Caledonian Railway (Brechin)
The Caledonian Railway (Brechin) Ltd is a private limited company formed by a group of steam railway enthusiasts, the Brechin Railway Preservation Society, with the object of operating a railway service on the former Caledonian Railway line between Brechin and Montrose, Angus, Scotland. This line was built by the Aberdeen Railway in the 1840s. It closed for passenger traffic during the early 1950s with final closure undertaken by British Rail in 1981.
| Caledonian Railway (Brechin) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Locale | Brechin, Angus, Scotland. |
| Coordinates | 56.7315°N 2.652°W |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | Caledonian Railway |
| Built by | Caledonian Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by | Caledonia Railway (Brechin) |
| Operated by | Caledonian Railway (Brechin) |
| Stations | 2 |
| Length | 4 miles (6.4 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| 1993 | re-opened |
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Brechin to Bridge of Dun
The line has now been re-instated and preserved for 4 miles (6.4 km) between Brechin railway station and Bridge of Dun railway station and since 1993 trains have run at weekends during the summer as well as on special occasions at other times of the year. The two railway stations have also been refurbished.
Although the line originally went all the way to Montrose, which is still a station on the main rail network, there are currently no immediate plans to link the Brechin line back into the main rail network, as the section at Dubton through and onto Kinnaber Junction close to Montrose itself has now been redeveloped, making it difficult for the preserved railway to be reconnected to the national network at all.
Proposed extension
However, there is still hope of seeing the "CR Brechin" extended a further 3+1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) to Dubton, bringing it up to a total of 7+1⁄2 miles (12.1 km) in length. This is a long-term aim which would only require the re-instatement of a short length of track.
Locomotives
Steam Locomotives
| Number and/or Name | Built By | Type | Status | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | W. G. Bagnall | Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST | Awaiting Overhaul | [1] |
References
- "6". Heritage Railway Locomotives Database. UK & Ireland Heritage Railways. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- White, Cameron (22 June 2021). "Caledonian Railway welcome Thumpers 1132 and 1128 from the Dartmoor Railway". RailAdvent. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
External links
- Official website
- Caledonian Railway Diesel Group
- Video and annotation of Bridge of Dun railway station