Royal Deeside Railway facts for kids
The Royal Deeside Railway is a special heritage railway in Scotland. It is located at Milton of Crathes railway station. This railway uses a part of the old Deeside Railway line.
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The Original Deeside Railway
The first Deeside Railway was built between 1853 and 1866. It connected Ballater railway station and Aberdeen Ferryhill railway station. The Royal Family often used this line. They traveled to visit Balmoral Castle. The railway line closed down in stages between 1966 and 1967.
This railway was one of many lines closed because of the Beeching Report. This report suggested closing many railway lines across Britain to save money.
Bringing the Railway Back to Life
The Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society started in 1996. Their goal was to bring back a part of the old Deeside Railway. They wanted to restore the section between Banchory and Milton of Crathes. The society began working on the railway in 2003.
In 2007, they started running trains on a one-mile section of track. The first train pulled by a steam engine carried passengers in 2010. In 2020, the railway opened a new station called Birkenbaud lay-by.
A platform was built at Milton of Crathes railway station. Then, an old station building from the closed Oldmeldrum Railway was moved there. This building now serves as the main office for the Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society. Most of the tracks they use came from the Guild Street yard near Aberdeen station. Some of the old wooden and concrete parts that hold the tracks are no longer safe. The society is looking for ways to fix and reuse the concrete ones.
In 2020, the railway faced money problems. This happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
What You Can Experience Now
The railway currently offers passenger trips over one mile of track. Trains travel from Milton of Crathes to Birkenbaud Crossing. All journeys start and end at Milton of Crathes. A return trip takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
Milton of Crathes station has one platform and two tracks. These tracks allow the train engine to move from one end of the train to the other. The station also has a small shop, a museum, and a ticket office. There is a car park with easy access for people with disabilities.
The railway owns an original British Rail BEMU. This was a special train that ran on the Deeside Railway from 1958 to 1966. It was changed from a diesel engine to run on battery power. The BEMU needs a lot of electrical repairs. However, it is sometimes used as a passenger coach. It offers a different experience compared to the Mark 2 coaches.
The trains are pulled by different types of engines. These include the old Aberdeen Gas Works Steam Engine "Bon Accord". They also use British Rail Class 03 diesel shunters. These engines pull three British Rail Mark 2 passenger coaches. These coaches are painted in a classic red and cream color. A fourth coach is currently being fixed up.
The Railway's Future Plans
The railway plans to extend its line soon to a new station called Riverside Halt. This new station will let passengers get off the train. From there, they can walk one mile back to Milton of Crathes. Or, they can continue walking along the Deeside Way towards Banchory. This new station will be the end of the line for passenger services. It will create a route between Milton of Crathes and Riverside Halt, passing through Birkenbaud Crossing.
A new loop line is being built at Riverside Halt. Also, two new side tracks are under construction. These new tracks will hold trains that are not currently in use.
In 2020, the railway announced a big plan. They want to extend the operating line all the way to Banchory railway station. They plan to use the old track bed. This area is currently part of the Deeside Way, which is a path for walking and cycling.
A major challenge for extending the railway to Banchory is an old bridge. This 19th-century railway bridge is called the Bridge of Bennie. It currently carries the Deeside Way cycle and footpath. The Royal Deeside Railway wants to use this original bridge for trains again. However, the Bridge of Bennie needs to be made stronger for new railway traffic.
If the railway uses the old Bridge of Bennie, a new bridge would be needed for the Deeside Way path. A new Deeside Way bridge was put in place on December 15, 2020. But, due to delays from COVID-19 rules and other problems, the new bridge is still closed to the public. This means the Deeside Way still uses the Bridge of Bennie. So, the railway cannot extend its operations yet. It is estimated that extending the railway to Banchory will cost about £250,000 once all the work is finished.
Locomotives (Train Engines)
- Steam locomotives
- Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 807 "Bon-Accord". This engine is currently working. It used to work at the Aberdeen Gas Works.
- Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST No. 2139 "Salmon". This engine's boiler permit expired on January 1, 2019. A repair plan is being made.
- Diesel locomotives
- Multiple units
- BR BEMU unit 79998+79999. This unit is working. It is used as a passenger coach pulled by another engine.
See also
- Milton of Crathes railway station
