131-488: The Great North of Scotland Railway ( GNSR ) was one of the two smallest of the five major Scottish railway companies prior to the 1923 Grouping , operating in the north-east of the country. Formed in 1845, it carried its first passengers the 39 miles (63 km) from Kittybrewster , in Aberdeen , to Huntly on 20 September 1854. By 1867 it owned 226 + 1 ⁄ 4 route miles (364.1 km) of line and operated over
262-546: A branch to the proposed Inverness & 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
393-540: 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 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
524-433: 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. Permission to build a line to serve the fishing ports at Peterhead and Fraserburgh
655-509: A factory. At first tokens were exchanged at 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), but soon they were exchanged at line speed. After trialling on the Fraserburgh line, the system was installed on the coast route in May 1889, and by 1 January 1893 it was in operation on all single-line sections. The Great North and Highland had agreed in 1865 that Keith would be the exchange point for traffic between
786-596: A fire in 1941), near the joint railway station in Aberdeen and modernised it, installing electric lighting and building a covered way between the hotel and station. Encouraged by its success, the company obtained permission in 1893 to build an hotel and golf course at Cruden Bay , about 20 miles (32 km) north of Aberdeen. The hotel was linked to the Great North by the Boddam Branch , a new 15 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (24.9 km) single-track branch from Ellon, on
917-472: A further 61 miles (98 km). The early expansion was followed by a period of forced economy, but in the 1880s the railway was refurbished, express services began to run and by the end of that decade there was a suburban service in Aberdeen. The railway operated its main line between Aberdeen and Keith and two routes west to Elgin , connections could be made at both Keith and Elgin for Highland Railway services to Inverness . There were other junctions with
1048-611: A government-controlled railway system during and after the Great War of 1914–1918. The provisions of the act took effect from the start of 1923. The British railway system had been built up by more than a hundred railway companies, large and small, and often, particularly locally, in competition with each other. The parallel railways of the East Midlands, and the rivalry between the South Eastern Railway and
1179-450: A horse-drawn coach was used as the motor buses could not ascend the steep road. Services from Aberdeen connected with trains at Schoolhill , where a refreshment room was built. In 1914 the railway had 35 passenger road vehicles that, together with 15 five-ton lorries, worked 159 miles (256 km) daily. Aberdeen joint station was congested, resulting in delayed trains, and the low, open platforms were frequently covered in oily slime due to
1310-468: 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
1441-530: A long viaduct with a central span of 350 feet (110 m) over the Spey at Garmouth and embankments and viaducts at Cullen, opened in May 1886. The line was served by four trains a day and a fast through train from Aberdeen that reached Elgin in 2 + 3 ⁄ 4 hours. The Highland Portessie branch had opened in 1884 and the Highland did not exercise its running rights over the Coast Line, thus preventing
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#17327838329851572-466: 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
1703-480: A majority vote on 13 May 1862, and it was approved by Parliament on 30 July 1866. The Aboyne & Braemar remained independent, although services were operated by the Great North. After opening to Keith in 1854 the Great North of Scotland Railway operated over 54 miles (87 km) of line. Ten years later this had almost quadrupled but more than three-quarters was over leased or subsidiary railways. Eventual amalgamation with many of these railways had been prompted from
1834-628: 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
1965-581: A mile for first class and 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 d 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
2096-521: A perverse timetable and ill-treating its passengers, and now resolved to address this. By the mid-1880s services were faster, there was upholstery in third class and the branches saw an accelerated service as a result of running fewer mixed trains. On 27 November 1882 Inverythan Bridge on the Macduff Branch near Auchterless collapsed as a locomotive hauling five goods wagons, a brake van and four carriages crossed. The locomotive and tender crossed
2227-416: A project that was to cost £250,000 (equivalent to £32,110,000 in 2023). By June 1880 the main line was doubled as far as Kintore, and over the next five years 142 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (229.3 km) of iron rail track, much of it without fishplates , was replaced with steel rails and the main line doubled between Dyce and Inveramsay . The railway had acquired a reputation for running slow trains on
2358-481: 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. The branch from Inverurie, backed by local residents with funding from the Great North, was authorised 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
2489-458: A tribunal. Part 2 dealt with powers and regulation of the railway companies by the Railway and Canal Commission , part 3 dealt with railway rates, charges and conditions of carriage with powers given to a Railway Rates Tribunal , and part 4 with employee wages and conditions. Parts 5 and 6 dealt with light railways and general clauses respectively, with the general clauses of part 6 including
