Far North Line (route of)

[Mcr Warrior]

When the 'Far North Line' was built in the 19th Century, why wasn't the line beyond Tain routed directly across the Dornoch Firth (instead of inland via Culrain / Invershin / Lairg, which adds a fair few extra miles)?

Was a bridge / water crossing from Tain over into Dornoch (and then onwards to Golspie) considered to be too expensive, or beyond the capabilities of the leading engineers of the time? Or some other reason?

Noted that such a rail crossing has been considered in more recent years, but why not when the line was built in the 1860's?

 

[mike57]

I suspect cost, and technology, after all in the late 1860 neither the first Tay bridge or the Forth Bridge existed, and we know how the first Tay bridge failed. There is also the thought that Lairg may have been a destination in its own right rather than a route sticking to the coast. Probably all 3 combining to make the inland route more attractive. I wonder what the longest rail bridge was in 1868 in the UK.

 

[LocoCycle]

When the 'Far North Line' was built in the 19th Century, why wasn't the line beyond Tain routed directly across the Dornoch Firth (instead of inland via Culrain / Invershin / Lairg, which adds a fair few extra miles)?

Was a bridge / water crossing from Tain over into Dornoch (and then onwards to Golspie) considered to be too expensive, or beyond the capabilities of the leading engineers of the time? Or some other reason?

Noted that such a rail crossing has been considered in more recent years, but why not when the line was built in the 1860's?

Lairg certainly became a major railhead for cattle and sheep coming from the interior and west of the country after the railway arrived. Perhaps that potential traffic was a factor in the choice of route, in addition to the fish from further north.

 

[Magdalia]

The Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait in 1850 and the Royal Albert Bridge over the River Tamar in 1859 are examples of leading edge bridge technology of the period.

A third option for the Far North line would have been to cross at Ardgay/Bonar Bridge and then go along the north side of the Dornoch Firth back towards the coast.

 

[30907]

Bonar Bridge was the original terminus, which is well beyond where a direct line via Dornoch would have needed to go. Once there, going via Lairg made good sense, and the new company was cash-strapped anyway (the Duke of Sutherland had to fund the next bit himself.)

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Bonar Bridge was the original terminus, which is well beyond where a direct line via Dornoch would have needed to go. Once there, going via Lairg made good sense, and the new company was cash-strapped anyway (the Duke of Sutherland had to fund the next bit himself.)

Always a temporary terminus, presumably, and a mile or so from Bonar Bridge itself, which is on the other side of the Kyle of Sutherland (which stretch of water, in the seaward direction, opens out into the Dornoch Firth).

Another thought... Presumably the Duke of Sutherland already owned the land for the longer inland route via Lairg, so land acquisition wasn't going to be an issue?

 

[Magdalia]

Always a temporary terminus, presumably, and a mile or so from Bonar Bridge itself, which is on the other side of the Kyle of Sutherland

The station currently named Ardgay was called Bonar Bridge until 1977.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The station currently named Ardgay was called Bonar Bridge until 1977.

One then wonders whether its renaming was a reflection that the station wasn't located all that close to the village of Bonar Bridge in the first place.

 

[MisterSheeps]

Presumably the Duke of Sutherland already owned the land for the longer inland route via Lairg, so land acquisition wasn't going to be an issue?

yes, he gave the land if the route went via Lairg, was considered the best way of opening up the far northwest

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Wasn't there talk of including a rail deck in the road bridge that was built over the Dornoch Firth? Obviously this never happened, but I'd be intrigued to learn about how close this came to happening, and why it never did.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Wasn't there talk of including a rail deck in the road bridge that was built over the Dornoch Firth? Obviously this never happened, but I'd be intrigued to learn about how close this came to happening, and why it never did.

Yes, a Tain-Dornoch rail bridge has often been considered / discussed, maybe as recently as 10/15 years ago. The cost, and who pays, will undoubtedly have been a key factor.

Dornoch Rail Bridge

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-14930891 Following on from HML Thread, to save it getting loads of strands, and has also been in the news locally up here. The question is should their be a Dornoch Rail Bridge? There are many for and many against, So what's your...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Yes, a Tain-Dornoch rail bridge has often been considered / discussed, maybe as recently as 10/15 years ago. The cost, and who pays, will undoubtedly have been a key factor.

Dornoch Rail Bridge

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-14930891 Following on from HML Thread, to save it getting loads of strands, and has also been in the news locally up here. The question is should their be a Dornoch Rail Bridge? There are many for and many against, So what's your...

www.railforums.co.uk

Thanks- though I was more curious about the history, and why a rail section wasn't included when the road bridge was being planned.

EDIT- Having now looked at that thread, I see it is discussed. Apologies!

 

[Dr Hoo]

yes, he gave the land if the route went via Lairg, was considered the best way of opening up the far northwest

Quite! It could reasonably be claimed that Lairg had the largest (if not the most populated or economically significant) 'catchment area' or hinterland of any station in the UK.

 

[30907]

Always a temporary terminus, presumably,

Not sure - it was built by the Inverness and Ross-shire, and Ross ends thereabouts!
BB was a fairly sensible terminus, allowing access onward by road via both Lairg and Dornoch.

One then wonders whether its renaming was a reflection that the station wasn't located all that close to the village of Bonar Bridge in the first place.

Yes, IIRC.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Not sure - it was built by the Inverness and Ross-shire, and Ross ends thereabouts!
BB was a fairly sensible terminus, allowing access onward by road via both Lairg and Dornoch.

Had wondered whether this was where the inverness and Ross-shire Railway company's money had run out, but possibly this wasn't the case.

 

[30907]

Had wondered whether this was where the inverness and Ross-shire Railway company's money had run out, but possibly this wasn't the case.

Having checked HA Vallance's book "The Highland Railway," Bonar Bridge was itself an extension from the original terminus of Invergordon. The river is the boundary and the railway leaves Rossshire via the viaduct between Culrain and Invershin.That section was built by the Sutherland Railway (whose money did indeed run out) and Culrain was an afterthought according to Vallance.

 

[Kingston Dan]

Weren't their plans to extend to Tongue on the north coast - presumably Lairg would have become a junction if it was ever built?

I also thought the Dornoch road bridge was build with provision for a shared rail line - was it descoped?

 

[30907]

Weren't their plans to extend to Tongue on the north coast - presumably Lairg would have become a junction if it was ever built?

If you mean "there" - there were proposals for a branch or light railway at some stage.

I also thought the Dornoch road bridge was build with provision for a shared rail line - was it descoped?

Dropped at planning stage, see link upthread.

 

[AMD]

Weren't their plans to extend to Tongue on the north coast - presumably Lairg would have become a junction if it was ever built?

Any proposals to Tongue have been very vague, unlike proposals from Invershin to Lochinver, Lairg to Laxford Bridge and Auchnasheen (Kyle line) to Aultbea, which all came out of a Western Highlands and Island Commission report in 1891 - in which the Kyle line was ultimately built.
More information about these is in the book by Andrew Drummond "A Quite Impossible Proposal" https://birlinn.co.uk/product/a-quite-impossible-proposal/

 

[30907]

Any proposals to Tongue have been very vague, unlike proposals from Invershin to Lochinver, Lairg to Laxford Bridge and Auchnasheen (Kyle line) to Aultbea, which all came out of a Western Highlands and Island Commission report in 1891 - in which the Kyle line was ultimately built.
More information about these is in the book by Andrew Drummond "A Quite Impossible Proposal" https://birlinn.co.uk/product/a-quite-impossible-proposal/

Recent thread:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/railway-to-northwest-scotland.242562/