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The Royal Deeside Railway is a Scottish heritage railway located at Milton of Crathes railway station on a part of the original Deeside Railway. [1]
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The Royal Deeside Railway is a Scottish heritage railway located at Milton of Crathes railway station on a part of the original Deeside Railway. [1]
Originally constructed between 1853 and 1866, [2] the Deeside Railway ran between Ballater railway station and Aberdeen Ferryhill railway station. The line was regularly used by the Royal Family and other important people visiting Balmoral Castle. The line closed in stages between 1966 and 1967. [3]
The line was one of those closed by the Beeching Report. [2]
The Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society was formed in 1996 with the intention of restoring the section of the Deeside Railway which ran between Banchory and Milton of Crathes. [4] The society began restoration work in 2003. The society operated a one-mile section of track starting in 2007. The first steam-hauled passenger service operated in 2010. [4] In 2020, the railway opened a new station at Birkenbaud lay-by. [2]
After a platform was built at Milton of Crathes railway station, a station building was donated from the closed Oldmeldrum Railway and moved to Milton of Crathes, where it serves as the Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society headquarters. Most of the track the railway owns is old track from Guild Street yard next to Aberdeen station. While some of the wooden and concrete sleepers are no longer safe to use, solutions are being explored to see if the concrete sleepers can be repaired and reused.[ citation needed ]
In 2020, the railway experienced financial trouble due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. [5]
the railway currently operates a passenger service over 1 mile of track from Milton of Crathes to Birkenbaud Crossing. All services call and terminate at Milton of Crathes with each journey taking 15–20 minutes for a return trip. [5] Milton of Crathes station consists of a single platform and two tracks (which form a locomotive run-round loop and headshunts), a small shop, museum and a ticket office. A car park is available with disabled access.[ citation needed ]
The railway owns the original British Rail BEMU which was converted from a diesel engine to battery power and operated on the Deeside Railway from 1958 to 1966. [6] The BEMU currently requires a complete electrical overhaul, but it is sometimes used as a passenger coach, offering an alternative to the Mark 2 coaches.[ citation needed ]
This 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.[ citation needed ]
The railway will soon extend to a new station, Riverside Halt. [4] this 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. This new station will form the end of the running line, creating a passenger service between the Milton of Crathes and Riverside Halt via Birkenbaud Crossing. A new loop line is under construction at Riverside Halt, along with two new buffer end siding spaces. [4] These new siding spaces will hold rolling stock which is currently not in use.
In 2020, it was announced that the group intends to extend the operating segment to Banchory railway station by using former track bed which is currently part of the Deeside Way. [2]
A major challenge for future plans for the railway's extension towards Banchory was the original 19th-century railway bridge known as the Bridge of Bennie which now carries the Deeside Way cycle and footpath after closure of the old line. The Deeside Railway wished to reuse the original railway bridge, however in order to do so, the Bridge of Bennie required strengthening for new railway traffic to cross. By using the original Bridge of Bennie, a new purpose built bridge would be required in order to continue the Deeside Way. The new Deeside Way bridge was lifted into place on the 15th December 2020, [7] but delays due to COVID 19 restrictions and other difficulties have meant the new bridge remains closed to the public. This means that the Deeside way continues to use the Bridge of Bennie, meaning railway operations cannot be extended. It has been estimated that the extension to Banchory will cost approximately £250,000 once ongoing work is complete. [4]
The River Dee is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through southern Aberdeenshire to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen. The area it passes through is known as Deeside, or Royal Deeside in the region between Braemar and Banchory because Queen Victoria came for a visit there in 1848 and greatly enjoyed herself. She and her husband, Prince Albert, built Balmoral Castle there which replaced an older castle.
The Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) was one of the two smallest of the five major Scottish railway companies prior to the 1923 Grouping, operating in the north-east of the country. Formed in 1845, it carried its first passengers the 39 miles (63 km) from Kittybrewster, in Aberdeen, to Huntly on 20 September 1854. By 1867 it owned 226+1⁄4 route miles (364.1 km) of line and operated over a further 61 miles (98 km).
The British Rail BEMU was an experimental two-car battery electric multiple unit (BEMU), converted from the prototype Derby Lightweight Diesel multiple units. The train was powered by many lead-acid batteries, and was used on the Deeside Railway from Aberdeen to Ballater in Scotland from April 1958 until it was finally withdrawn in December 1966. The North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board initiated the design and was a joint sponsor. The board promised to supply power at three farthings per unit for a fixed two-year period. It provided an 11kV supply to a charger at Aberdeen's platform 1 and a 6.6kV supply to a charger at Ballater.
The Deeside Way is a 41-mile (66 km) rail trail that follows, in part, the bed of the former Deeside Railway in Aberdeenshire. Forming part of the National Cycle Network the trail leads from Aberdeen to Ballater.
The Deeside Railway was a passenger and goods railway between Aberdeen and Ballater in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Opening in 1853 to Banchory, an extension reached Aboyne in 1859. A separate company, the Aboyne & Braemar Railway, built an extension to Ballater and this opened in 1866. By 1855 there were five services a day over the 43+1⁄4-mile (69.6 km) long line, taking between 1 hour 50 minutes and 2+1⁄2 hours. The line was used by the Royal Train for travel to and from Balmoral Castle from 1853 and a special 'Messenger Train' ran daily when the Royal Family was in residence.
