Inverness and Nairn Railway

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Inverness and Nairn Railway
Locale Scotland
Dates of operation 13 April 186817 May 1861
Successor line Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in)
LUECKE
   Inverness and Ross-shire Railway
KBFa STR
Inverness
ABZlf ABZrf
Rose Street Junction
ABZrg STRrf
Welsh's Bridge Junction
ABZlf STRlg
Millburn Junction
HLUECKE KRZu STRrf
   Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway
eBHF
Allanfearn
eBHF
Castle Stuart Platform
eBHF
Dalcross
STR exKBFa
Fort George
eABZrg exSTRrf
eBHF
Gollanfield Junction
BHF
Nairn
LUECKE
   Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway

The Inverness and Nairn Railway was a railway worked by, and later absorbed by the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway.

Contents

[edit] History

The line was opened in the year 1855 and connected the towns of Inverness and Nairn. Opening had been delayed from 1 August 1855 due to delays in the contractor's equipment arriving due to weather delays affecting the seaborne delivery. The line finally opened on 5 November 1855.

There were stations at Inverness, Culloden (later Allanfearn), Dalcross, Gollanfield and Nairn. On 17 May 1861 it became part of the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway. The line was later absorbed by the Highland Railway, which in turn became part of the LMS in 1923.

[edit] Locomotives and stock

On the opening of the line, the company had two small 2-2-2 locomotives known as the Raigmore class. These were known as Raigmore and Aldourie. These were found to be not compatible with the line's needs and were rebuilt as 2-4-0s. They lasted until 1901, when the Highland Railway scrapped them.

The dimensions of these locomotives in their original 2-2-2 form were:

cylinders: 15" by 20"
grate area: 12.25 sq ft
wheel diameters:
leading: 3 ft 6 in
driving: 6 ft 0 in
trailing: 3 ft 6 in
tender: 3 ft 6 in
wheelbase:
engine: 6 ft 10 in + 7' 4"
tender 8 ft 0 in
water capacity: 1,100 gallons
coal capacity 2.5 tons

There is not much known about the Inverness and Nairn Railway stock, but it is clear that the coaches were four wheeled and from Marshall and Brown in Birmingham. These would have been similar to early GNSR types. It is also known that the company had a number of wagons and a brake van, all four wheel.

On the formation of the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway, all of the stock passed into their hands.

[edit] British Railways and after

When British Railways took control of the line, Dr Beeching ordered the closure of small country stations. The only surving stations on this line were Inverness and Nairn. Goods facilities stayed for a further three years but were also eventually stopped.

[edit] Connections to other lines

[edit] Current operations

The line is still open as part of the Aberdeen to Inverness service operated by First ScotRail. None of the intermediate stations remain in use, though a new station for Inverness Airport is proposed. [1]

[edit] Gallery

[edit] References

  • Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present, 1st, Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199. 
  • Fenwick, Keith (2005). The Inverness and Nairn Railway. Cookham: Highland Railway Society. 
  • Jowett, Alan (1989). Jowett's railway atlas of Great Britain and Ireland : from pre-grouping to the present day, 1st, Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0086-1. OCLC 22311137.