Dornoch Light Railway
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Dornoch Light Railway
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Dornoch Light Railway is an historic railway in Scotland that ran from The Mound on the Sutherland Railway to the county town of Sutherland, Dornoch. This railway is closed.
This Railway was one of two railways in the North of of Scotland built under the 1896 Light Railway Act (the other being the Wick and Lybster Railway), this allowed the line to built to lower standards to save cost.
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[edit] The Route
The Railway started at a south-facing junction with the Sutherland Railway at The Mound station, departing trains turning right on a sharply falling gradient. Immediately bridging the River Fleet by a four-span viaduct the gradient brought trains to the Mound itself, actually a causeway built across the River Fleet by Thomas Telford in 1816 as part of road development in the region. Sharing the Mound with the road, the Railway crossed it at the Southern end of the causeway at a gated crossing, the first of several. The Railway then turned South-East to skirt the Southern shore of Loch Fleet coming to its first stop at Cambusavie Halt.
Throughout its existence the pace of services on the line was slow, accentuated by the the need for the train to stop for the gated crossings, the guard to dismount and open the gates, the train to proceed through and stop to pick up the guard having closed the gates again. The next station was Skelbo, equiped with a goods siding, whereupon the line bore inland slightly and turned South, climbing to the fishing village of Embo, where the station was furnished with a building and a goods yard.
Following the coast of the Moray Firth on its last leg, the line passed the Royal Dornoch Golf Club before crossing the road and terminating in Dornoch. By the station was the engine shed - the line always operated on the 'one engine in steam' principle - and a goods shed. The terminus was overlooked by Dornoch Cathedral.
[edit] History
- 2 June 1902 - Opened (worked by the Highland Railway).[1]
- 1 January 1923 - Became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway.[1]
- 13 June 1960 - Closed to all traffic.[2]
- Spring/Summer 1962 - Track lifted.
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[edit] Connections to other lines
- Sutherland Railway at The Mound
[edit] Current operations
The line is closed.
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
[edit] Sources
- Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063.
- Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present, 1st, Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199.
- Jowett, Alan (1989). Jowett's railway atlas of Great Britain and Ireland : from pre-grouping to the present day, 1st, Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0086-1. OCLC 22311137.
Major constituent railway companies of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway: |
Caledonian | Furness | Glasgow & South Western | Highland | Lancashire & Yorkshire | London and North Western | Midland | North Staffordshire |