Keith & Dufftown Railway
7th August 2009
© copyright photographs by Colin Duff
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| Above, the diminutive entrance to Keith Town station from the road and car park. However, below, there is a slightly more substantial building at platform level. I am not convinced passengers on the train and platform can see the large Keith Town sign on the top building! The Class 108 unit, to be led by M51568, basks in the sunshine prior to its departure to Dufftown. |
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| The interior of DMSO M51568. Seats have been removed at the inner end of this car to provide a wheelchair area and open plan guard's office (a.k.a. picnic type table). This pairing of DMSOs does not otherwise accommodation for the guard. When we traveled the guard actually spent most of the journey walking through the cars providing a running commentary, including a potted history of the line - a very good feature other heritage lines ought to emulate. |
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A view through the cab window whilst returning to Dufftown towards Towiemore. I believe this is part of the longest straight on the line. Note the clouds are building. Five minutes later the heavens opened, but this was the only rain - and only 30 minutes of it at that - during our week in the Highlands. My verdict on this heritage line - a pleasant journey with good information about the history of the line and surrounding area. Friendly and approachable, at times entertainingly droll, volunteers. A very limited amount and variety of rolling stock to ride on and view. Worth a visit if you are in the vicinity on a day it is open, but it is not a whole day out in itself. There are whisky related attractions at both ends of the line though, at Dufftown right next to the Station, at Keith the oldest operating distillery in Scotland is a quarter of a mile away. At Drummuir the walled garden at the castle is open to the public. |
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