2620-460: A year, this becoming twice a year after Albert died in 1861. The number of visits returned to one a year after Edward VII became king in 1901. From 8 October 1865 a daily 'Messenger Train' ran when the Royal Family was at Balmoral. First class accommodation was available on these trains; accompanying servants were charged third class fares. In the late 1850s and early 1860s the Great North and
2751-421: 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 £82,600 in 2023). The railway was absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway on 1 August 1866. Plans to reach fishing ports at Macduff and Banff from Inverurie were proposed when
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#17327838329852882-712: The Aberdeen Steam Navigation Company to see if rates could be reduced for through traffic and through ticketing by rail was not available until 1859, when the Great North joined the Railway Clearing House . A joint line through the Denburn Valley to link the Great North to the south had been planned, and the Great North had approached the railways using the Guild Street station in 1853 and 1857 but were unhappy with
3013-651: The Aberdeen to Inverness Line . 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
3144-522: The Circumbendibus , that was longer but cheaper than the direct route through the Denburn Valley. Despite local opposition, the route was approved by parliament in 1863, but was revoked the following year when the SNER obtained permission for a railway through the Denburn Valley. The Great North contributed the £125,000 that its Circumbendibus line would have cost and the SNER contributed £70,000 out of
3275-517: The Grouping Act , was an act of Parliament enacted by the British government, and was intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, by "grouping" them into four large companies, dubbed the " Big Four ". The intention was to reduce inefficient internal competition between railway companies, and retain some of the benefits which the country had derived from
3406-581: The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway at Hastings, were two examples of such local competition. During the First World War the railways were under state control, which continued until 1921. Complete nationalisation had been considered, and the Railways Act 1921 is sometimes seen as a precursor to that, but the concept was rejected, and nationalisation was subsequently carried out after
3537-465: 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. The railway was authorised in 1857 from Grange, on
3668-612: The Second World War , under the Transport Act 1947 . The form of the act was developed by the Minister of Transport , Eric Geddes , who was a former North Eastern Railway executive. Geddes favoured using amalgamations to create privately owned regional monopolies, and suggested increased worker participation from pre-war levels. Geddes viewed the pre-war competition as wasteful, but was opposed to nationalisation, on
3799-857: The Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway (S&DJR), a joint LMS/ SR line in south-western England. The London suburban railway companies, such as the Underground Electric Railways Company of London and the Metropolitan Railway , were also excluded. Later, the London Passenger Transport Act 1933 amalgamated them, along with London area bus and tram operations, into the London Passenger Transport Board (see List of transport undertakings transferred to
3930-494: The Aberdeen Railway bought a large number of shares. Interest in the line was restored after Prince Albert purchased Balmoral Castle , to which the Royal Family made their first visit in 1848, and the Aberdeen Railway was able to sell its shares. Investors were still hard to find, but a 16 + 3 ⁄ 4 -mile (27.0 km) line as far as Banchory was ceremonially opened on 7 September 1853; public services began
4061-533: 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
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4192-518: The Aberdeen's Guild Street station which opened the same year. A new company, the Aboyne Extension, was formed to reach Aboyne . Instead of building two bridges across the Dee, as had been proposed in 1846, the railway instead took a cheaper but 2-mile (3.2 km) longer route through Lumphanan , and services were extended over the new line on 2 December 1859. The Aboyne & Braemar Railway
4323-588: The Banffshire to merge was gained the following year. After the extension of the Deeside opened in 1866 and the merger of the Banffshire the following year the Great North of Scotland Railway owned 226 + 1 ⁄ 4 route miles (364.1 km) of line and operated over a further 61 miles (98 km). In 1855, the first full year after opening, the Great North of Scotland declared a dividend of 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 per cent, which rose to 4 + 1 ⁄ 4
4454-626: The Buchan section, which served Cruden Bay and fishing town at Boddam . The line opened in 1897 with services from Ellon taking about forty minutes. The hotel opened in 1899, connected to the railway station by the Cruden Bay Hotel Tramway . This was nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) long, with a gauge of 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) and operated by electric tramcars that took power from an overhead line. Seasonal through services to Aberdeen began in 1899 with an up service in
