Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway
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The Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway was a branch-line railway built in Scotland, and served by the Highland Railway, the North British Railway and later the London & North Eastern Railway
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[edit] Beginnings
The Invergarry line was originally set out to bridge the gap between a stretch of land known as "The Three Lochs"[citation needed] (as Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Loch Ness form this gap). Either side was served by a railway, but there was no rail service in this void.
[edit] Construction, opening and change of ownership
The line was constructed from Spean Bridge to Fort Augustus, via Invergarry.
The Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway company ran out of money; and from 22 July 1903 the Highland Railway was authorised to operate the line for ten years at a cost of £4,000 per annum.[1][2] The Highland Railway pulled out on 1 May 1907 and the North British Railway operated the line until 31 October 1911, when it was closed down.[1][3] The line was reopened on 1 August 1913; and the North British Railway bought the line in August 1914.[1]
[edit] Closures
After the First World War, the North British Railway was amalgamated into the London & North Eastern Railway, who used it largely for freight purposes rather than passenger traffic. The line closed to passenger traffic on 1 December 1933 and closed to goods on 1 January 1947 (it was used for goods during World War II including a platform at a RNAD in Fort Augustus).[4]
[edit] Today
Some of the line today has been built over by roads and holiday parks, although it mostly survives in a reasonably good, if overgrown, condition. The many bridges and single tunnel are in particularly good condition, and the section along Loch Oich has been incorporated into the Great Glen Way. Video 125 made a video documentary about the line, using the sub-heading: The line that should have never been built.
[edit] References
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b c Awdry (1990): Pp 139-140.
- ^ Thomas (1981). Chapter 12: The Great Glen.
- ^ Thomas (1981). Chapter 12: The Great Glen, states that closure was announced in the newspapers on 25 October 1910, giving the intended date of closure as 31 January 1911. The line was however operated until 31 October.
- ^ Dow, George (2001). The Story of the West Highland. Gartocharn: Famedram Publishers. ISBN 0-90548969-1.
[edit] Sources
- Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063.
- Thomas, John (1976). Forgotten Railways: Scotland (1st edition ed.). Newton Abbot: Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-7185-1. OCLC 3103506.
- Thomas, John (1981). Forgotten Railways: Scotland (2nd edition ed.). Newton Abbot: Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-8193-8. OCLC 13641185.
