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 from Kittybrewster, in Aberdeen, to Huntly on 20 September 1854. By 1867 it owned of line and operated over a further .
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 and two routes west to , connections could be made at both Keith and Elgin for Highland Railway services to Inverness. There were other junctions with the Highland Railway at and , 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 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 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 the Aberdeen to Inverness Line.
History
Half way to Inverness, 1845–1858
Establishment and construction
In 1845 the Great North of Scotland Railway was formed to build a railway from Aberdeen to Inverness. The proposed 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 . At the same time the Perth and Inverness Railway proposed a direct route over the Grampian Mountains to Perth, and the Aberdeen, Banff and 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 and Elgin failed to raise funds, and the Perth and Inverness Railway was rejected because the railway would be at altitudes that approached and needed steep gradients. The (9 & 10 Vict. c. ciii) 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 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, 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, short of Keith, with William Cubitt as engineer. The severe winter 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.
Opening
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 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:
Buxburn ( after 1897) Dyce Kinaldie (open after 1 December) Kintore Inverury ( after 1866) Pitcaple Oyne Buchanstone (open after 1 December) Insch Wardhouse (open after 1 December) Kennethmont Gartly Huntly
The railway was single track with passing loops at the termini and at Kintore, Inverurie and Insch; 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 , 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 old pence (d) a mile for first class and 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 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 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.
Waterloo, Keith and Inverness
The Aberdeen Railway (AR) opened from the south to Ferryhill, south of Aberdeen, in April 1850. It had been previously arranged that 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 branch that followed the Aberdeenshire Canal from Kittybrewster to a terminus at Waterloo by the docks. The line 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 apart and a goods line was built though the docks linking the two railways, worked by horses as steam locomotives were prohibited.
The Inverness and Nairn Railway was authorised by the Inverness and Nairn Railway Act 1854 (17 & 18 Vict. c. clxxvi) 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 line was opened on 6 November 1855, and the Inverness and Elgin Junction Railway was formed to extend this line to Elgin. The Great North objected again, this time citing the expense of crossing 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 and Aberdeen Junction Railway, but no final undertaking on running rights was made.
The extension of the Great North to Keith, authorised by the (18 & 19 Vict. c. xxviii) was opened on 10 October 1856, with two intermediate stations at and Grange. Initially five services 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 by the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway Act 1856 (19 & 20 Vict. c. cx) 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 a day ran the 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.
Expansion, 1854–1866
Formartine and Buchan Railway
Permission to build a line to serve the fishing ports at Peterhead and Fraserburgh 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 and Fraserburgh Railway. Both companies failed to obtain permission for two years, but in 1858 the Formartine and Buchan Railway was successful. A long railway from Dyce to Old Deer (renamed in 1867) opened on 18 July 1861 and the main line between Kittybrewster and Dyce was doubled. The branch was extended the to a station at Peterhead the following year and a long branch north from 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 and hours. The railway was absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway on 1 August 1866.
Alford Valley Railway
The Alford Valley Railway left the main line at Kintore for . The railway was authorised by the Alford Valley Railway Act 1856 (19 & 20 Vict. c. xl) 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 a service of four trains a day calling at , and . 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.
Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction Railway
The branch from Inverurie, backed by local residents with funding from the Great North, was authorised by the Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction Railway Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. c. lxv) 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 the to with a stop at ; a further station opened in 1866 at . In June 1858 the line was leased to the Great North for a rental of £650 per year (). The railway was absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway on 1 August 1866.
Banff, Macduff and Turriff Railways