4585-576: The Craigellachie and the coast routes, and the timetable had to be approved by the commissioners. The resulting Commissioners' Service started in 1897 with eight through services, four via the Highland to Keith taking between 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 and 5 hours, and four with carriages exchanged at Elgin with portions that travelled via Craigellachie and the coast, two of these taking 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours. The 3 pm from Inverness to Aberdeen via Keith took 3 hours 5 minutes. Initially portions for
4716-688: The Deeside Line for travel to and from Balmoral Castle and when they were in residence a daily special 'Messenger Train' ran from Aberdeen; for most of the railway's life this was its only Sunday service. The company ran three hotels, and a network of feeder bus services was developed in the early 20th century. In 1923, it became part of the London and North Eastern Railway as its Northern Scottish area, passing on 333 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (536.7 km) of line and 122 steam locomotives, most of them 4-4-0 tender locomotives. The railway had several branches, but only its main line remains today as part of
4847-483: The Deeside Line in 1894, after the track had been doubled, starting with ten down and nine up trains calling at seven stops in twenty-two minutes. The number of trains was eventually doubled and an additional station provided. In 1891 the company offices were moved from Waterloo to a new building in Guild Street with direct access to the station. The same year the Great North took over the Palace Hotel (closed after
4978-679: The Future Organisation of Transport Undertakings in Great Britain and their Relation to the State ( Cmd. 787). That suggested the formation of six or seven regional companies, and suggested worker participation on the board of directors of the company. The white paper was opposed by the Railway Companies' Association (RCA) and by MPs representing railway companies' interests. The move to greater worker participation
5109-736: The Great Exhibition building in Hyde Park . At the expiration of his services he was knighted by the queen at Windsor Castle on 23 December 1851. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society on 1 April 1830, and was also a fellow of the Royal Irish Academy , and a member of other learned societies. One of Cubitt's nephews and his protégé on the South Eastern and Great Northern railways, James Moore C. E.,
5240-507: The Great North at Keith and Elgin, and a service connected at Elgin with an Aberdeen train that had divided en route to travel via the coast and Craigellachie. In 1893 the Highland cancelled the traffic agreement and withdrew two connecting trains, complaining that they were unprofitable. One of the trains was reinstated after an appeal was made to the Railway & Canal Commissioners and a frustrated Great North applied to parliament in 1895 for running powers to Inverness, but withdrew after it
5371-461: The Great North believing that their competitors treated the line to Elgin as a branch. In 1883 a shorter route south from Inverness was promoted by an independent company, the bill defeated in parliament only after the Highland had promised to request authority for a shorter line. The following year, as well as the Highland's more direct line from Aviemore, the Great North proposed a branch from its Speyside Section to Inverness. The Highland Railway route
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5502-472: 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
5633-489: The Great North running over its lines west of Elgin. The Great North had opened using a system of telegraphic train orders, and as the signalling was being upgraded this was being replaced with electric tablet working over the single line sections. Now express trains had to slow to exchange tokens in a process that frequently left railwaymen injured, so James Manson, the locomotive superintendent, designed an automatic token exchange system based on apparatus used to move cotton in
5764-511: 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
5895-579: The Great North was authorised in 1866, but financial problems delayed this until 12 August 1867, and the Portgordon extension was abandoned. 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
6026-495: 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
6157-713: The Highland Railway at Boat of Garten and Portessie , and at Aberdeen connections for journeys south over the Caledonian and North British Railways . Its eventual area encompassed the three Scottish counties of Aberdeenshire , Banffshire and Moray , with short lengths of line in Inverness-shire and Kincardineshire . Fish from the North Sea ports and whisky from the distilleries of Speyside became important goods traffic. The Royal Family used
6288-559: The Highland Railway to the south had lost the through mail business, resulting in the withdrawal of Sunday services, and had lost revenue equivalent to a five per cent dividend. Joining the Clearing House system had resulted in the loss of twenty-five per cent of goods traffic income and the conflict over the joint station in Aberdeen had been expensive and resulted in an overpriced lease on the Deeside. The collapse of Overend, Gurney and Company Bank in 1866 meant that for three months
6419-408: The Highland Railway. Following negotiations, amalgamation of the Highland and the Great North of Scotland Railways was accepted by the Great North shareholders in early 1906, but the Highland board withdrew after opposition from a minority of its shareholders. The Aberdeen and Inverness trains were jointly worked after 1908 and locomotives were no longer exchanged at Keith or Elgin; between 1914 and 1916
