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HOW TO FIND US
Caledonian Railway (Brechin) Ltd, The Station, Park
Road, Brechin, DD9 7AF
BY ROADBrechin is located just off the
A90 between Dundee and
Aberdeen. It is about 25 miles
north of Dundee and 40 miles
south of Aberdeen.
We have a small car park
located on site at our Brechin
station where spaces are on a
first come first served basis. This
car park is available to railway
customers only and is open from
10.30am to 4.30pm on the
selected railway operating dates.
There are other car parks
available within Brechin. These
are operated by Angus Council
(www.angus.gov.uk)
BY TRAINThe nearest mainline station is
Montrose. Services between
Dundee and Aberdeen are
provided by Abellio ScotRail
(www.scotrail.co.uk). Bus
services from this station can be
found via Angus Council
(www.angus.gov.uk).
BY BUSBrechin is served by many bus
routes from the surrounding
local area and beyond.
For bus times and routes see
www.angus.gov.uk.
The Caledonian Railway is a registered charity in Scotland, No. SCO12714
Tel: 01356 622992 Mob: 07759 187992
Email: [email protected]
www.facebook.com/TheCaledonianRailway
www.twitter.com/CaleyRail
Image © Google 2015
For more travel information, please visit www.travelinescotland.com
CALEDONIAN
RAILWAYStrathmore’s Historic Branch Line
Timetable and Guide 2016
Welcome to the
Whatever the weather, take a journey back in
time with a trip along Strathmore's historic
branch line at the Caledonian Railway.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy a peaceful train journey through
the picturesque Angus countryside on Strathmore's
historic four mile branch line. Watch the world go by
from the comfort of our heritage trains hauled both
steam and diesel locomotives.
Located 25 miles north of Dundee and 40 miles south of
Aberdeen, passengers can join our trains at Brechin or
the countryside station of Bridge of Dun.
The Caledonian Railway is an entirely volunteer run non-
profit organisation, with all funds being reinvested into
restoring and preserving the railway. Formed in 1979,
Caledonian Railway (Brechin) Ltd has won several awards
and has built up a reputation as one of the most visited
tourist attractions in Angus, all thanks to our dedicated
team of volunteers.
ABOUT THE BRANCH LINE
BrechinStationinitsglorydays.ThisphotographwastakenbyGeorgeWashingtonWilson&Company,apioneeringScottishphotographycompanyfromAberdeen,in1904.
Duringthe19thcentury,thesmalltownofBrechin
begantogrowandbecomeknownforitsproduce,
namelytextilesandwhisky.Toallowthetownto
continuegrowing,amethodofmovinglarge
quantitiesofmaterialsinandoutofthetownwas
required.
Twomethodsoftransportweresuggestedforthe
job;canalsandrailways.Duetothegeographyof
BrechinandtheRiverSouthEsk,buildingacanal
wasnotfeasibleandsoarailwaylinewas
constructed.
TheBrechintoBridgeofDunbranchlinewas
builtbytheAberdeenRailwaycompanyin1848.
Duringthe1880’s,aproposaltoupgradethe
branchlinetoamainlineroutebetweenForfar
andBrechinwasproposed.However,duetothe
orientationandlocationofBrechinstation,this
planwassoonabandoned.
Trafficalongthelinewasexpectedtoincrease
towardstheendofthe19thcentury.Subsequently,
Brechinstationwasexpandedin1885to
accommodatedmorepassengerandfreighttrains.
Duetofinancialissuesinthelate1880’sandearly
1890’s,theAberdeenRailwaycompanysoldthe
BrechinbranchlinetotheCaledonianRailway
companyonthe31stJuly1894.Afteralterations
weremade,thelinewasreopenedtogoodstrains
on7thJanuary1895,withpassengerservices
commencingonthe1stJunethesameyear.
Afterthefirstworldwar,theRailwaysActof1921
waspassed.Thisactcondensedthevastnumberof
individualrailwaycompaniesoperatinginthe
countryintofourlargeonesinanattemptto
curvespirallingoperatingcosts.Subsequently,the
CaledonianRailwaywasabsorbedintotheLondon,
Midland,andScottish(LMS)Railwayin1923.
TheLMSoperatedthebranchlinefrom1923to31st
December1947.Onthe1stJanuary1948,theLMSwas
nationalisedbytheTransportActof1947andbecame
partofBritishRailways(BR).
BritishRailways(BritishRailfrom1965)continuedto
operatetrainsalongthefourmilebranchlineformany
years.Unfortunately,duetoincreasedcompetition
frommotorvehicles,thelineclosedtopassenger
servicesin1952duetodecliningpassengernumbers
butremainedopentofreighttrafficuntil1981.
In1979,agroupofrailwayenthusiastssetupthe
CaledonianRailway(Brechin)Ltdinabidtosavethe
branchline.Theyweresuccessfulandthelinealong
withitstwostationswerepreserved,withthe
firstheritagepassengerservicesbeingoperated
withinthestationlimitsnotlongafterthe
departureofBR.
Aftersuccessfullygainingalightrailwayorderin
1993,therailwaywasgrantedpermissiontorun
passengerservicesalongtheentirelengthofthe
linetoBridgeofDun.Afterbeingactiveforover
30years,theCaledonianRailwaycompanyin
associationwiththeBrechinRailwayPreservation
Societyhasgonefromstrengthtostrength,
restoringandmaintainingtheline'sinfrastructure
alongwiththerollingstockandlocomotives
requiredtosuccessfullyoperatetheservices.
