Inverness and Nairn Railway
The Inverness and Nairn Railway was a railway worked by, and later absorbed by the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway.
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History
The line was opened in 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 opened on 5 November 1855.[1]
There were stations at Inverness, Culloden (later Allanfearn), Dalcross, Fort George (later Gollanfield Junction), Cawdor (later Kildrummie Platform) and Nairn. Kildrummie Platform was closed to the public in 1858 but retained as a private station for the Earl of Cawdor. 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.
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 in × 20 in (38 cm × 51 cm) |
| grate area: | 12.25 sq ft (1.14 m2) |
| wheel diameters: | |
| leading: | 3 ft 6 in (107 cm) |
| driving: | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| trailing: | 3 ft 6 in (107 cm) |
| tender: | 3 ft 6 in (107 cm) |
| wheelbase: | |
| engine: | 6 ft 10 in (208 cm) + 7 ft 4 in (224 cm) |
| tender | 8 ft 0 in (244 cm) |
| water capacity: | 1,100 imperial gallons (5,000 l) |
| coal capacity | 2.5 long tons (2.5 t) |
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.
British Railways and after
British Railways took control of the line at nationalisation in 1948, with the route becoming part of the Scottish Region. Subsequent economies saw all of the intermediate stations closed to passenger traffic, with most of them succumbing to the Beeching Axe in 1965. The only surviving stations on this line were Inverness and Nairn. Goods facilities stayed for a further three years but were also eventually stopped.
Connections to other lines
- At Inverness to the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway
- At Inverness to the Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway (part of the Highland Railway).
- At Nairn to the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway (I&AJR)
Current operations
The line is still open as part of the Aberdeen to Inverness service operated by Abellio ScotRail. None of the intermediate stations remain in use, though a new station for Inverness Airport has been proposed.[2]
Gallery
Inverness station today
Memorial plaque, Nairn station
References
- "Opening of the Inverness and Nairn Railway". Inverness Courier. Scotland. 8 November 1855. Retrieved 31 August 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "Dalcross (A96 Corridor) Smart Growth Masterplan - Phase 1 – Planning Report" (PDF). Highland Council. March 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
New Station at Inverness Airport - The development of a new rail station at Inverness Airport, has been proposed. This would complement a proposal for a freight facility and business park at the Airport
- Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
- 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 ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
- Fenwick, Keith (2005). The Inverness and Nairn Railway. Cookham: Highland Railway Society.
- Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
- "RAILSCOT on Inverness and Nairn Railway".