6550-540: The Highland Railway. The Aberdeen Railway, which had now been absorbed by the Scottish North Eastern Railway (SNER), approached the Great North, concerned that the new line had bypassed Aberdeen, but no agreement was reached. The Limpet Mill Scheme was a line presented in an 1862 bill by the nominally independent Scottish Northern Junction Railway, but supported by the SNER. This proposed a 22-mile (35 km) long railway between Limpet Mill, to
6681-551: The Highland paid the Great North to provide locomotives for all of the services through to Inverness. In spring 1904 the Great North began a motor omnibus service to Braemar, connecting with trains at Ballater. These early buses had solid tyres and a legal speed limit of 12 miles per hour (19 km/h), but were faster than the horse-drawn coaches they replaced. By 1907 buses connected with Great North train services and conveyed passengers to Strathdon , Midmar , Echt, Cluny Castle and Aberchirder , between Cock Bridge and Tomintoul
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#17327838329856812-455: The Highland re-timed the train and broke the connection at Elgin. The Great North applied to the Board of Trade for an order for two connections a day at Elgin. This was refused, but in 1886 the Great North and Highland railways came to an agreement to pool receipts from the stations between Grange and Elgin and refer any disputes to an arbiter. The midday Highland train was re-timed to connect with
6943-545: The Inverness & 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 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
7074-634: The London Passenger Transport Board ). Other exempted railways were light railways authorised under the Light Railways Act 1896 , and similar lines, although some of those lines still chose to join the groups. The lines which remained independent were principally those under the influence of Colonel Stephens , who had been instrumental in securing the necessary exemption. William Cubitt Sir William Cubitt FRS (bapt. 9 October 1785 – 13 October 1861)
7205-498: The Morayshire became fully part of the Great North. The wooden station building at Waterloo was a 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (800 m) from the Aberdeen and Deeside's Guild Street station and passengers were conveyed between the termini by omnibus, paid for in the through fare and with forty five minutes being allowed for the transfer. The Great North refused to hold its trains to connect with those arriving at Guild Street and insisted that tickets were purchased at least five minutes before
7336-490: 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
7467-459: The Perth & 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 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
7598-557: The Scottish North Eastern Railway (SNER) were in conflict over the joint station in Aberdeen. Frustrated with lack of progress, the SNER proposed a new line that crossed the Deeside Railway. Whilst in discussions with the SNER about a link from this new line to the Deeside, a lease for the Deeside Railway was offered to the Great North, which was rapidly accepted. The Deeside board accepted the lease by
7729-807: The Scottish businesses. After consideration of the Railways Bill, it was decided that the Scottish companies, originally destined to be a separate group, would be included with the Midland/North Western and Eastern groups respectively, in order that the three main Anglo-Scottish trunk routes should each be owned by one company for their full length: the West Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line by
7860-424: 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 & 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 was opened on 10 October 1856, with two intermediate stations at Rothiemay and Grange . Initially five services
7991-467: 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
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#17327838329858122-418: The assistance that had been offered. Permission was granted in 1861 to the Inverness & Perth Junction Railway to build a line from Forres , on the Inverness & Aberdeen Junction Railway, direct to Perth. The Great North protested, and won the right for a booking office in Inverness. The line opened in 1863 and in 1865 the Inverness & Perth Junction and Inverness & Aberdeen Junction merged to become
8253-425: The bank rate rose to 10 per cent, making the company's financial situation worse. The whole board resigned and six members did not seek re-appointment. At the beginning of 1867 the company owed £800,000 (equivalent to £89,480,000 in 2023) and the new board imposed austerity measures. It would be 1874 before most of the company's debt was settled and it became possible to pay a dividend again. The only line built in
8384-408: The bridge, but the wagons and carriages fell 30 feet (9.1 m) to the road below, killing five people who had been travelling in the first and second carriages and injuring fifteen others. The Board of Trade report found that the collapse was due to an internal fault in a cast-iron beam that had been fitted when the bridge had been built in 1857. A bill was introduced to parliament in 1881 to extend
8515-630: The canal, road and railway. The Bute docks at Cardiff, the Middlesbrough docks and the coal drops on the Tees, and the Black Sluice drainage were undertakings which he successfully accomplished. After the introduction of railways Cubitt's evidence was sought in parliamentary contests. As engineer-in-chief he constructed the South Eastern Railway : he adopted the scheme of employing a monster charge of 18,000 lb. of gunpowder for blowing down
