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Inverness and Perth Junction Railway

October 22, 2023

The Inverness and Perth Junction Railway (I&PJR) was a railway company that built a line providing a more direct route between Inverness and the south for passengers and goods. Up to the time of its opening, the only route was a circuitous way through Aberdeen. The I&PJR was built from a junction with the friendly Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway at Forres to the Perth and Dunkeld Railway at Dunkeld.

Inverness and Perth Junction Railway
A stretch of the former trackbed near Muir of Logie, Aberdeenshire
Overview
LocaleScotland
Dates of operation1 June 1863–1 February 1865
SuccessorHighland Railway
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Route map

It opened for traffic in 1863. The northern part of its route crossed wild and sparsely populated terrain, and the high summits on the line were challenging for the locomotives of the day. In 1865 the Company merged with the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway, together forming the Highland Railway.

A short branch to Aberfeldy was built by the company 1865, and this closed in 1965.

Towards the end of the century the Highland Railway came under political pressure from competing railway proposals, and agreed to build a shorter route between Inverness and Aviemore, connecting back to the original line there. This opened in 1898. The original route from Forres to Aviemore closed in 1965, but the direct line from Inverness to Perth continues in operation as the Highland Main Line.

A first railway for Inverness Edit

 
The Inverness and Perth Junction Railway in 1863

As railway construction gathered pace further south, a railway eventually reached Aberdeen along the east coast in 1850. By this time it was commonly understood that any town needed a railway connection if it was to thrive, and a town that failed to get one was doomed.[1]

Interested parties in Inverness gave thought to getting a railway connection of their own, as they were aware of the commercial and social benefits. However the topographical obstacle of the Monadhliath Mountains obstructed any route running directly southward, and it was obvious that for the time being, such a railway was impracticable. They contented themselves with reaching Aberdeen, which at least would give them a connection to the south, albeit by a considerably roundabout route.[2]

 
Joseph Mitchell

Joseph Mitchell was an engineer based in Inverness, and his dynamic approach coupled with that of business interests in the Burgh, encouraged the development of a practical scheme to reach Aberdeen. Even that was a significant challenge, and the first step recommended by Mitchell, was an eastward railway to Nairn along the coast. The Inverness and Nairn Railway got its authorising Act of Parliament on 24 July 1854. The future southward trajectory was clearly indicated: the draft Bill was entitled "The Inverness to Perth Railway Section from Inverness to Nairn (or northern section)".[3] The Nairn line opened on 5 November 1855.[4]

Connecting to Aberdeen Edit

 
Dalguise Viaduct, built in 1863

Extending from Nairn to Aberdeen was the next step, but this was daunting in its magnitude; an alliance with interests in Aberdeen seemed a possible way forward. After much difficult negotiation, the Great North of Scotland Railway was formed and built a line from Aberdeen to Keith, opening to that place on 10 October 1856.[4][5] At the western end, the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway (I&AJR) was formed to build from Nairn to Keith; the I&AJR was authorised by Parliament on 21 July 1856;[6] that section opened on 18 August 1858.[6] From that date the I&AJR worked the Inverness and Nairn Railway, but for the time being the latter company retained its independent existence. The I&AJR later absorbed the Inverness and Nairn Railway on 17 May 1861.[7]

Turning south Edit

Although this was useful progress, a more direct southward route was still sought, and the technical development of locomotive power had greatly improved, rendering a route climbing over high passes in the mountains at least feasible. The point at which such a line would strike south had originally been intended to be Nairn, but the commercial value of fishing interests further east on the I&AJR was a significant factor, and the southward starting point was altered to be Forres. A prospectus for the formation of the line was issued in 1860.[8]

The Inverness and Perth Junction Railway was formed by Act of Parliament on 22 July 1861, with share capital of £654,000.[9] The route was to involve two summits at high altitude in crossing the mountains. The line would run to Dunkeld and join the existing Perth and Dunkeld Railway there; the P&DR ran from its "Dunkeld" station (actually in Birnam) to Stanley on the Scottish North Eastern Railway, and running powers into Perth were granted. The 103-mile route from Forres to Aviemore was extremely thinly populated, generating very little intermediate traffic.[10] It had a summit altitude at Druimuachdar of 1,484 feet; the summit at Dava was 1,052 feet above sea level.[11] The Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway would work the line.[8]

