I have recently sent up my latest railway photos to my Fotopic pages. Most were taken during a few hours visit to Inverurie. The line was closed from Inverurie to Elgin due to engineering work, with bus connections to Elgin then by train once again from Elgin to Inverness. I decided to remain at Inverurie, which I hadn't been to for quite some time.
I enjoyed a riverside walk where I came across the rather sorry looking railway bridge over the river Don. It looked as if it were on a long defunct railway. It was originally double track but only the down side is in use today. While that side is properly maintained the rather empty Up side looks really unkept with rusty spans and gaps open to the sky. However as the line from Inverurie to Aberdeen is earmarked for redubling in the near future this quite impressive bridge should look good once again.
I had a look at what was left of the locomotive works and depot, which I have fond memories of working at back in the 60's. As a sub depot to Kittybrewster we would go on loan as engine cleaners to cover lack of staff. This also gave me the opportunity to work over the Old Meldrum and Turriff branches that weren't in Kittybrwster diagrams. These two trips were worked by an 08 Shunter at the time.
The Old Meldrum branch started from the northside bay at Inverurie. The bay was part of the Up platform. You can still see the platform edge today. The branch run past the front of Inverurie Signalbox then branched off northwards beyond the north end of the station. The Turriff line, which originally went through to Macduff, on the coast, branched off from Inveramsey, the next station north of Inverurie.
While the Locomotive Works site is being rebuilt as an industrial estate the main works building and other outside buildings are being refurbished as part of that scheme, so the very distinctive roof design will remain well into the future.
The Waterloo Branch at Aberdeen has recently been redesigned with the new sidings having been build into the concrete base so that the yard can be used by trains and lorries. The yard looks nice and tidy and with the clay train running regularly it is good to see the track all the way from Kittybrewster looking nice and shiny after many years of neglect.
As a point of interest. Waterloo was originally The Aberdeen & Inverurie Canal. Much of the canal was rebuilt as the railway and Waterloo was the terminus for the GNSR passenger services too and from Inverness. Watreloo became a goods yard and branchline after the diversion via the Denburn to Aberdeen Joint Station was built.
Places along the line with Canal connections are; Boat of Kintore and Port Elphinstone.
Wiki page with an excellent diagram of the canal & locks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeenshire_Canal
An excellent photographic tour of the remaining canal sites today.
http://www.74simon.co.uk/aberdeenshirecanal/
My Fotopic pages
http://billreid678.fotopic.net/
Also recently added are photos from my Crich Tramway Museum visit on the August Bank Holiday.
I enjoyed a riverside walk where I came across the rather sorry looking railway bridge over the river Don. It looked as if it were on a long defunct railway. It was originally double track but only the down side is in use today. While that side is properly maintained the rather empty Up side looks really unkept with rusty spans and gaps open to the sky. However as the line from Inverurie to Aberdeen is earmarked for redubling in the near future this quite impressive bridge should look good once again.
I had a look at what was left of the locomotive works and depot, which I have fond memories of working at back in the 60's. As a sub depot to Kittybrewster we would go on loan as engine cleaners to cover lack of staff. This also gave me the opportunity to work over the Old Meldrum and Turriff branches that weren't in Kittybrwster diagrams. These two trips were worked by an 08 Shunter at the time.
The Old Meldrum branch started from the northside bay at Inverurie. The bay was part of the Up platform. You can still see the platform edge today. The branch run past the front of Inverurie Signalbox then branched off northwards beyond the north end of the station. The Turriff line, which originally went through to Macduff, on the coast, branched off from Inveramsey, the next station north of Inverurie.
While the Locomotive Works site is being rebuilt as an industrial estate the main works building and other outside buildings are being refurbished as part of that scheme, so the very distinctive roof design will remain well into the future.
The Waterloo Branch at Aberdeen has recently been redesigned with the new sidings having been build into the concrete base so that the yard can be used by trains and lorries. The yard looks nice and tidy and with the clay train running regularly it is good to see the track all the way from Kittybrewster looking nice and shiny after many years of neglect.
As a point of interest. Waterloo was originally The Aberdeen & Inverurie Canal. Much of the canal was rebuilt as the railway and Waterloo was the terminus for the GNSR passenger services too and from Inverness. Watreloo became a goods yard and branchline after the diversion via the Denburn to Aberdeen Joint Station was built.
Places along the line with Canal connections are; Boat of Kintore and Port Elphinstone.
Wiki page with an excellent diagram of the canal & locks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeenshire_Canal
An excellent photographic tour of the remaining canal sites today.
http://www.74simon.co.uk/aberdeenshirecanal/
My Fotopic pages
http://billreid678.fotopic.net/
Also recently added are photos from my Crich Tramway Museum visit on the August Bank Holiday.