Milton of Crathes railway station

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Milton of Crathes

Location

Place

Banchory, Royal Deeside

Local authority

Aberdeenshire

Operations

Managed by

Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society

Platforms in use

History

28 February 1966

Line Closed by British Railways

2003

First track laid on site by Royal Deeside Railway

2006

Construction of station platform begins

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Milton of Crathes railway station is located at Milton of Crathes, three miles east of Banchory, Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.

[edit] Crathes (Castle) Station

Crathes Castle station, located 1/4 mile to the east of Milton of Crathes, was opened by the Deeside Railway in 1853 for the private use of the Laird of Crathes. In 1863 Crathes Castle was renamed Crathes and became a public railway station, a role it retained until the closure of the railway in 1966. Crathes station building is now privately owned and features a replica of the original signalbox, whilst the trackbed is owned by the local estate. The Royal Deeside Railway has no plans at present to re-use the old station which is in a less convenient position for today's tourist market and which is separated from the heritage railway by the entrace road to the Milton of Crathes site itself, as well as a missing overbridge and embankment.

[edit] Milton of Crathes Station

Milton of Crathes station is being constructed from scratch on agricultural land, and is the headquarters of the Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society. The station is the start of the rebuilt Royal Deeside Railway which will eventually run for over 3 miles west into the town of Banchory. The station itself consists of a single platform and two tracks (which will eventually form a locomotive run-round loop). At the east end of the station are foundations for the former Oldmeldrum station building, which will be moved to the railway in the near future with the assistance of the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Passenger services are presently operated using a British Rail Class 03 diesel shunter D2134 (03134) in British Railways green livery, coupled to a BR-built LNER guard's van. Two British Rail Mark 2 coaches in BR Crimson and Cream livery currently serve as the society visitor centre and coffee shop at the station, and will in due course be used on passenger trains.

Other items of interest which can be seen at the station are Class 14 diesel locomotive D9551, and the British Rail BEMU "Gemini" Battery Railcar. From time to time the railway civil engineering stock can be seen in the station area, these include the Dogfish ballast hopper wagon, a LMS General Utility Van (GUV) used for storing permanent way tools, a BR Lomac well wagon and a Smith-Rodley Diesel Rail Crane, owned by the Strathspey Railway (preserved) and on loan to the Royal Deeside Railway for use on track laying activities.

It is hoped that the Milton of Crathes will soon be home to the former Aberdeen Gas Works steam locomotive: 0-4-0 "Bon Accord", which is presently under restoration at a nearby site.

Attractions: Crathes Castle (opposite), various heritage rolling stock items.