Milton of Crathes railway station is located at Milton of Crathes, three miles east of Banchory, Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Culter railway station was opened on 8 September 1853 by the Deeside Railway and served the town of Peterculter that is locally known as Culter. The Deeside Railway was taken over by the GNoSR and in 1894 Culter was the terminus for the Aberdeen suburban service although a few trains continued to Banchory. Despite the 1937 closure of many other stations on the Aberdeen suburban service, Culter remained open until 1966 as an intermediate station on the Deeside Railway that ran from Aberdeen (Joint) to Ballater. Culter is located in the parish of Peterculter, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Banchory railway station was situated on the Aberdeen and Ballater branch. It was situated at 16 miles 72 chains (27.2 km) from Aberdeen, and was the terminus of the railway from its opening on 8 September 1853 until extension to Aboyne in 1859. The branch was extended to its final terminus at Ballater in 1866.
Holburn Street railway station was a railway station in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was opened in July 1894 by the GNSR and served a suburb of Aberdeen near Duthie Park and Allenvale Cemetery. The station was one of several victims of the 1937 closure of stations on the Aberdeen suburban service. The Deeside Railway itself eventually ran from Aberdeen (Joint) to Ballater.
Glassel railway station is a disused railway station in Britain. It served Glassel House, the Mill of Beltie and the local farms and the inhabitants of this rural area from 1859 to 1966 on the Deeside Railway that ran from Aberdeen (Joint) to Ballater.
Murtle railway station, later Murtle Halt railway station served Murtle and Beaconhill Houses and estates, the Mill of Murtle, Milton of Murtle, the local farms and the inhabitants of this rural area within the parish of Peterculter from 1853 to 1937 on the Deeside Railway that ran from Aberdeen (Joint) to Ballater.
Milltimber railway station served the Milltimber area within the parish of Peterculter from 1854 to 1937 on the Deeside Railway that ran from Aberdeen (Joint) to Ballater. This area at that time had a number of mansion houses, estates, etc. such as Culter House, Fairgirth House, Camphill House, Avondow House, Glasterberry House, etc. whose workers, etc. would have used the station. Milltimber was only a short distance from Murtle station. The station was named for the nearby Milltimber Farm.
Bieldside railway station served the Bieldside area within the parish of Peterculter from 1897 to 1937 on the Deeside Railway that ran from Aberdeen (Joint) to Ballater. This area was the location of a number of mansion houses and estates such as Woodthorpe, Dalmunzie, The Firs, etc., some built as a result of the railway.
West Cults railway station served the small suburban village of West Cults area within the parish of Peterculter from 1894 to 1937 on the Deeside Railway that ran from Aberdeen (Joint) to Ballater. It lay very close to Cults and Bieldside.
Cults railway station was opened on 8 September 1853 by the Deeside Railway and served part of Cults with mansion houses such as Southfield, Wellwood, Woodbank, Inchgarth, Drumgarth and Norwood nearby. The Deeside Railway station was replaced in 1855 by a new GNoSR that remained open, despite the 1937 closure of many other stations on the Aberdeen suburban service, until 1966 as an intermediate station on the Deeside Railway that ran from Aberdeen (Joint) to Ballater. Cults is located in the parish of Peterculter, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Pitfodels railway station or Pitfodels Halt was opened on 2 July 1894 by the GNoSR and served a suburb of Aberdeen with housing and estates such as Wellwood, Inchgarth and Norwood. The halt was one of several victims of the 1937 closure of stations on the Aberdeen suburban service. The Deeside Railway itself ran from Aberdeen (Joint) to Ballater. Pitfodels is located in the parish of Peterculter, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Ruthrieston railway station or Ruthrieston Halt was opened in January 1856 by the GNSR and served Ruthrieston, now a suburb of Aberdeen. The halt was one of several victims of the 1937 closure of stations on the Aberdeen suburban service. The Deeside Railway itself eventually ran from Aberdeen (Joint) to Ballater. Ruthrieston is located in the parish of Peterculter, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Drum railway station was opened in January 1854 by the Deeside Railway and served the rural area around Drum Castle estate. The Deeside Railway was taken over by the GNoSR and in 1894 nearby Culter became the terminus for the majority of Aberdeen suburban services with only a few trains continuing through Drum to Banchory. Despite the 1937 closure of many other stations on the Aberdeen suburban service, Drum remained open until 1951 as an intermediate station on the Deeside Railway that ran from Aberdeen (Joint) to Ballater. Drum station was located in Drumoak Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Mills of Drum railway station was opened in September 1853 by the Deeside Railway and served the rural area around Park House and Crathes estates at the Mills of Drum or Drum Mills, corn mills, that lay close to the River Dee. The Deeside Railway was taken over by the GNoSR in the 1860s. Mills of Drum only remained open until 1863 as an intermediate station on the Deeside Railway that ran from Aberdeen (Joint) to Ballater. Mills of Drum station was located in Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Park railway station was opened in September 1853 by the Deeside Railway and served the rural area around the Park estate, Nether Sunnyside, West Redford and the hamlet of Park. The Deeside Railway was taken over by the GNoSR and in 1894 nearby Culter became the terminus for the majority of Aberdeen suburban services with only a few trains continuing through Park to Banchory. Despite the 1937 closure of many other stations on the Aberdeen suburban service, Park remained open until 1966 as an intermediate station on the Deeside Railway that ran from Aberdeen (Joint) to Ballater. Park station was located in Drumoak Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
