Keith and Dufftown Railway
The Keith and Dufftown Railway is a museum railway in Scotland . It is in the Council Area of Moray and runs 11 miles from Keith Town via Drummuir to Dufftown .
history
The line was originally part of a line from Aberdeen via Keith to Elgin , which the Great North of Scotland Railway had built as a parallel line to the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway . The line was put into operation in 1862. The route was operated by British Railways since 1948 and closed in 1991.
Museum railway
Shortly after the shutdown, railway enthusiasts began preparing to reopen the line as a museum railway. With the support of businesses in the region and funds from the European Regional Development Fund , the route was bought and repaired. In 2000, the Keith & Dufftown Railway Association resumed operations, initially from Dufftown to Drummuir, and a year later to Keith Town. Driving is on the weekends (Friday to Sunday) from Easter to September. In addition, special trips take place on special occasions such as the two whiskey festivals in Dufftown or at Christmas.
The technical base of the railway is Dufftown. In Dufftown and Keith there are shops that sell tickets as well as souvenirs, as well as waiting rooms furnished in a historical style. In Dufftown the "Buffer Stop", which is housed in two converted passenger coaches, has a snack menu.
route
The standard gauge line runs 18 km (11 miles) from Keith to Dufftown. 42 bridges will be crossed, the largest being the approximately 20 meter high Fiddich Viaduct just before the entrance to Dufftown. There is a stop in Drummuir and a demand stop in Towiemore, all other previous stops are no longer in operation. Three more stops are to be put back into operation in the medium term, and a long-term connection to Keith Junction Station is planned.
Vehicle fleet
The railway uses three British Railways Derby Class 108 double multiple units . In addition, it has a BREL / Leyland Class 140 double multiple unit, which is currently not operational, as well as several small locomotives.
Others
The railway currently has no connection to the rest of the railway network, as the route between Keith Town and Keith Station of ScotRail is interrupted. When a steam locomotive was used for the 150th anniversary of the line in 2012, it was delivered by low loader.
Since the train passes through an area with numerous whiskey distilleries , it is also known as the Whiskey Line .
The railway offers the possibility to drive one of the small locomotives under supervision.
Awards
In 2001 the Keith and Dufftown Railway Association was honored with the Annual Award of the British Heritage Railway Association for the complete reopening of the line.
