Alford Valley Railway

2025-05-04T15:10:55Z

92.24.177.223: /* External links */

{{Short description|Heritage railway line in Scotland}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{about|the Alford Valley Community Railway|the historic 1859 company and branch line|Alford Valley Railway (GNoSR)}}
{{Infobox Heritage Railway
| name = Alford Valley Railway
| image_name = AlfordValleyRailway.jpg
| caption = Alford Railway Station
| locale = [[Alford, Aberdeenshire|Howe of Alford]], [[Aberdeenshire]], [[Scotland]]
| terminus = [[Alford railway station|Alford Railway Station]]
| longitude =
| latitude =
| map = 
| mapsize = 
| connections = 
| linename = 
| builtby = [[Duncan MacKenzie Haggis Railway Services]]
| originalgauge = {{RailGauge|ussg|allk=on}}
| owned = 
| operator = 
| stations = 
| length = 
| preservedgauge = {{RailGauge|2ft|lk=on}}
| com-years = 1859
| com-events = opened
| com-years1 = 
| com-events1 = 
| closedpassengers = 1950
| closed = 1966
| years = 1980
| events = Haughton Park to Murray Park opened
| years1 = 1984
| events1 = Alford to Haughton Park opened
| years2 = 2017
| events2 = railway closed
| years3 = 2023
| events3 = Community Railway reopened
}}
{{Alford Valley Railway (heritage)}}
The '''Alford Valley Railway''' is a {{RailGauge|2ft|lk=on}} [[narrow gauge railway]] in the Howe of [[Alford, Scotland|Alford]], [[Aberdeenshire]], [[Scotland]]. It is located at what used to be the terminus of the passenger and goods Alford Valley Railway which connected with the [[Great North of Scotland Railway]] main line at [[Kintore, Aberdeenshire|Kintore]].

==Original railway==
{{Main|Alford Valley Railway (GNoSR)}}
The construction of the Alford Valley Railway started in 1856 and the line opened in 1859 as a Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) [[branch line]] from [[Kintore railway station]], northwest of [[Aberdeen]], with stations at [[Kemnay railway station|Kemnay]], [[Monymusk railway station|Monymusk]], [[Tillyfourie railway station|Tillyfourie]], [[Whitehouse railway station (Scotland)|Whitehouse]] and [[Alford railway station|Alford]]. The line also served [[Kemnay Quarry]] and three other granite quarries in the area. The summit of the line is just west of Tillyfourie at {{convert|618|ft|m}} where a mile-long cutting {{convert|30|ft|m}} deep required cutting through particularly hard granite. The train took just over an hour for the {{convert|16|mi|adj=on}} journey. Until 1883, by law the third class fare on one train a day could not be more than a penny per mile.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jackson |first1=D. |title=Rails to Alford |date=2006 |publisher=Great North of Scotland Railway Association |isbn=978-0-902343-19-1 |page=33}}</ref>

In 1923 GNSR was incorporated into the [[London and North Eastern Railway]] and, in 1948, became part of the [[Scottish Region of British Railways]]. The line closed to passengers on 31 December 1949, when driver Mr James Tocher drove the last passenger train into Alford Station.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Last passenger train |journal=The Press and Journal |date=3 January 1950 |page=6}}</ref> The goods service closed exactly sixteen years later on 31 December 1965, when the last train was driven by Mr Robert Asher, and attended by Mr James Elder, guard, both Aberdeen, and Mr Walter Mearns, fireman, Inverurie.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Last train |journal=The Press and Journal |date=3 January 1966 |page=7}}</ref>

==Narrow gauge railway==
The narrow gauge railway, built from salvaged equipment from the [[New Pitsligo]] peat moss railway, was proposed in 1979 and opened in 1980. Originally it ran for {{convert|3|km}} from Haughton Park station through Murray Park Woods. Then in 1984 another line was run from {{stnlnk|Alford}} station, alongside Alford Golf Course, to Haughton Park about {{convert|1.35|km}} away where there is a platform. However, the original Murray Woods line was then closed.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://avcr.org.uk/our-history/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240701220630/https://avcr.org.uk/our-history/
|archive-date=1 July 2024 |url-status=live
|title=Alford Valley Railway – History
|publisher=Alford Valley Community Railway
|year=2022
|access-date=30 July 2024
}}</ref>

The current station building is on the site of the original granite structure which was demolished after British Rail closed the line. The passenger platform is the original. A small railway museum is housed in the railway station building. The original locomotive shed was situated to the east of the station but this has also now been demolished. To the west of the station the granite carriage shed of the previous railway is now used by the Alford Valley Railway. The [[Grampian Transport Museum]] and [[Alford Heritage Museum]] are nearby.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jackson |first1=D. |title=Rails to Alford |date=2006 |publisher=Great North of Scotland Railway Association |isbn=978-0-902343-19-1 |page=47}}</ref>

The railway closed in 2017. A new group, the Alford Valley Community Railway, was subsequently formed with the intention of reopening the line.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=David |date=21 January 2022 |title=Plans to revitalise Alford's heritage railway set to steam ahead |url=https://www.grampianonline.co.uk/news/plans-to-revitalise-alfords-heritage-railway-set-to-steam-a-263674/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418105836/https://www.grampianonline.co.uk/news/plans-to-revitalise-alfords-heritage-railway-set-to-steam-a-263674/ |archive-date=18 April 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=9 June 2022 |website=Grampian Online }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deesidepiper.co.uk/news/people/plans-to-reopen-alford-railway-are-on-track-3549843 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323115632/https://www.deesidepiper.co.uk/news/people/plans-to-reopen-alford-railway-are-on-track-3549843 |archive-date=23 March 2022 |first=Kirstie |last=Topp |title=Plans to reopen Alford railway are on track |website=Deeside Piper and Herald |date=1 February 2022}}</ref> After six years of closure, the Alford Valley Community Railway was re-opened in August 2023 to passengers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.grampianonline.co.uk/news/full-steam-ahead-for-the-alford-valley-community-railway-324115/ |first=David |last=Porter |title=Full steam ahead for the Alford Valley Railway |publisher=Grampian Online |date=23 August 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.gtm.org.uk/ Grampian Transport Museum]
*[http://www.britishrailways1960.co.uk/ScRN07.html British Railways in 1960: Kintore Jn. to Alford]
{{Great North of Scotland Railway Navbox}}
{{Marr, Aberdeenshire places|state = collapsed}}
{{Heritage railways in Scotland}}
{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:Heritage railways in Scotland]]
[[Category:Transport in Aberdeenshire]]
[[Category:2 ft gauge railways in Scotland]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1859]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1980]]
[[Category:Museums in Aberdeenshire]]
[[Category:Standard gauge railways in Scotland]]
[[Category:1859 establishments in Scotland]]

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Alford Valley Railway