8646-427: The case of the Highland Railway only for a line as far as Portessie , with running rights over the Great North coast line between Buckie and Portsoy and the Great North obtaining reciprocal rights over the Highland railway between Elgin and Forres. The coast line opened in stages, the outer sections from Portsoy to Tochieneal and Elgin to Garmouth opening in 1884. The centre section, which involved heavy engineering, with
8777-530: The coast and Craigellachie divided at Huntly, but Cairnie Platform was opened at Grange Junction in summer 1898. The main line was double track to Huntly in 1896 and Keith in 1898, except for a single-track bridge over the Deveron between Avochie and Rothiemay, which was replaced by a double-track bridge in 1900. In 1880 an express was introduced on the Deeside Line, taking 90 minutes to travel from Aberdeen to Ballater; by 1886 this had reduced to 75 minutes. In 1887
8908-478: The control of local management, but movements necessary for the war were coordinated by a committee of general managers. The Great North of Scotland's main role was providing a relief route when the Highland Railway route south to Perth was congested, on one Sunday conveying twenty-one troop specials from Keith to Aberdeen. Timber from the forests of the north of Scotland were carried from sidings at Kemnay, Knockando and Nethy Bridge. A total of 609 staff left to serve in
9039-579: The early 70s was the 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (800 m) to Macduff and few carriages and no locomotives were built until 1876. The Deeside Railway merged in 1875, the Aboyne & Braemar extension to Ballater in January 1876, and the Morayshire Railway was absorbed in 1880. After an engine boiler exploded at Nethy Bridge in September 1878, the inquiry found the testing of boilers infrequent and inadequate. It
9170-608: The face of Round Down Cliff , between Folkestone and Dover (26 January 1843), and then constructing the line of railway along the beach, with a tunnel beneath the Shakespeare Cliff . On the Croydon Railway the atmospheric system was tried by him. On the Great Northern , to which Cubitt was the consulting engineer, he introduced the latest innovations. The Hanoverian government asked his advice on
9301-404: The following day with three trains a day that took about an hour. First class accommodation was available for 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 d a mile, reduced to 1d a mile for third class. Initially services were operated by the Aberdeen Railway to its terminus at Ferryhill, and the Deeside Railway used a horse to shunt wagons at Banchory. In 1854 the Deeside introduced its own rolling stock and ran through to
9432-517: The following year and 5 per cent in 1859. The dividend reached a maximum of 7 + 1 ⁄ 4 per cent in 1862 before dropping to 7 per cent the following year and 5 per cent in 1864, but in 1865 the directors could not pay any dividend on ordinary shares. At the directors' suggestion a committee was set up to look into their actions; the report's main recommendation was the abandonment of the Port Gordon extension. The opening of direct route over
9563-526: 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. 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
9694-495: The former group, and the East Coast Main Line by the latter. The opening paragraph of the Railways Act 1921 states: Part 1 of the act dealt with the terms and procedure of the amalgamations of railway companies. The constituents and subsidiaries of the four groups were set out in the first schedule of the act. Companies that had not formed an amalgamation scheme by 1923 would be amalgamated under terms decided by
9825-447: The grounds that it led to poor management, as well as a mutually corrupting influence between railway and political interests. In his 9 March 1920 Cabinet paper, "Future Transport Policy", he proposed five English groups (Southern, Western, North Western, Eastern and North Eastern), a London passenger group, and separate single groupings for Scotland and Ireland. Geddes' proposals became the 1920 white paper , Outline of Proposals as to
9956-472: The iron castings of machines. Self-regulating windmill sails were invented and patented by him in 1807, at which period he settled at Horning , Norfolk, in business as a millwright. He in 1812 sought and obtained an engagement in the works of Messrs. Ransome of Ipswich , where he soon became the chief engineer. For nine years he held this situation, and then became a partner in the firm, a position which he held until he moved to London in 1826. Already Cubitt
10087-484: The large quantities of fish that passed through. Agreement with the Caledonian Railway over rebuilding the station had been reached in 1899, but the companies fell out over widening the line to the south. Moving the goods station to the east was similarly complex, with conflicts with the harbour commissioners and the town council. In 1908 new platforms on the western side opened and the adjoining station hotel
10218-465: The line from Portsoy along the Moray Firth to Buckie , to be opposed by the Highland and rejected. The following year both the Great North and Highland railways applied to parliament, the Great North for a 25 + 1 ⁄ 4 -mile (40.6 km) line from Portsoy along the coast through Buckie to Elgin, and the Highland for a branch from Keith to Buckie and Cullen . Authority was granted, but in
10349-438: 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. 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
10480-518: The line to Bridge of Gairn remained unfinished. By 1855 there five services a day over the 43 + 1 ⁄ 4 -mile (69.6 km) long line, taking between 1 hour 50 minutes and 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours. The Royal Family used the line from 1853 to travel to Balmoral Castle; in September 1866 the British Royal Train used Ballater station nearly a month before public services reached the station. At first Queen Victoria visited once