 
A view of the Broomhill platform and station buildings looking towards Boat of Garten

Despite the difficult terrain, there were relatively few major engineering works needed, although a large number of ordinary underbridges were required. The construction needed 8 viaducts, 126 bridges over rivers and streams and 119 over roads.[12] Construction was swift, and the line opened in stages: Dunkeld to Pitlochry on 1 June 1863, Forres to Aviemore on 3 August 1863, and the final section from Aviemore to Pitlochry on 9 September 1863.[10][13]

The train service was four trains each way daily, one of which conveyed goods; the journey time was between 6 hours and 6hrs 50 minutes.[14]

Joseph Mitchell later recorded that the construction of the line had cost £798,111; land acquisition was £70,000 and parliamentary and preliminary engineering expenses amounted to £50,893: a lower cost per mile than comparable lines. He was also critical of the directors of the company for opening the line before everything was ready and before critical staff had been trained, and there was much disruption to operation in the first few days.[14]

Amalgamation to form the Highland Railway Edit

The Inverness and Perth Junction Railway absorbed the Perth and Dunkeld Railway on 28 February 1864 under an Act of 1863,[13][15] and it amalgamated with the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway on 1 February 1865; and the combined company changed its name to the Highland Railway on 29 June 1865 (by the Highland Railway Act).[16][15] The I&AJR had already absorbed the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway, by Act of 30 June 1862.[9][17][18]

At Perth the Scottish North Eastern Railway used the General station, controlled by the Scottish Central Railway (SCR). As guests of the SNER, the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway trains used the General station too. Clearly the SCR had an effective monopoly, and exploited it fully in their usage charges, which were £10,000 in 1865 increasing annually. The SNER and the I&PJR objected to this, without effect, and at one time the Inverness company considered building an independent line from Murthly to Perth; naturally the SCR objected to this, and the scheme did not proceed. For a short time the SNER established a station, Perth Glasgow Road, and terminated its trains there; passengers had to transfer to the General station for onward travel by walking through the street. Arbitration followed, managed by the Great Western Railway, and a limit of £5,000 in perpetuity, was determined.[19]

Aberfeldy branch Edit

An Act authorised the Strathtay and Breadalbane Railway to build from the Inverness and Perth line at Ballinluig to Aberfeldy; it received the Royal Assent in 1846,[20] in anticipation of an early Inverness and Perth line, but that was not constructed, and the powers were suspended by Act of 10 June 1847.[21]

When the I&PJR was constructed, the I&PJR company itself built a branch line to Aberfeldy, from Ballinluig over much the same course as the earlier powers. There were 41 bridges in the nine mile route, which was the most expensive construction per mile in the eventual Highland system.[22] It was 8+3⁄4 miles long, and opened on 3 July 1865. There was an intermediate station at Grandtully.[9][23] An additional station was opened at Balnaguard on 2 December 1935.

The entire Aberfeldy branch was closed on 3 May 1965.[24]

Double track on the main line Edit

As the end of the nineteenth century approached, train weights on the main line increased considerably with faster, heavier and more frequent passenger trains. The working of banking engines down the gradient after assisting trains up to the summits compounded line capacity difficulties, and it was time to improve matters. The Highland Railway (Additional Powers) Act was passed on 6 August 1897 empowering the company to double the line from Stanley Junction to Aviemore. At Aviemore the new direct line to Inverness (see below) was already under construction. New capital to the amount of £750,000 was part of the authorisation, although much of this was probably allocated to the constriction of the direct line.[25]

By 2 July 1900 doubling had been completed from Blair Atholl to the crossing loop at Dalnacardoch, and was through to Dalnaspidal by 13 May 1901. In the meantime, it had been decided to carry the double track as far as the County March crossing loop, and this was reached on 10 June 1901. The section from County March to Dalwhinnie was completed by 17 May 1910. "County March" had been a crossing place, and the name was now replaced by Druimuachdar Summit. Although the Parliamentary powers were extended in 1905 and again in 1915, no more doubling of the existing route was carried out.[25]

Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway Edit

Main article: Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway

In time, the eastward sweep from Inverness to Aviemore was seen to be an unnecessary complication, particularly as increasing traffic volumes came from the Dingwall section. Moreover, the Great North of Scotland Railway was known to be planning a new line from Elgin, Moray to Inverness, and the West Highland Railway was planning an approach up the Great Glen from Fort William. Parlimaent was expected to be sympathetic to those proposals if the Highland Railway was not improving its line for the benefit of its own customers.

