Caledonian Railway (Brechin)

The Caledonian Railway (Brechin) Ltd is a private limited company formed by a group of steam railway enthusiasts, the Brechin Railway Preservation Society, with the object of operating a railway service on the former Caledonian Railway line between Brechin and Montrose, Angus, Scotland. This line was built by the Aberdeen Railway in the 1840s. It closed for passenger traffic during the early 1950s with final closure undertaken by British Rail in 1981.

Caledonian Steam Railway (Brechin)
LocaleBrechin, Angus, Scotland.
Coordinates56.7315°N 2.652°W / 56.7315; -2.652
Commercial operations
NameCaledonian Railway
Built byCaledonian Railway
Original gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Owned byCaledonian Steam Railway (Brechin)
Operated byCaledonian Steam Railway (Brechin)
Stations2
Length4 miles (6.4 km)
Preserved gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
1993re-opened
Caledonian Railway (Brechin)
Edinburgh–Aberdeen line
Kinnaber Junction
Edinburgh–Aberdeen line
Montrose
(AR)
Montrose and Bervie Railway
Broomfield Junction
Broomfield Junction Halt
(AR)
Dubton Junction
Dubton
(AR)
Bridge of Dun
Aberdeen Railway and
Arbroath and Forfar Railway
Brechin
Forfar and Brechin Railway and
Brechin and Edzell District Railway

Brechin to Bridge of Dun

The line has now been re-instated and preserved for 4 miles (6.4 km) between Brechin railway station and Bridge of Dun railway station and since 1993 trains have run at weekends during the summer as well as on special occasions at other times of the year. The two railway stations have also been refurbished.

Although the line originally went all the way to Montrose, which is still a station on the main rail network, there are currently no immediate plans to link the Brechin line back into the main rail network, as the section at Dubton through and onto Kinnaber Junction close to Montrose itself has now been redeveloped, making it difficult for the preserved railway to be reconnected to the national network at all.

Proposed extension

However, there is still hope of seeing the "CR Brechin" extended a further 3 1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) to Dubton, bringing it up to a total of 7 1⁄2 miles (12.1 km) in length. This is a long-term aim which would only require the re-instatement of a short length of track.

Locomotives
  • Steam locomotives
    • Peckett 0-4-0ST no. 1376 "BAC No1" (In Percy guise), built in 1915. Static Display.
    • Barclay 0-4-0ST no. 1863, built in 1926. Operational.
    • Peckett 0-6-0ST no. 1889 "Menelaus", built in 1934. Dismantled, awaiting overhaul.
    • Barclay 0-6-0ST no. 2107 "Harlaxton" (In Thomas guise), built in 1941. Returned to service in Summer 2016.
    • Peckett 0-6-0ST no. 2153, built in 1954. Dismantled, under overhaul at Flour Mill.
    • Bagnall 0-6-0ST 2749 no. 6, built in 1944. Stored out of use at Bridge of Dun.
    • Bagnall 0-6-0ST 2759 no. 16, built in 1944. Stored out of use at Bridge of Dun.
    • Hunslet 0-6-0ST 2879 no. 447, built in 1943. Stored out of use at Bridge of Dun.
  • Diesel locomotives
    • Ruston 48DS 4wDM no. 458957, built in 1961. Operational, painted maroon with wasp stripes.
    • F. C. Hibberd 4wDM no. 3747, built in 1955. Stored out of use at Bridge of Dun.
    • Yorkshire Engine Company 0-4-0 no. 212 "Royce", built in 1958. Operational.
    • Yorkshire Engine Company 0-4-0 no. 211 "Rolls", built in 1956. Operational.
    • BR 0-6-0 Class 08 no. 3059 "Brechin City", built in 1954. Operational, painted BR Blue with wasp stripes.
    • BR 0-6-0 Class 11 no. 12052, built in 1949. Operational, painted BR Black with the early crest.
    • BR 0-6-0 Class 11 no. 12093, built in 1951. Operational, painted BR Green with wasp stripes.
    • BR Bo-Bo Class 25 no. 25072. Stored awaiting overhaul.
    • BR Bo-Bo Class 25 no. 25083, built in 1963. Awaiting repairs.
    • BR Bo-Bo Class 26 no. D5301, built in 1959. Stored awaiting overhaul, painted BR Green.
    • BR Bo-Bo Class 26 no. D5314, built in 1959. Operational, painted BR Green.
    • BR Bo-Bo Class 26 no. 26035, built in 1959. Stored awaiting overhaul, painted BR Blue with full Yellow ends.
    • BR Bo-Bo Class 27 no. D5353, built in 1961. Stored awaiting overhaul.
    • BR Bo-Bo Class 27 no. D5370, built in 1962. Operational, Painted BR Green with Yellow warning panels.
    • BR Co-Co Class 37 no. 37097, built in 1962. Under overhaul, painted BR Blue.


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