10611-453: 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
10742-405: 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
10873-536: 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
11004-435: 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)
11135-565: The main line and services continued over the Morayshire Railway, opening up a route between Keith and Elgin independent of the Inverness & 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
11266-465: 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
11397-434: 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's
11528-667: The morning; for some years an afternoon up service returned in the evening. Excursions for tourists had operated on the Deeside Line from 1881, later joined by special services on the Strathspey Line and the Coast Line alongside the Moray Firth, promoted as the Scottish Riviera . There was interest at the end of the 19th century in using the new Light Railways Act 1896 to approve lines to serve rural areas. The 17-mile (27 km) long Aberdeenshire Light Railway
11659-417: The north of Stonehaven on the SNER, to the Great North at Kintore. A junction with the Deeside Railway was also planned, over which the SNER unsuccessfully tried to obtain running rights. Unpopular, this was given permission by parliament, but the Great North succeeded in inserting a clause that this would be suspended if it obtained an Act by 1 September 1863. The Great North proposed a route, known locally as
11790-443: The public road. Finding its locomotive works at Kittybrewster cramped and inadequate, the Great North began construction on a new works at Inverurie in 1898, electric lighting being provided in the buildings. The carriage and wagon department moved in 1901, the locomotive department in 1902, the offices the following year and the permanent way department in 1905; the buildings still stand and are listed Category B. Inverurie station
11921-622: The requirement of the railway companies to provide the Minister of Transport with statistic and financial reports. The third reading of the act in the House of Commons took place on 9 August 1921, and was passed with a majority of 237 to 62. The House of Lords made various amendments, which were accepted by the Commons on 19 August, and royal assent was given. The state control of the railways which began under war conditions during World War I
12052-600: The same time the Perth & Inverness Railway proposed a direct route over the Grampian Mountains to Perth , and the Aberdeen, Banff & 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 & Elgin failed to raise funds, and
12183-461: 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 ⁄ 2 d and 1d a mile. However, it was
12314-536: The service between Aberdeen and Dyce had improved with more local trains and new stations; by the end of that year there were twelve trains a day, eventually becoming twenty trains a day calling at nine stops in twenty minutes. The trains were initially called the Jubilees , as it was Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee , but became known as the Subbies . Suburban services were also introduced between Aberdeen and Culter on
12445-462: The start. The necessary authority was sought and on 30 July 1866 the Great North of Scotland Railway (Amalgamation) Act received Royal Assent, this Act also permitting the Great North to lease the Deeside Railway. The other companies merged two days later, except the Banffshire and Morayshire, which had started as separate undertakings and were not included in the 1866 Act, although permission for
12576-409: The stations at Waterloo and Guild Street closed to passengers and became goods terminals. The line to the north of the station passed to the Great North and the 269-yard (246 m) long Hutcheon Street tunnel became its longest. A railway to serve Deeside was authorised on 16 July 1846, but it was decided to wait for the Aberdeen Railway to open first. The company survived after the railway mania as
12707-554: The subject of the harbour and docks at Harburg . The works for supplying Berlin with water were carried out under his direction; and he was surveyor for the Paris and Lyon railway. On the completion of the railway to Folkestone, and the establishment of a line of steamers to Boulogne , he superintended the improvement of the port there, and then became the consulting engineer to the Boulogne and Amiens railway. Among his last works were
12838-604: The successor companies. They included the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (M&GN), a London, Midland and Scottish Railway / London and North Eastern Railway joint line in eastern England, the largest of the joint railways in terms of route mileage; the Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC), LMS/LNER joint line in Lancashire and Cheshire , largest in terms of both passenger and freight traffic; and
12969-507: 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. The Aberdeen Railway (AR) opened from the south to Ferryhill , south of Aberdeen, in April 1850. It had been previously arranged that
13100-583: The train was due to depart. The mail train would be held until the Post Office van had arrived and the mail was on board, but the station locked at the advertised departure time to prevent connecting passengers further delaying the train. This inconvenienced passengers, as was pointed out to the general manager during a parliamentary committee meeting by a Member of Parliament who had missed a connection, although his family and luggage had been sent on. The Great North promoted onward traffic by sea and approached