In 1883 therefore steps were taken to build a shorter and more direct route from Inverness to Aviemore, the Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway, informally known as the Carr Bridge route, in distinction to the designation of the original course as the Dava route. This was authorised on 28 July 1884.[26] The spelling Carr Bridge was used at first, generally superseded by Carrbridge after a short time.[25]

In any event, for the Highland Railway this was the most important development of the decade. The cut-off was 34+1⁄2 miles of new line between Aviemore and Inverness. The Highland Railway did not hasten to construct the authorised line, and eventually four extensions of time to complete the line were granted - two before and two during construction.[25]

The Direct Line was opened in stages: from Aviemore to Carr Bridge on 6 July 1892; from Carr Bridge to Daviot on 8 July 1897; and finally from Daviot to Inverness (Millburn Junction) on 1 November 1898.[27] The Direct Line had a new summit, at Slochd, 1,315 feet.[11]

Operational issues Edit

The steep gradients on the line, both via Dava and via Carrbridge, required extensive double-heading of trains. The Highland Railway constructed a number of 0-6-4T locomotives for banking goods trains. In 1909, the North British Locomotive Company built four powerful 0-6-4 tank engines to the design of Peter Drummond, for use as banking engines. Four more were delivered in 1911. These were the HR's largest tank engines and worked mostly between Blair Atholl and Dalnaspidal on banking duties, and on local services between Blair Atholl and Perth. They were withdrawn between 1932 and the end of 1936.[28]

Until 1907 all goods trains on the line had an additional brake van in the middle of the train to ensure sufficient brake power on the downhill sections. Two dozen sprags were kept, spaced at intervals, beside the line near Slochd summit in case of emergencies.[29]

Closure of the Dava section Edit

The Carrbridge route did not abstract all the through traffic from the Dava route, and many through trains continued to use it. However in time it became apparent that the retention of two lengthy mountain routes was unsustainable, and steps were taken to close the Dava route. It was closed on 18 October 1965, together with numerous intermediate stations on the remainder of the route. The original Inverness and Perth Junction Railway route between Aviemore and Stanley Junction continued to carry trains on the Inverness main line, which of course used the Carrbridge route north of Aviemore.

A goods service to Dallas Dhu distillery was continued to Forres East until 21 May 1967, and that short section of line was officially closed on 30 June 1967. Forres West curve was retained until 15 August 1966. The line from Aviemore to Boat of Garten continued in use for goods traffic until 16 June 1969.[24]

Strathspey Railway Edit

Following closure of the section north of Aviemore, a heritage line called the Strathspey Railway has reopened the line north from Aviemore to Boat of Garten, and on the original Strathspey Railway to Broomhill, a distance of about ten miles.

