Dunrobin in context
5th May 2011
I thought blog followers might be interested in the following images, which were kindly sent over by Keith Jones, the Curator at Dunrobin Castle.
Below: This is the restored station at Dunrobin, which is on the Far North Line, running from Inverness to Wick and Thurso. The station itself is a few miles north of Golspie, where a larger station exists and where Dunrobin was shedded through its life working for the Duke of Sutherland. The four wheel carriage (often described, I am finding, as a the brake and luggage van) was kept here, in a building on sidings adjacent to the single platform. The line through here is still open.
Below: There is still locomotive interest at Dunrobin, with this Baguley 0-4-0PM locomotive ‘Brora’ on display there. The locomotive was one of a trio used at Trentham Gardens in Stoke on Trent (the gardens being part of a larger estate there, owned by the Duke of Sutherland) on a two-foot gauge miniature railway. Sister locomotive, ‘Golspie’ is preserved at the Amerton Railway in Staffordshire and a third, 0-6-0 type (named ‘Dunrobin’!) also survived, and is now at East Links Family Park near Dunbar, East Lothian (running with what appear to be ex Trentham Gardens – Baguley – coaches).
The railway closed in the late 1980s, ‘Golspie’ and ‘Dunrobin’ being preserved after a brief period at Alton Towers, also in Staffordshire. In 1986 ‘Brora’ was brought north to Inverness College of Further and Higher Education by the Countess of Sutherland (thus never going to Alton Towers with the other two locomotives), where it was restored in 1987-88 and placed on display at Dunrobin Station.
Below: Keith also sent this photograph of the recent ‘Great Britain IV’ railtour charging through Dunrobin Castle Station to the clear delight of a large gathering of the public. The locos are Black Five class No.s 44871 and 45407, and are heading south hauling the Wick – Inverness leg of the tour on the 18th April 2011.
My granddad operated all three engines at Trentham gardens from before WWII to the late 1960s and m dad and his brothers all worked on the miniature railway and gardens – great to see the engines are still intact and I have taken many a ride on them as a child.
I remember your dad very well, both driving the locos, as well as living with his wife and family in the house that was situated in our school playground at Trentham C of E school. Really great memories.
Many happy memories working on the railway in the late 70’s. Dunrobin was always the engine of choice with the higher sideways seating position and the 3 sets of driven wheels giving both a better ride and traction. Only drove Bora a few times, it was limited to only 4 carriages due to it’s weight and was probably the most expensive to operate with its petrol engine. However it was by far the fastest but a nightmare in the wet (even if the sand boxes worked) with very little traction.
My father was a young mine surveyor at Stafford Coal and Iron, Great Fenton (owned by the Duke of Sutherland). In mid-1930’s he and a senior colleague were sent to survey the route for a miniature railway at Trentham Gardens, for the Sutherland estate. They reached the site by rowing boat across the lake. I still have the survey plan. I am happy to donate it to a bona fide railway organisation for preservation.