The story
Establishment and construction
In 1845 the Great North of Scotland Railway was formed to build a railway from Aberdeen to Inverness. The proposed 108+1⁄4-mile (174.2 km) route, which needed few major engineering works, followed the River Don to Inverurie, via Huntly and Keith to a crossing of the River Spey, and then to Elgin and along the coast via Nairn to Inverness. Branch lines to Banff, Portsoy, Garmouth and Burghead would total 30+1⁄2 miles (49.1 km). At the same time the Perth and Inverness Railway proposed a direct route over the Grampian Mountains to Perth, and the Aberdeen, Banff and Elgin Railway suggested a route that followed the coast to better serve the Banffshire and Morayshire fishing ports. Three private bills were presented to Parliament seeking permission to build a railway, but the Aberdeen, Banff and Elgin failed to raise funds, and the Perth and Inverness Railway was rejected because the railway would be at altitudes that approached 1,500 feet (460 m) and needed steep gradients. The Great North of Scotland Railway Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c. ciii) received royal assent on 26 June 1846.
In the aftermath of the railway mania railway companies became an unpopular investment and the necessary finance could not be raised. The company suggested at a meeting in November 1849 that whereas £650,000 was needed for a double-track railway from Aberdeen to Inverness, only £375,000 would be needed for a single-track railway from Kittybrewster, 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) from Aberdeen, to Keith, halfway to Inverness. The meeting recommended that the bridges and works be built wide enough for a second track when this was needed. Construction eventually began in November 1852, albeit to Huntly, 12+1⁄2 miles (20.1 km) short of Keith, with William Cubitt as engineer. The severe winter the following year delayed work. Between Inverurie and Aberdeen the line took over the Aberdeenshire Canal, the purchase of which delayed construction as it was necessary to settle the claims of each shareholder individually.
Opening
After an inspection by the Board of Trade, the railway opened to goods on 12 September 1854 and approval for the carriage of passengers was given two days later. The railway was officially opened on 19 September, and two locomotives hauling twenty-five carriages carrying 400 passengers left Kittybrewster at 11 am. The number of passengers had grown to about 650 by the time the train arrived to a celebration at Huntly at 1:12 pm. Public services began the following day.
There were stations at:
Kittybrewster
Buxburn (Bucksburn after 1897)
Dyce
Kinaldie (open after 1 December)
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Kintore
Inverury (Inverurie after 1866)
Pitcaple
Oyne
Buchanstone (open after 1 December)
Insch
Wardhouse (open after 1 December)
Kennethmont
Gartly
Huntly
The railway was single track with passing loops at the termini and at Kintore, Inverurie and Insch; the loop at Kittybrewster was clear of the platform to allow the locomotive to run round the carriages and push them into the station. A daily goods train took up to 3 hours 40 minutes for the 39 miles (63 km), the goods to Aberdeen also carried passengers and mail and spared cattle a two-day drive to market. Initially there were three passenger services a day taking two hours, fares being 1+3⁄4 old pence (d) a mile for first class and 1+1⁄4d for third; on one train a day in each direction it was possible to travel for the statutory fare of 1d a mile. Although cheaper than travelling by coach, these fares and the charges for the transport of goods were considered high but not reduced for thirty years.
The railway opened short of rolling stock as only half of the twelve locomotives and twenty-four of forty passenger carriages ordered had arrived. The carriage builders, Brown, Marshall & Co of Birmingham, stated that based on their experience they had expected the line to open at least two months late. The third day after opening to passengers, on 23 September, there was a collision between two trains at Kittybrewster that resulted in the death of a passenger and several serious injuries. The inquiry found that the driver, attempting to make up time after a late start, had over-run previous stations and been approaching the terminus with excessive speed. The driver attempted to select reverse gear to slow the train but had failed to hold on to the lever, which slipped into forward, propelling the train into carriages waiting at the platform. The report also criticised the station staff, who should not have allowed the carriages to be waiting at the station. The layout at Kittybrewster was altered after the accident.