Locations Edit

  • Forres; opened 25 March 1858 for Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway; replaced by station aligned for Dava route on 3 August 1863; still open;
  • Rafford; opened 3 August 1863; closed 31 May 1865;
  • Dunphail; opened 3 August 1863; closed 18 October 1965;
  • Dava; opened 1 November 1864; closed 18 October 1965;
  • Dava summit; 1,052 feet;
  • Castle Grant Platform; opened 1938; closed 1949;
  • Grantown; opened 3 August 1863; renamed Grantown-on-Spey 1 June 1912; renamed Grantown-on-Spey West 5 June 1950; closed 18 October 1965;
  • Broom Hill; opened 3 August 1863; closed 18 October 1965;
  • Boat of Garten; junction with Strathspey Railway (GNoSR); opened 3 August 1863; closed 18 October 1965;
  • Aviemore; junction with Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway; opened 3 August 1863; still open;
  • Boat of Insch; opened 9 September 1863; renamed Kincraig 1 September 1871; closed 18 October 1965;
  • Kingussie; opened 9 September 1863; still open;
  • Newtonmore; opened 9 September 1863; still open;
  • Dalwhinnie; opened 9 September 1863; still open;
  • Druimuachdar Summit; 1484 feet;
  • Dalnaspidal; opened June 1864; closed 3 May 1965;
  • Struan; opened 9 September 1863; closed 3 May 1965;
  • Black Island Platform; first used 17 June to 2 July 1904; not in public timetable; closed 11 April 1959;
  • Blair Athole; opened 9 September 1863; renamed Blair Atholl 7 September 1893; still open;
  • Killiecrankie; opened 1 July 1864; closed 3 May 1965;
  • Pitlochry; opened 1 June 1863; still open;
  • Aberfeldy Junction;
  • Ballinluig; opened 1 June 1863; closed 3 May 1965;
  • Guay; opened 1 June 1863; closed 3 August 1959;
  • Dalguise; opened 1 June 1863; closed 3 May 1965;
  • Dunkeld & Birnam; end on connection with Perth and Dunkeld Railway; opened 7 April 1856; still open
  • Rohillion;
  • Murthly;
  • Stanley Junction.[30]

Aberfeldy branch Edit

  • Aberfeldy; opened 3 July 1865; closed 3 May 1965;
  • Grandtully; opened 3 July 1865; closed 3 May 1965;
  • Balnaguard; opened 2 December 1935; closed 3 May 1965;
  • Ballinluig; main line station.[30]

Current operations Edit

The part of the line between Aviemore and Stanley Junction continues in use in 2022, as part of the Highland Main Line; passenger services are operated by ScotRail. The Strathspey Railway heritage line operates between Aviemore and Broomhill.

Further reading Edit

Claud Hamilton Ellis wrote a detailed description of the Dava route in the Railway Magazine, January 1934. It is entitled Inverness via Dava and is illustrated with numerous photographs taken by Hamilton Ellis.

O S Nock wrote a description of the line concentrating on operational and locomotive matters, entitled The Highland Main Line. It appeared in two parts in the Railway Magazine in January 1939 and April 1939.

Notes Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ John Thomas and David Turnock, A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 15, North of Scotland, David and Charles, Newton Abbot, 1989, ISBN 0 946537 03 8, page 314
  2. ^ Thomas and Turnock, pages 217 and 218
  3. ^ Thomas and Turnock, page 222
  4. ^ a b Thomas and Turnock, pages 315 and 316
  5. ^ H E Vallance et al, The Highland Railway, David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1938, extended edition 1985, ISBN 0-946537-24-0, pages 15 and 16
  6. ^ a b Thomas and Turnock, page 169
  7. ^ Vallance et al, page 19
  8. ^ a b Neil T Sinclair, The Highland Main Line, Atlantic Publishers, Penryn, 1998, ISBN 0 906899 96 6, page 22
  9. ^ a b c E F Carter, An Historical Geography of the Railways of the British Isles, Cassell, London, 1959, pages 329 and 330
  10. ^ a b Vallance et al, pages 24 and 25
  11. ^ a b Vallance et al, page 197
  12. ^ Thomas and Turnock, page 234
  13. ^ a b Carter, page 260
  14. ^ a b Sinclair, page 26 to 28
  15. ^ a b Vallance et al, pages 28 and 29
  16. ^ Ross, page 44
  17. ^ Carter, page 318
  18. ^ Vallance et al, page 32
  19. ^ Thomas and Turnock, page 115
  20. ^ Carter, page 147
  21. ^ Carter, page 597
  22. ^ Sinclair, page 30
  23. ^ Thomas and Turnock, page 125
  24. ^ a b Vallance et al, page 188
  25. ^ a b c d Ross, pages 103 and 104
  26. ^ Vallance et al, page 175
  27. ^ Thomas and Turnock, page 317
  28. ^ Ross, page 155
  29. ^ D L G Hunter, The Highland Railway in Retrospect, Moorfoot Publishing, Edinburgh, 1988, ISBN 0 906606 14 4, page 12
  30. ^ a b M E Quick, Railway Passenger Stations in England, Wales and Scotland: A Chronology, version 5.03, September 2021, Railway and Canal Historical Society, electronic download, alphabetically laid out


