).
Rail services are operated using rolling stock including former Aberdeen Gas Works Steam Engine Bon Accord and British Rail Class 03 diesel shunters that haul three British Rail Mark 2 passenger coaches in BR Crimson and Cream livery, with a fourth coach currently being restored.
The Royal Deeside Railway also has the original British Rail "Gemini" Battery Railcar (BEMU) which was converted and specifically tested on the old Deeside Railway Line in the 1960s. The BEMU does currently require a complete electrical overhaul, however is sometimes used as passenger coaches, offering an alternative to the Mark 2 coaches.
Current[]
Since the inception of the Royal Deeside Railway, the intention by the volunteers was to create a running line that would run from Banchory to Milton of Crathes.
After initially constructing a platform at the Milton of Crathes, the need for a station building became a necessity for the now ever growing railway. Using a donated and reclaimed station building from the old Oldmeldrum Railway Station, this was rebuilt and restored and is now the railways major hub at Milton of Crathes[1]
Milton of Crathes station is the headquarters of the Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society (RDRPS). The station itself consists of a single platform and two tracks (which form a locomotive run-round loop and headshunts).
The station building now houses a small shop, museum and a ticket office. The station has ample car parking space and has both stair and ramped access to the platform. All services call and terminate currently at the Milton of Crathes, with each journey taking between 20-30 minutes for a return trip.
Most of the track that the Royal Deeside Railway currently has in it possession came from the now closed Guild Street yard next to Aberdeen station. This means that the railway line itself can date back to the 1950s with some sections even older. While some of the older wooden and even concrete sleepers are no longer safe to use, possible solutions are being explored to see if the concrete sleepers can be fixed and once again reused.
With the current running line stretching just over one mile, there are future plans being put into place with progressing beyond the current limits of the railway and ultimately reaching the goal of a terminating station out in Banchory.
Future[]
With future plans to continue towards Banchory, one of the largest challenges found by the Royal Deeside Railway was an original railway bridge known as the Bridge of Bennie that currently carries the Deeside Way.
The railway wished to use this original structure to continue its running line to Banchory, however the existing bridge required extra support work to make it safe for railway traffic to cross. With the railway reclaiming the old Bridge of Bennie a new alternative bridge was required to carry the Deeside Way that would then run in parallel with the new railway line. With the new bridge in place, this will allow the railway to relay track across the original late 1800s structure.[2]
A new Deeside Way bridge was successfully lifted into place on the 15th December 2020, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the new bridge currently remains closed to the public until all of the ground work has been completed and deemed safe to open. Due to the delay in the construction of the bridge(s) this means the railways ambitions to continue towards Banchory will also be on hold for the foreseeable future.
While work has been carried out to upgrade/install the old/new bridge, the Royal Deeside Railway has been hard at work constructing a brand new terminating station known as "Riverside Halt". With the expansion to Banchory currently on hold, this will form the end of the running line creating a passenger service between the Milton of Crathes and the new Riverside Halt.
As well as constructing a new station, work has been done on relaying new track on the main line, including a brand new loop line and new siding space. The construction of a new station will allow passengers to disembark the train and walk the mile back to the Milton of Crathes or continue further along the Deeside Way towards Banchory. The new passing loop at the Riverside Halt will allow for more authentic train movements, including an extra feature for members of the public to watch with extra train movements now required, as well as much need storage space to house the current railway stock such as a crane and wagons.
Long term ambitions include the eventual laying of track towards Banchory with a new station, a signal box, a carriage shed, added improvements to passenger experiences and improvements to the Deeside Way. Updates of weekly work are published every Wednesday/Thursday and Sundays on the Royal Deeside Railway Facebook page.
Locomotives[]
- Steam locomotives
- Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 807 "Bon-Accord". Operational (Ex Aberdeen Gas Works).
- Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST No. 2139 "Salmon". Boiler ticket expired 1 January 2019, a contract overhaul is being arranged.
- Diesel locomotives
- Multiple units
- BR BEMU unit 79998+79999. Operational (as hauled coaching stock)
See also[]
References[]
- ^ 57°03′23″N 2°25′45″W / 57.0564°N 2.4292°W
- ^ Hall, Jamie (28 September 2020). "Next phase of north-east bridge project completed". Evening Express. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
External links[]
- The Railway website
- Bon Accord Locomotive Society website
- Visit Banchory website
- British Railways in 1960: Aberdeen (Ferryhill Jn.) to Ballater
- The Banchory and Crathes Light Railway Order 2012 (SSI 2012 No. 345)
- RAILSCOT - the history of railways in Britain[1]
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