Waterloo, Keith and Inverness
The Aberdeen Railway (AR) opened from the south to Ferryhill, south of Aberdeen, in April 1850. It had been previously arranged that the Aberdeen and Great North would amalgamate, but this was annulled that year and the Aberdeen was seeking alliances with railways to the south. In 1854 the AR opened its Guild Street terminus in Aberdeen and the Great North sought and obtained powers for a 1+3⁄4-mile (2.8 km) branch that followed the Aberdeenshire Canal from Kittybrewster to a terminus at Waterloo by the docks. The line was opened to goods traffic on 24 September 1855 and passengers on 1 April 1856. Kittybrewster station was rebuilt with through platforms and the offices moved to Waterloo station from premises at 75 Union Street. The stations were 1⁄2 mile (800 m) apart and a goods line was built though the docks linking the two railways, worked by horses as steam locomotives were prohibited.
The Inverness and Nairn Railway was authorised by the Inverness and Nairn Railway Act 1854 (17 & 18 Vict. c. clxxvi) to build a railway from Inverness to Nairn. The Great North, still seeking to reach Inverness, had objected but withdrew after running rights over the railway were promised. The 15-mile (24 km) line was opened on 6 November 1855, and the Inverness and Elgin Junction Railway was formed to extend this line to Elgin. The Great North objected again, this time citing the expense of crossing the Spey, but withdrew after it was suggested that the cost of a bridge would be shared. The new company changed its name to Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway, but no final undertaking on running rights was made.
The 12+1⁄2-mile (20.1 km) extension of the Great North to Keith, authorised by the Great North of Scotland Railway Extension Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. c. xxviii) was opened on 10 October 1856, with two intermediate stations at Rothiemay and Grange. Initially five services a day ran between Aberdeen and Keith, taking between 2 hours 40 minutes and 3 hours 5 minutes, although the number of services was later reduced to four. The route between Nairn and Keith authorised by the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway Act 1856 (19 & 20 Vict. c. cx) on 21 July 1856 required less earthwork, reducing cost, but had steeper gradients than had originally been proposed, and the Great North contributed £40,000 towards a bridge over the Spey. The line reached Dalvey (near Forres) in 1857, and Keith on 18 August 1858. Three services a day ran the 108+1⁄2 miles (174.6 km) between Aberdeen and Inverness, increasing to five a day east of Keith, and the journey to Inverness took between 5 hours and 55 minutes and 6 hours 30 minutes. The Great North did not insist on running rights west of Keith, but through carriages were probably provided from the start.
Formartine and Buchan Railway
Permission to build a line to serve the fishing ports at Peterhead and Fraserburgh was received in 1846, but this lapsed during the financial collapse that had followed. Two rival bills were presented in 1856, one by the Formartine and Buchan Railway and backed by the Great North, and another by the Aberdeen, Peterhead and Fraserburgh Railway. Both companies failed to obtain permission for two years, but in 1858 the Formartine and Buchan Railway was successful. A 29-mile (47 km) long railway from Dyce to Old Deer (renamed Mintlaw in 1867) opened on 18 July 1861 and the main line between Kittybrewster and Dyce was doubled. The branch was extended the 9 miles (14 km) to a station at Peterhead the following year and a 16-mile (26 km) long branch north from Maud to Fraserburgh station opened on 24 April 1865. Three or four services a day ran between Aberdeen, Fraserburgh and Peterhead, with the trains dividing at Maud; travel times were between 2+1⁄2 and 2+3⁄4 hours. The railway was absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway on 1 August 1866.
Alford Valley Railway
The Alford Valley Railway left the main line at Kintore for Alford. The railway was authorised by the Alford Valley Railway Act 1856 (19 & 20 Vict. c. xl) with the backing of the Great North; most of the company's directors were also on the board of the Great North. The line was steeply graded over a summit at Tillyfourie, at between 1 in 70 and 1 in 75. The line opened in 1859 with a service of four trains a day calling at Kemnay, Monymusk and Whitehouse. In 1862 the Great North guaranteed the company's debts and it was subsequently absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway on 1 August 1866.
Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction Railway
The branch from Inverurie, backed by local residents with funding from the Great North, was authorised by the Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction Railway Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. c. lxv) on 15 June 1855. The official opening took place on 26 June 1856 with public services starting on 1 July. Journeys took from 18 to 20 minutes to cover the 5+3⁄4 miles (9.3 km) to Old Meldrum with a stop at Lethenty; a further station opened in 1866 at Fingask. In June 1858 the line was leased to the Great North for a rental of £650 per year (equivalent to £69,800 in 2025). The railway was absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway on 1 August 1866.
Banff, Macduff and Turriff Railways
Plans to reach fishing ports at Macduff and Banff from Inverurie were proposed when the Great North was first suggested, but failed because of the lack of financial support. A different route, from Milton Inveramsay, allowed for a shorter route with easier gradients. Unable to raise sufficient money for a line to the coast, a shorter 18-mile (29 km) line to Turriff was built. The Great North invested in the railway, and directors sat on the board of the Junction Railway. The new line, together with a junction station at Inveramsay, opened on 5 September 1857. A separate company, the Banff, Macduff and Turriff Extension Railway, built an extension to a station called Banff and Macduff. The line was operated by the Great North from 4 June 1860, and served an inconvenient terminus high on a hill 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) from Macduff and 1⁄4 mile (400 m) from the bridge across the River Deveron to Banff. Four trains a day ran from Inveramsay, taking between 1 hour 30 minutes and 1 hour 50 minutes, with connections with services to Aberdeen. Both railways were absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway on 1 August 1866, and the line was extended 1⁄2 mile (800 m) to a new Macduff station in 1872.
Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Railway
The railway was authorised in 1857 from Grange, on the Great North main line, 16+1⁄4 miles (26.2 km) to Banff, with a 3+1⁄4-mile (5.2 km) branch from Tillynaught to Portsoy. The chairman of the company, Thomas Bruce, was also deputy chairman of the Inverness & Aberdeen Junction Railway, with the other directors being made up of local men; most of the investments were raised locally and in small amounts. Most of the line was built with gradients up to 1 in 70, but the half-mile of 1 in 30 goods line to the harbour at Portsoy was restricted to one locomotive and four wagons. The railway opened on 30 July 1859, with public services starting on 2 August following a derailment on the opening day. Services connected with the Great North at Grange. With the railway struggling to pay the interest on its debt, in 1863 the Great North took over running the services and the line renamed the Banffshire Railway. The Great North provided three trains a day between Grange and Banff that connected at Tillynaught for Portsoy, and two trains a day along the coast between Banff and Portsoy. Permission for a 14+1⁄4-mile (22.9 km) extension from Portsoy to Portgordon was given, but the necessary investment could not be found. Amalgamation with the Great North was authorised in 1866, but financial problems delayed this until 12 August 1867, and the Portgordon extension was abandoned.
Keith and Dufftown Railway
The Great North sought to have its own route west of Keith, with Grantown-on-Spey as an objective, where it hoped to meet any possible line between Perth and Inverness. To this end, it invested in the Keith and Dufftown Railway; this company was incorporated on 27 July 1857, but lack of money slowed progress. Powers for a longer, but cheaper, route between the two towns were secured on 25 May 1860. The revised route included steeper gradients than those planned in 1857; the maximum gradient was now 1 in 60 instead of 1 in 70. There was a viaduct over the Fiddich of two spans, and there were three intermediate stations: Earlsmill (renamed Keith Town in 1897), Botriphnie (renamed Auchindachy in 1862) and Drummuir. When the line opened on 21 February 1862, the trains were worked by the Great North under an agreement dating from the formation of the company. The railway was absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway on 1 August 1866.