October 22, 2023
inverness, perth, junction, railway, railway, company, that, built, line, providing, more, direct, route, between, inverness, south, passengers, goods, time, opening, only, route, circuitous, through, aberdeen, built, from, junction, with, friendly, inverness,. The Inverness and Perth Junction Railway I amp PJR was a railway company that built a line providing a more direct route between Inverness and the south for passengers and goods Up to the time of its opening the only route was a circuitous way through Aberdeen The I amp PJR was built from a junction with the friendly Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway at Forres to the Perth and Dunkeld Railway at Dunkeld Inverness and Perth Junction RailwayA stretch of the former trackbed near Muir of Logie AberdeenshireOverviewLocaleScotlandDates of operation1 June 1863 1 February 1865SuccessorHighland RailwayTechnicalTrack gauge1 435 mm 4 ft 8 1 2 in Route mapLegendInverness and AberdeenJunction RailwayForres triangular station RaffordDunphailDavaCastle Grant PlatformStrathspey Railway GNoSR Grantown on Spey West Grantown on Spey East SR GNoSR Ballifurth Farm Halt SR GNoSR Nethy Bridge SR GNoSR BroomhillBoat of Garten JunctionBoat of GartenInverness and Aviemore Direct RailwayAviemore Speyside AviemoreKincraigKingussieNewtonmoreDalwhinnieDruimuachdar SummitDalnaspidalStruanBlack Island PlatformBlair AthollKilliecrankiePitlochryAberfeldyGrandtullyBalnaguard HaltAberfeldy JunctionBallinluigGuayDalguiseDunkeld amp BirnamPerth amp Dunkeld RailwayIt opened for traffic in 1863 The northern part of its route crossed wild and sparsely populated terrain and the high summits on the line were challenging for the locomotives of the day In 1865 the Company merged with the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway together forming the Highland Railway A short branch to Aberfeldy was built by the company 1865 and this closed in 1965 Towards the end of the century the Highland Railway came under political pressure from competing railway proposals and agreed to build a shorter route between Inverness and Aviemore connecting back to the original line there This opened in 1898 The original route from Forres to Aviemore closed in 1965 but the direct line from Inverness to Perth continues in operation as the Highland Main Line Contents 1 A first railway for Inverness 2 Connecting to Aberdeen 3 Turning south 4 Amalgamation to form the Highland Railway 5 Aberfeldy branch 6 Double track on the main line 7 Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway 8 Operational issues 9 Closure of the Dava section 10 Strathspey Railway 11 Locations 11 1 Aberfeldy branch 12 Current operations 13 Further reading 14 Notes 15 ReferencesA first railway for Inverness Edit nbsp The Inverness and Perth Junction Railway in 1863As railway construction gathered pace further south a railway eventually reached Aberdeen along the east coast in 1850 By this time it was commonly understood that any town needed a railway connection if it was to thrive and a town that failed to get one was doomed 1 Interested parties in Inverness gave thought to getting a railway connection of their own as they were aware of the commercial and social benefits However the topographical obstacle of the Monadhliath Mountains obstructed any route running directly southward and it was obvious that for the time being such a railway was impracticable They contented themselves with reaching Aberdeen which at least would give them a connection to the south albeit by a considerably roundabout route 2 nbsp Joseph Mitchell Joseph Mitchell was an engineer based in Inverness and his dynamic approach coupled with that of business interests in the Burgh encouraged the development of a practical scheme to reach Aberdeen Even that was a significant challenge and the first step recommended by Mitchell was an eastward railway to Nairn along the coast The Inverness and Nairn Railway got its authorising Act of Parliament on 24 July 1854 The future southward trajectory was clearly indicated the draft Bill was entitled The Inverness to Perth Railway Section from Inverness to Nairn or northern section 3 The Nairn line opened on 5 November 1855 4 Connecting to Aberdeen Edit nbsp Dalguise Viaduct built in 1863Extending from Nairn to Aberdeen was the next step but this was daunting in its magnitude an alliance with interests in Aberdeen seemed a possible way forward After much difficult negotiation the Great North of Scotland Railway was formed and built a line from Aberdeen to Keith opening to that place on 10 October 1856 4 5 At the western end the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway I amp AJR was formed to build from Nairn to Keith the I amp AJR was authorised