Strathspey Railway

The Royal Scotsman is Belmond hotels luxury charter train. It visits the Strathspey railway on a regular basis, GBRf hand it over to us at Aviemore, where we then haul it to Boat of Garten for an overnight stay.
https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/about

 

A hunt through the net shows another carriage was added in 2016 so that is quite a fair whack on the back of the 27. Thanks.

 

The extra coach, to make load 10, is the spa coach, on board massage etc.

 

Do the patrons of the RS remain on board up to BOG, or do they alight at Aviemore?

Would they potentially be taken to Granton when the extension opens?

 

There are three different Royal Scotsman tours that visit the Strathspey railway, two arrive with passengers on who travel through to Boat, the third is empty stock. However on all three the passengers spend the night on the train at Boat. Once a year on a round GB tour, it goes to Broomhill with passengers on. There is nothing to stop them travelling through to Grantown in the future, although that is a very long way in the future.

 

I saw over on the Aviemore Engine Shed page that the now sadly and recently departed George Littlejohn had originally planned to take his 31 to the KDR which is something I must have memory holed. Without it, the railway would have been in a far tighter place in those lean years. I have fond memories of George being around the railway but I never took the time to get to know him. RIP George.

 

ScotRail’s Santa Express visited the Strathspey Railway yesterday, Saturday 4th December. This was only the second visit of an HST to Boat of Garten and the first carrying passengers. This train was the first of ScotRail's special Santa Express trains in support of the Railway Children charity.

Pictures on the Strathspey face book page https://www.facebook.com/Strathspey...45988065409/10160345987925409/?type=3&theater

 

Where and What is the KDR?

 

Keith and Dufftown Railway.

 

Thank you 5944. Sorry @Ploughman I should have used the full title.

 

I always think of it as "The Whisky Line".

 

No problem.
I forgot about the Keith line.

Spent some time on the Strathspey trackbed building a footbridge at Aberlour back in 1981

 

The Strathspey Railway will be opening its 2022 season with a diesel only long weekend over Friday 18th, Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th March. It will feature home based locomotives, D5394, D5862, 37674, and DMU unit class 117, 51367 and 51402. Shunting locomotives, class 08, D3605, North British D2774, and Ruston DS48 Queen Anne will also make an appearance.

 

And SRPS Railtours are running a tour to this on the 19th March hopefully using 37's from Linlithgow, Edinburgh, Dalgety Bay, Kirkcaldy and Perth. Bookings for this will shortly open up.

 

Now thats interesting. I reckon I'll need to make a trip up over the weekend.

 

A quick update from us at SRPS Railtours
TICKETS NOW ON SALE!
Our first SRPS Railtour of the 2022 session running on the 19th March is now on sale, hopefully featuring the SRPS very own 37403 'Isle of Mull' subject to restoration to mainline standards having been completed and all the other usual caveats.
The tour departs Linlithgow at 06:24 & Edinburgh Waverley at 08:03 (pick ups also at Dalgety Bay, Kirkcaldy and Perth) and heads North via Fife and Perth to Aviemore and our friends at Strathspey Railway to allow guests to enjoy their Diesel Gala featuring D2774, 08490, 27050, 31327 and 37674 or have a trip to a Distillery.
Book here: http://www.srps.org.uk/railtours/rt-220319.htm
^AE/NM

 

Theres some good news in 46464's boiler having its first fire lit in nearly 45 years which means its inching ever closer to steaming. In bad news, Transport Scotland failed to pay attention to a new distillery being built almost on top of the proposed alignment which threatens to put the project right back to square one with design alterations, environmental surveys etc. https://www.strathspey-herald.co.uk...wn-and-aviemore-by-steam-rail-delayed-266549/. TS have absolutely dropped the ball here and in my opinion should pick up a chunk of the financials and work to submit a new plan but they've been an on and off stake in the heart of the project to get back to Grantown.

 

Its been a priority for a while but I feel like the goalposts have constantly moved. It was on the docket around 2007 then the crash happened and it slid right down. And then if I remember rightly, Strathspey then had to find the money to contribute to the physical works on top of everything else that they have to fund. Pretty sure Transport Scotland is a Vogon op.

 

Interesting how two of the local MSPs are acting as though the failings of Transport Scotland are nothing to do with the government they support and, in one case, are a cabinet member of.


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