13231-404: The tramways for goods traffic. The plans were changed to connect the line with the Great North at Kittybrewster, but the scheme abandoned after the costs had started to rise. The Great North was granted a Light Railway Order on 8 September 1899 for a 5 + 1 ⁄ 8 -mile (8.2 km) light railway from Fraserburgh to St Combs . The Order included a clause, unusual for the time, permitting
13362-572: The two large landing-stages at Liverpool , and the bridge for carrying the London turnpike road across the River Medway at Rochester, Kent . Cubitt joined the Institution of Civil Engineers as a member in 1823, became a member of council in 1831, vice-president in 1836, and held the post of president in 1850 and 1851. While president in 1851 he had major responsibility for the erection of
13493-407: The two railways, but in 1886 the Great North had two lines to Elgin that, although longer than the Highland's direct line, served more populous areas. The coastal route between Keith and Elgin was 87 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (140.8 km) long but had easier gradients than the 80 + 3 ⁄ 4 miles (130.0 km) via Craigellachie. The Highland's main line south from Inverness was via Forres,
13624-502: 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
13755-433: The use of electric traction; but the company opted for steam traction, and the locomotives were fitted with cowcatchers as the line was unfenced. Services started on 1 July 1903, with six trains a day that took 17 minutes to complete the journey. A light railway was proposed to cover the 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (7.2 km) from Fraserburgh to Rosehearty , but the scheme was abandoned after opposition to laying tracks on
13886-453: The war, and a memorial to the 93 who died in action was erected at the offices in Aberdeen. Services were maintained until 1916, when staff shortages reduced services, although no lines were closed. The railways were in a poor state after the war, costs having increased, with higher wages, the introduction of an eight-hour day and increased price of coal. A scheme was devised whereby the railways would be grouped into four large companies; this
14017-524: The £90,000 it had been prepared to advance the Limpet Mill Scheme. The SNER built the double-track railway, culverting the Denburn and digging two short tunnels. The joint station opened on 4 November 1867 and consisted of three through tracks, one with a long platform, together with two bay platforms for terminating trains at either end. Two lines to the west were provided for goods traffic, and
14148-496: Was Joseph Cubitt (1760–1829), a miller, and his mother was Hannah Lubock (1765–1831). He had two brothers, Benjamin and Joseph. Cubitt married Abigail Sparkhall (1785–1813) on 26 June 1809. The couple had one son, Joseph, and two daughters. Joseph Cubitt (1811–1872) became a civil engineer. Cubitt married Elizabeth Jane Tiley (1791–1863) on 24 January 1821. The couple had a son, William, born 1830. Extant structures by Cubitt include: Cubitt also constructed Penton Lodge, which
14279-486: 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. A 16-mile (26 km) double-track railway had been proposed from Lossiemouth to Craigellachie in 1841 and necessary permissions granted in 1846, 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
14410-409: Was absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway on 1 August 1866. The Alford Valley Railway left the main line at Kintore for Alford . The railway was authorised in 1856 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
14541-469: Was agreed that the Railway & Canal Commissioners would arbitrate in the matter. With no judgement by 1897, the Great North prepared to apply again for running powers over the Highland to Inverness, this time agreeing to double track the line, but the commissioners published their finding before the bill was submitted to parliament. Traffic was to be exchanged at both Elgin and Keith, the services exchanged at Elgin needed to include through carriages from both
14672-551: Was an English civil engineer and millwright . Born in Norfolk , England, he was employed in many of the great engineering undertakings of his time. He invented a type of windmill sail and the prison treadwheel , and was employed as chief engineer, at Ransomes of Ipswich , before moving to London. He worked on canals, docks, and railways, including the South Eastern Railway and the Great Northern Railway . He
14803-604: Was appointed Chief Engineer for the Hobson's Bay Railway company and designed the first commercial steam railway in Melbourne . Moore replaced another of Cubitt's assistants, William Snell Chauncy . Cubitt retired from business in 1858, and died at his residence on Clapham Common , Surrey, on 13 October 1861, and was buried in Norwood cemetery on 18 October. Cubitt was born at Dilham , Norfolk, on 9 October 1785. His father
14934-426: Was apprenticed to James Lyon, a cabinet-maker at Stalham , from whom he parted after four years. At Bacton Wood Mills he again worked with his father in 1804, and also constructed a machine for splitting hides. He then joined an agricultural machine maker named Cook, at Swanton , where they constructed horse threshing machines and other implements. Cubitt became known for the accuracy and finish of his patterns for
15065-572: Was approved by parliament as the Railways Act 1921 . At the start of the 20th century the company's shares had been restructured; the final dividends were 3 per cent on preferred stock, unaltered from previously, and 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 per cent on ordinary stock, slightly above average. Before grouping the Great North of Scotland Railway operated 333 + 1 ⁄ 2 route miles (536.7 km) of track. 1923 Grouping The Railways Act 1921 ( 11 & 12 Geo. 5 . c. 55), also known as