by Parliament on 21 July 1856 6 that section opened on 18 August 1858 6 From that date the I amp AJR worked the Inverness and Nairn Railway but for the time being the latter company retained its independent existence The I amp AJR later absorbed the Inverness and Nairn Railway on 17 May 1861 7 Turning south EditAlthough this was useful progress a more direct southward route was still sought and the technical development of locomotive power had greatly improved rendering a route climbing over high passes in the mountains at least feasible The point at which such a line would strike south had originally been intended to be Nairn but the commercial value of fishing interests further east on the I amp AJR was a significant factor and the southward starting point was altered to be Forres A prospectus for the formation of the line was issued in 1860 8 The Inverness and Perth Junction Railway was formed by Act of Parliament on 22 July 1861 with share capital of 654 000 9 The route was to involve two summits at high altitude in crossing the mountains The line would run to Dunkeld and join the existing Perth and Dunkeld Railway there the P amp DR ran from its Dunkeld station actually in Birnam to Stanley on the Scottish North Eastern Railway and running powers into Perth were granted The 103 mile route from Forres to Aviemore was extremely thinly populated generating very little intermediate traffic 10 It had a summit altitude at Druimuachdar of 1 484 feet the summit at Dava was 1 052 feet above sea level 11 The Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway would work the line 8 nbsp A view of the Broomhill platform and station buildings looking towards Boat of GartenDespite the difficult terrain there were relatively few major engineering works needed although a large number of ordinary underbridges were required The construction needed 8 viaducts 126 bridges over rivers and streams and 119 over roads 12 Construction was swift and the line opened in stages Dunkeld to Pitlochry on 1 June 1863 Forres to Aviemore on 3 August 1863 and the final section from Aviemore to Pitlochry on 9 September 1863 10 13 The train service was four trains each way daily one of which conveyed goods the journey time was between 6 hours and 6hrs 50 minutes 14 Joseph Mitchell later recorded that the construction of the line had cost 798 111 land acquisition was 70 000 and parliamentary and preliminary engineering expenses amounted to 50 893 a lower cost per mile than comparable lines He was also critical of the directors of the company for opening the line before everything was ready and before critical staff had been trained and there was much disruption to operation in the first few days 14 Amalgamation to form the Highland Railway EditThe Inverness and Perth Junction Railway absorbed the Perth and Dunkeld Railway on 28 February 1864 under an Act of 1863 13 15 and it amalgamated with the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway on 1 February 1865 and the combined company changed its name to the Highland Railway on 29 June 1865 by the Highland Railway Act 16 15 The I amp AJR had already absorbed the Inverness and Ross shire Railway by Act of 30 June 1862 9 17 18 At Perth the Scottish North Eastern Railway used the General station controlled by the Scottish Central Railway SCR As guests of the SNER the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway trains used the General station too Clearly the SCR had an effective monopoly and exploited it fully in their usage charges which were 10 000 in 1865 increasing annually The SNER and the I amp PJR objected to this without effect and at one time the Inverness company considered building an independent line from Murthly to Perth naturally the SCR objected to this and the scheme did not proceed For a short time the SNER established a station Perth Glasgow Road and terminated its trains there passengers had to transfer to the General station for onward travel by walking through the street Arbitration followed managed by the Great Western Railway and a limit of 5 000 in perpetuity was determined 19 Aberfeldy branch EditAn Act authorised the Strathtay and Breadalbane Railway to build from the Inverness and Perth line at Ballinluig to Aberfeldy it received the Royal Assent in 1846 20 in anticipation of an early Inverness and Perth line but that was not constructed and the powers were suspended by Act of 10 June 1847 21 When the I amp PJR was constructed the I amp PJR company itself built a branch line to Aberfeldy from Ballinluig over much the same course as the earlier powers There were 41 bridges in the nine mile route which was the most expensive construction per mile in the eventual Highland system 22 It was 8 3 4 miles long and opened on 3 July 