Strathspey Railway
With promises of substantial goods traffic of iron and timber and from the local whisky distilleries, extension of the line to Dufftown into Strathspey was sought and obtained on 17 May 1861. The Strathspey Railway was sponsored by the Keith & Dufftown and Great North of Scotland railways, who appointed directors to the board, and the Great North undertook to run the services. The 32+1⁄2-mile (52.3 km) line first headed north to meet an extension of the Morayshire Railway at Strathspey Junction (called Craigellachie from 1864), before following the River Spey to Abernethy. The Strathspey Railway Act 1861 (24 & 25 Vict. c. xvi) also permitted a branch to the proposed Inverness and Perth Junction Railway at Grantown-on-Spey. The gradients were not severe, but the route required the Spey and its tributaries to be crossed many times, with three bridges built over the river itself. The line was placed in cuttings greater than 50 feet (15 m) deep, and there was one 68-yard (62 m) long tunnel. The line was opened on 1 July 1863 to Abernethy (later called Nethy Bridge). The line between Dufftown and Craigellachie became the main line and services continued over the Morayshire Railway, opening up a route between Keith and Elgin independent of the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway (IAJR). The IAJR kept most of the through traffic as its line was more direct, only 18 miles (29 km) instead of 27+1⁄2 miles (44.3 km) via the Great North route. The Great North ran four trains a day from Elgin to Keith via Craigellachie, with through carriages or connections for three trains for Aberdeen at Keith. Connections at Elgin were poor because travel over the two routes took a different length of time.
The line from Craigellachie became a branch with three trains a day calling at all stations at an average speed of about 16 miles per hour (26 km/h). The link to Grantown-on-Spey was not built, but on 1 August 1866 services were extended to meet the IAJR (now the Highland Railway) at Boat of Garten. The railways met 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Boat and conflict arose over the manning of the signalbox at the junction, with the Highland refusing to make any contribution. For a while between March and June 1868 Great North services terminated at Nethy Bridge, after which separate tracks side by side were provided for both companies to Boat. Prompt connections were available with the Great North at Craigellachie, but there was usually a long wait for connections with the Highland at Boat. The railway was absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway on 1 August 1866, and the line's main source of income came from the local distilleries.
Morayshire Railway
A 16-mile (26 km) double-track railway had been proposed from Lossiemouth to Craigellachie in 1841 and necessary permissions granted in the Morayshire Railway Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c. clxxviii), the route having changed to take advantage of the proposed Great North of Scotland Railway between Elgin and Orton. The financial situation delayed construction, but work eventually started on the section from Lossiemouth to Elgin in 1851. The 5+1⁄2-mile (8.9 km) line opened on 10 August 1852 with a special train from Elgin to festivities in Lossiemouth. Public services started the next day with five services a day, each taking 15 minutes with two request stops. First and second class accommodation was provided at 1+1⁄2d and 1d a mile. However, it was the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway (IAJR) who was to build the line from Elgin to Orton; permission to build a branch from this line to Rothes was granted to the Morayshire in the Morayshire Railway (Extension) Act 1856 (19 & 20 Vict. c. lxxxvi) on 14 July 1856. The IAJR built its own station at Elgin, linked to the Morayshire's station by a junction to the east. The IAJR opened on 18 August 1858 and the Morayshire Railway started running services on 23 August.
Initially the Morayshire ran trains over the IAJR, but its lightweight locomotives struggled with the gradients and proved unreliable, and after six weeks carriages were attached and detached from IAJR trains at Elgin and Orton. Conflict arose over through ticketing, and the directors of the Morayshire responded with plans to build its own line between the two stations. The Great North sponsored the new line and offered to provide services after the lines had been physically connected. Permission was granted on 3 July 1860, goods were carried from 30 December 1861 and passengers from 1 January 1862, reducing the travel time from 55 to 45 minutes. The Morayshire station at Elgin was enlarged in anticipation of Great North services, albeit in wood.
In 1861 permission was granted to the Morayshire Railway to cross the Spey and join with the Strathspey Railway at Craigellachie. The Morayshire extension and the Strathspey both opened on 1 July 1863 and the Great North provided a service of four trains a day over the line, which gave an alternative route between Keith and Elgin. On 30 July 1866 permission was given to the Morayshire and Great North to amalgamate with agreement, and the loss-making services between Orton and Rothes were withdrawn without notice the following day. It would be August 1881 before the Morayshire became fully part of the Great North.
From Wikipedia’s article on Great North of Scotland Railway, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3