Strathspey Railway (preserved) facts for kids
The Strathspey Railway (SR) is a special heritage railway in Badenoch and Strathspey, Highland, Scotland. It lets you experience train travel from the past! The railway runs for about 10 miles (16 km) from Aviemore to Broomhill, passing through Boat of Garten. This line was once part of a bigger railway that connected Aviemore with Forres. It's one of the few old main railway lines in Britain that has been saved and is still used today.
Contents
The Journey
Starting at Aviemore
The Strathspey Railway starts its journey from platform 3 at the main Aviemore railway station. Before 1998, trains left from a different station called Aviemore Speyside, which is a bit further north. That old station isn't used regularly now, but its platform is still there just in case.
Near Aviemore, you'll see the large locomotive shed. This shed was built way back in 1898 to house trains. Today, it's where the railway's engines are kept and looked after. There's also a big turntable, which is like a giant spinning platform used to turn the engines around. A special shed for maintaining carriages was built in 2005, allowing volunteers to work on the coaches indoors. Another shed, built in 2011, keeps the coaches safe from the weather.
Just north of the sheds is Spey Lodge. This building was originally a hostel for train crews during the Second World War. Now, it's a place where the railway's volunteers can stay while they work.
After leaving Aviemore, the train crosses a road at Dalfaber. This crossing was added in the 1980s. The line then climbs through Granish Moor, a beautiful area of heather. From here, you can see Cairngorm Mountain. The railway runs next to the Speyside Way, a popular path for walking and cycling. The line then goes through a forest and down towards the village of Boat of Garten.
Boat of Garten Station
Boat of Garten station is a very important stop. It has its original buildings from 1904, which are now protected as a historic site. The station building has a ticket office, shop, and waiting room with a cozy fireplace. There's also a coffee shop in the old gas house.
This station was once a busy junction where two different railway lines met. Today, it has two platforms for passengers. The yard behind the station is where many of the railway's spare trains are stored.
Boat of Garten is also the only place on the line where steam locomotives can stop to take on water. The station has two signal boxes, Boat of Garten North and Boat of Garten South. These boxes use traditional mechanical signals to control the trains. When two trains are running on the line, they cross paths here.
Most of what you see at Boat of Garten station today is original from the old British Railways days. The main layout hasn't changed much.
After leaving Boat of Garten, trains cross a new bridge over the road. The railway then follows the River Spey through farmland. The tracks here were actually brought from a power station in Fife in the 1990s!
Arriving at Broomhill
The train's journey ends at Broomhill. This station is in the countryside between Nethy Bridge and Dulnain Bridge. The station building you see here is a copy of the original one, built on its old foundations.
Broomhill station might look familiar to some! It was used as the station for "Glenbogle" in the popular BBC TV show "Monarch of the Glen".
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Broomhill looking towards Grantown on Spey.
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The 'Glenbogle' station sign at Broomhill station
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A view of the platform and station buildings looking towards Boat of Garten
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The station approach from the Boat of Garten side
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Platform and station infrastructure
Future Plans
There are plans to extend the Strathspey Railway even further! The goal is to reach Grantown. This would involve moving a section of the A95 road so the railway can pass underneath it. Instead of using the old Grantown station, a new station with three platforms is planned further north.
Old railway tracks from Stirling and Alloa have been given to this project. In 2014, a new bridge was put in place over the River Dulnain, using steelwork from an old bridge in Motherwell. Tracks have now been laid across this new bridge.
Extending the railway is a big project. It needs special permission from the Scottish Government and extra studies because it's in the Cairngorm National Park. The Strathspey Railway Charitable Trust is working hard to raise money and get all the necessary approvals to make the extension happen.
Helping the Railway
The Strathspey Railway Association is a group that helps the railway by providing money and volunteers. Most of the people who work on the railway are volunteers from this association. They help with everything from driving trains to maintaining tracks and buildings. Members of the association get a magazine called "The Strathspey Express" with updates from the railway.
Trains and Carriages
The Strathspey Railway has a collection of different trains, including classic steam locomotives and diesel engines. They also have various passenger carriages, some of which are very old and have been carefully restored.
Steam Locomotives
- LMS 2-6-0 Class 2MT no. 46512 "E. V. Cooper, Engineer". Built in 1952. It's currently running!
- LMS 2-6-0 Class 2MT no. 46464 (The Carmyllie Pilot). Built in 1950. This engine is being rebuilt. It was the first steam train to carry passengers on the Strathspey Railway in 1978.
- Caledonian Railway 0-6-0 812 Class no. 828. Built in 1899. This historic engine is also running.
- LMS 4-6-0 Class 5MT no. 5025. Built in 1934. This powerful engine is operational after a big repair.
- Wemyss Private Railway 0-6-0T no. 17 "Braeriach". Built in 1935. This engine is currently stored.
- WD 0-6-0ST Austerity no. 9. Built in 1943. It's currently being repaired.
Diesel Locomotives
- BR 0-4-0 Class D2/10 no. D2774. This shunter is operational.
- BR 0-6-0 Class 08 no. 08490. This shunter is also operational.
- BR Bo-Bo Class 26 no. 26002. Built in 1958. This engine is stored.
- BR Bo-Bo Class 27 no. 27050. Built in 1962. This engine is operational.
- BR A1A-A1A Class 31 no. 31327. This engine is operational.
- BR Co-Co Class 37 no. 37674. This powerful engine is operational.
- Andrew Barclay & Son 0-4-0 DH shunter "Power of Enterprise". It's being restored.
- Ruston & Hornsby 0-4-0 DM shunter. This shunter is operational.
Passenger Carriages
The railway has many different types of passenger carriages, some dating back to the early 1900s! These include:
- Carriages from the Great North of Scotland Railway and Highland Railway.
- Coaches from the North British Railway, including a unique 1905 carriage.
- Carriages from the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS), including a "Porthole" design coach.
- Several Mk1 carriages from British Railways, some of which were used on the famous Flying Scotsman train.
- A special LMS Officers Saloon, built in 1944, which is operational.
- Mk 2A carriages from British Railways, built in 1968.
Many of these carriages are operational, allowing visitors to ride in them. Others are being restored by dedicated volunteers to bring them back to their former glory.
Stations on the Line
- Aviemore railway station
- Aviemore Speyside railway station (This station is now closed for regular use.)
- Boat of Garten railway station
- Broomhill railway station