1865 There was an intermediate station at Grandtully 9 23 An additional station was opened at Balnaguard on 2 December 1935 The entire Aberfeldy branch was closed on 3 May 1965 24 Double track on the main line EditAs the end of the nineteenth century approached train weights on the main line increased considerably with faster heavier and more frequent passenger trains The working of banking engines down the gradient after assisting trains up to the summits compounded line capacity difficulties and it was time to improve matters The Highland Railway Additional Powers Act was passed on 6 August 1897 empowering the company to double the line from Stanley Junction to Aviemore At Aviemore the new direct line to Inverness see below was already under construction New capital to the amount of 750 000 was part of the authorisation although much of this was probably allocated to the constriction of the direct line 25 By 2 July 1900 doubling had been completed from Blair Atholl to the crossing loop at Dalnacardoch and was through to Dalnaspidal by 13 May 1901 In the meantime it had been decided to carry the double track as far as the County March crossing loop and this was reached on 10 June 1901 The section from County March to Dalwhinnie was completed by 17 May 1910 County March had been a crossing place and the name was now replaced by Druimuachdar Summit Although the Parliamentary powers were extended in 1905 and again in 1915 no more doubling of the existing route was carried out 25 Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway EditMain article Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway In time the eastward sweep from Inverness to Aviemore was seen to be an unnecessary complication particularly as increasing traffic volumes came from the Dingwall section Moreover the Great North of Scotland Railway was known to be planning a new line from Elgin Moray to Inverness and the West Highland Railway was planning an approach up the Great Glen from Fort William Parlimaent was expected to be sympathetic to those proposals if the Highland Railway was not improving its line for the benefit of its own customers In 1883 therefore steps were taken to build a shorter and more direct route from Inverness to Aviemore the Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway informally known as the Carr Bridge route in distinction to the designation of the original course as the Dava route This was authorised on 28 July 1884 26 The spelling Carr Bridge was used at first generally superseded by Carrbridge after a short time 25 In any event for the Highland Railway this was the most important development of the decade The cut off was 34 1 2 miles of new line between Aviemore and Inverness The Highland Railway did not hasten to construct the authorised line and eventually four extensions of time to complete the line were granted two before and two during construction 25 The Direct Line was opened in stages from Aviemore to Carr Bridge on 6 July 1892 from Carr Bridge to Daviot on 8 July 1897 and finally from Daviot to Inverness Millburn Junction on 1 November 1898 27 The Direct Line had a new summit at Slochd 1 315 feet 11 Operational issues EditThe steep gradients on the line both via Dava and via Carrbridge required extensive double heading of trains The Highland Railway constructed a number of 0 6 4T locomotives for banking goods trains In 1909 the North British Locomotive Company built four powerful 0 6 4 tank engines to the design of Peter Drummond for use as banking engines Four more were delivered in 1911 These were the HR s largest tank engines and worked mostly between Blair Atholl and Dalnaspidal on banking duties and on local services between Blair Atholl and Perth They were withdrawn between 1932 and the end of 1936 28 Until 1907 all goods trains on the line had an additional brake van in the middle of the train to ensure sufficient brake power on the downhill sections Two dozen sprags were kept spaced at intervals beside the line near Slochd summit in case of emergencies 29 Closure of the Dava section EditThe Carrbridge route did not abstract all the through traffic from the Dava route and many through trains continued to use it However in time it became apparent that the retention of two lengthy mountain routes was unsustainable and steps were taken to close the Dava route It was closed on 18 October 1965 together with numerous intermediate stations on the remainder of the route The original Inverness and Perth Junction Railway route between Aviemore and Stanley Junction continued to carry trains on the Inverness main line which of course used the Carrbridge route north of Aviemore A goods service to Dallas Dhu distillery was continued to Forres East until 21 May 1967 and that short