15196-414: Was authorised in 1854 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 Inverness & Elgin Junction Railway was formed to extend this line to Elgin. The Great North objected again, this time citing the expense of crossing
15327-601: Was bought in 1910. Foundations for the new building were laid in 1913 and the station was largely complete by July 1914, although outbreak of war delayed further progress and the station was finally completed in 1920. With Britain's declaration of war on the German Empire on 4 August 1914, the government took control of the railways under the Regulation of the Forces Act 1871 . Day-to-day operations were left in
15458-423: Was chosen, but the Great North won a concession that goods and passengers that could be exchanged at any junction with through bookings and with services conveniently arranged. In 1885 the Great North re-timed the 10:10 am Aberdeen service to reach Keith at 11:50 am with through carriages that reached Elgin via Craigellachie at 1 pm. This connected with a Highland service at both Keith and Elgin, until
15589-511: Was concerned with the employment of criminals; and for the purpose of using their labour he invented the treadmill, with the object, for example, of grinding corn, and not at first contemplating the use of the machine as a means of punishment. This invention was brought out about 1818, and was immediately adopted in the major gaols of the United Kingdom. From 1814 Cubitt had been acting as a civil engineer, and after his move to London he
15720-423: Was formed to build a line from Aboyne the 28 miles (45 km) to Braemar . The line was to follow the Dee before crossing it 2 miles (3.2 km) from Braemar, but the plans were modified to terminate the line at Bridge of Gairn with the passenger terminus 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (2.4 km) short at Ballater . This 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (20.1 km) route opened to Ballater on 17 October 1866, and
15851-634: Was fully engaged in important works. He was extensively employed in canal engineering, and the Oxford canal and the Liverpool Junction canal are among his works under this head. The improvement of the River Severn was carried out by him, and he made a series of reports on rivers. In 1841 he designed a new wharf on the Regent's Canal at Camden in London to allow transhipment of goods between
15982-412: Was independently promoted in 1896 to serve Skene and Echt , with tracks laid along the public roads in Aberdeen. The Great North proposed an alternative Echt Light Railway and a line to Newburgh that would both use the Aberdeen tramway tracks in the city. In 1897 a line from Echt to Aberdeen was approved, but only as far the city outskirts after opposition to laying tracks in the public roads or using
16113-439: 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: The railway was single track with passing loops at the termini and at Kintore, Inverurie and Insch;
16244-433: 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 & Nairn Railway
16375-513: Was rebuilt nearer the works in 1902, and is similarly a Category B building. The Great North built houses nearby for its staff, lit by electricity generated at the works, and the Inverurie Loco Works Football Club was formed by staff in 1902. The Great North rebuilt Elgin station in 1902 to replace a temporary wooden building dating from the 1860s, a joint structure with the adjacent station having been declined by
16506-558: 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 & 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
16637-566: Was sixteen months before the locomotive was repaired. In 1879 the chairman, Lord Provost Leslie, died and was replaced by William Ferguson of Kinmundy. The following year both the Secretary and General Manager resigned and William Moffatt was appointed to both posts, and A.G. Reid became Superintendent of the Line. The railway was now paying a dividend and seeing increased traffic, but rolling stock, track, signals and stations all needed replacing in
16768-475: 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 Act also permitted
16899-559: Was strongly opposed by the RCA, but supported by the Labour Party . Worker-directors were not included in the final act, being replaced by agreed negotiating mechanisms. In 1921, the white paper, Memorandum on Railways Bill (Cmd. 1292), suggested four English regional groups and two Scottish groups. Scottish railway companies wanted to be incorporated into British groupings, and the RCA proposed five British regional monopolies including
17030-513: Was the chief engineer of Crystal Palace erected at Hyde Park in 1851. He was president of the Institution of Civil Engineers between 1850 and 1851. Cubitt was born in Dilham, Norfolk , the son of Joseph Cubitt of Bacton Wood , a miller, and Hannah Lubbock. He attended the village school. His father moved to Southrepps , and William at an early age was employed in the mill, but in 1800
17161-622: Was to continue for a further two years under the Ministry of Transport Act 1919 . The act took effect on 1 January 1923. On that date most of the mergers took place, although some had taken place during the previous year. The February 1923 issue of The Railway Magazine dubbed the new companies as " The Big Four of the New Railway Era". A number of joint railways remained outside the Big Four, continuing to be operated jointly by
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