section of line was officially closed on 30 June 1967 Forres West curve was retained until 15 August 1966 The line from Aviemore to Boat of Garten continued in use for goods traffic until 16 June 1969 24 Strathspey Railway EditFollowing closure of the section north of Aviemore a heritage line called the Strathspey Railway has reopened the line north from Aviemore to Boat of Garten and on the original Strathspey Railway to Broomhill a distance of about ten miles Locations EditForres opened 25 March 1858 for Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway replaced by station aligned for Dava route on 3 August 1863 still open Rafford opened 3 August 1863 closed 31 May 1865 Dunphail opened 3 August 1863 closed 18 October 1965 Dava opened 1 November 1864 closed 18 October 1965 Dava summit 1 052 feet Castle Grant Platform opened 1938 closed 1949 Grantown opened 3 August 1863 renamed Grantown on Spey 1 June 1912 renamed Grantown on Spey West 5 June 1950 closed 18 October 1965 Broom Hill opened 3 August 1863 closed 18 October 1965 Boat of Garten junction with Strathspey Railway GNoSR opened 3 August 1863 closed 18 October 1965 Aviemore junction with Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway opened 3 August 1863 still open Boat of Insch opened 9 September 1863 renamed Kincraig 1 September 1871 closed 18 October 1965 Kingussie opened 9 September 1863 still open Newtonmore opened 9 September 1863 still open Dalwhinnie opened 9 September 1863 still open Druimuachdar Summit 1484 feet Dalnaspidal opened June 1864 closed 3 May 1965 Struan opened 9 September 1863 closed 3 May 1965 Black Island Platform first used 17 June to 2 July 1904 not in public timetable closed 11 April 1959 Blair Athole opened 9 September 1863 renamed Blair Atholl 7 September 1893 still open Killiecrankie opened 1 July 1864 closed 3 May 1965 Pitlochry opened 1 June 1863 still open Aberfeldy Junction Ballinluig opened 1 June 1863 closed 3 May 1965 Guay opened 1 June 1863 closed 3 August 1959 Dalguise opened 1 June 1863 closed 3 May 1965 Dunkeld amp Birnam end on connection with Perth and Dunkeld Railway opened 7 April 1856 still open Rohillion Murthly Stanley Junction 30 Aberfeldy branch Edit Aberfeldy opened 3 July 1865 closed 3 May 1965 Grandtully opened 3 July 1865 closed 3 May 1965 Balnaguard opened 2 December 1935 closed 3 May 1965 Ballinluig main line station 30 Current operations EditThe part of the line between Aviemore and Stanley Junction continues in use in 2022 as part of the Highland Main Line passenger services are operated by ScotRail The Strathspey Railway heritage line operates between Aviemore and Broomhill Further reading EditClaud Hamilton Ellis wrote a detailed description of the Dava route in the Railway Magazine January 1934 It is entitled Inverness via Dava and is illustrated with numerous photographs taken by Hamilton Ellis O S Nock wrote a description of the line concentrating on operational and locomotive matters entitled The Highland Main Line It appeared in two parts in the Railway Magazine in January 1939 and April 1939 Notes EditReferences Edit John Thomas and David Turnock A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain Volume 15 North of Scotland David and Charles Newton Abbot 1989 ISBN 0 946537 03 8 page 314 Thomas and Turnock pages 217 and 218 Thomas and Turnock page 222 a b Thomas and Turnock pages 315 and 316 H E Vallance et al The Highland Railway David amp Charles Newton Abbot 1938 extended edition 1985 ISBN 0 946537 24 0 pages 15 and 16 a b Thomas and Turnock page 169 Vallance et al page 19 a b Neil T Sinclair The Highland Main Line Atlantic Publishers Penryn 1998 ISBN 0 906899 96 6 page 22 a b c E F Carter An Historical Geography of the Railways of the British Isles Cassell London 1959 pages 329 and 330 a b Vallance et al pages 24 and 25 a b Vallance et al page 197 Thomas and Turnock page 234 a b Carter page 260 a b Sinclair page 26 to 28 a b Vallance et al pages 28 and 29 Ross page 44 Carter page 318 Vallance et al page 32 Thomas and Turnock page 115 Carter page 147 Carter page 597 Sinclair page 30 Thomas and Turnock page 125 a b Vallance et al page 188 a b c d Ross pages 103 and 104 Vallance et al page 175 Thomas and Turnock page 317 Ross page 155 D L G Hunter The Highland Railway in Retrospect Moorfoot Publishing Edinburgh 1988 ISBN 0 906606 14 4 page 12 a b M E Quick Railway Passenger Stations in England Wales and Scotland A Chronology version 5 03 September 2021 Railway and Canal Historical Society electronic download alphabetically laid out Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Inverness and Perth Junction Railway amp oldid 1105081777, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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