Image © Aidan Ritchie 2015
Image © University of Aberdeen 2015
Easter Eggspress
With train journeys through the
Angus countryside, as well as
activities such as the Easter Egg
Hunt, you can enjoy the delights of
spring with the rest of the family.
SERVICES
Gift Shop
Our well stocked Brechin gift shop has a fantastic range of toys and gift
ideas on offer, including a large quantity of Thomas the Tank EngineTM
merchandise!
Open: 10.30am - 4pm (operating days only*)
Debit and Credit cards accepted.
EVENING SERVICES
Diesel Saturdays
Rekindle some forgotten
memories or experience first
hand what it was really like to
travel in days of old by taking a
trip behind our heritage
mainline diesel locomotive
Steam Sundays
Take a leisurely trip back in time
with a steam train journey through
the Angus countryside.
Tickets do not need to be pre-
booked and can be bought on the
day at our Brechin and Bridge of
Dun ticket offices. The timetable
for these services is shown below.
The Frying Scotsman
Enjoy a traditional British
meal served on a steam
hauled train travelling
through the picturesque
Angus countryside.
Your journey begins at
Murder on the Brechin Express
SPECIAL SERVICES
Enjoy a family day out with Thomas the tank engine at the
Caledonian Railway! Meet Thomas and his friends and
travel behind Thomas on the train.
Santa Specials
Christmas simply wouldn’t be the
same without a steam hauled train
journey at the Caledonian Railway.
Meet Santa on the train and receive
a festive gift – children will be given
an age appropriate gift while adults
Pushchairs and Bicycles – During normal operating dates, buggies
and bicycles can be transported in the Guard’s Van. On special
operating dates (e.g. Day Out With ThomasTM) we cannot
accommodate either of these on the train and so alternative storage
will be provided at our Brechin station.
Dogs – Dogs are welcome on our normal service trains provided that
they are kept under control, on the floor, and any mess created is
cleaned by the owner. In the interest of hygiene, dogs (except
assistance) are not permitted access to our Buffets. Dogs (except
assistance) are not allowed during selected evening and special
services. Details regarding specific services can be found on our
website.
Access to non-public areas – In the interest of safety, we do not
currently allow access to any of our maintenance or storage sheds
and would like to remind visitors to remain on platforms and public
areas.
Accessibility Information – Passengers with disabilities are
welcome at the Caledonian Railway. We have disabled access at both
of our stations;
Brechin Station: Access to the station via our Park Road car park
using the gate on the platform. For security reasons, this is usually
kept locked but can be opened upon request, just ask one of our
friendly volunteers! There are male and female disabled toilets located
on platform 2.
Bridge of Dun: The main platform can be accessed from the car park
and bus turning circle. A unisex disabled toilet is located in the station
building on platform 2.
Disclosers
Railway locomotives sometimes release cinders and other oily
deposits into the atmosphere. Caledonian Railway (Brechin) Ltd
regrets that it cannot take responsibility for any injury or damage to
visitor's clothing, vehicles, or any other personal belongings caused by
these occurrences.
All services are subject to availability. Caledonian Railway (Brechin)
Ltd reserves the right to alter, restrict or suspend any service without
prior notice or change of motive power. Any refund requests must be
submitted in writing to Caledonian Railway (Brechin) Ltd. All
information contained within this leaflet is correct at the time of
production (November 2015). Up to date travel information can be
found via our website and social media accounts.
Debit and Credit card services are only currently available at our
Brechin ticket office and gift shop. Please arrive at least 15 minutes
before your intended departure time.
VOLUNTEERING USEFUL INFORMATION
No Smoking Policy – The Caledonian Railway operates a no smoking
policy on all of its premises and train services.
Toilet Facilities – These are available at both our Brechin and Bridge
of Dun stations. Please note that there are no toilets available on any of
our train services.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Join Us! – We are an entirely volunteer operated railway and our
volunteers and members are a very important part of our railway.
Becoming a member of the Brechin Railway Preservation Society brings a
number of benefits, including up to three free train journeys a year* and
quarterly updates on our progress in the form of a newsletter – plus it
gives you the satisfaction that you are helping to keep an important part
of history alive. We currently have over 40 active volunteers at the
railway and membership with the BRPS allows you to become a part of
that team. New volunteers are always welcome and we have roles to
suit almost everyone. For more information, please see our volunteering
leaflets or visit brps.caledonianrailway.com
*Not valid during special services such as Day Out With ThomasTM and Santa
Specials.
Image © Richard Birse 2015
Driver Experience
Experience life on the footplate
and fulfil a childhood dream by
spending the day driving one of
our steam locomotives! 2016
dates and more details are
available via our website and
Driver Experience leaflets!
(www.caledonianrailway.com) or by email
([email protected]). Advance booking is essential.
Buffet
Located next to our children's play area, the Brechin Buffet offers a
variety of hot food and drinks. The Buffer Stop Buffet at Bridge of Dun is
also open (subject to availability).
Open: 10.30am - 3pm (operating days only*)
*Subject to availability. Shop closed during Diesel Saturdays. Opening times
may differ during special services. See our website for more details.
House of Dun
Built in 1730, this beautiful Georgian
House offers a glimpse into what a
luxurious life looked like during the 18th
century.
Opening times and more information can
be found at nts.org.uk
Walks around Dun and Montrose Basin
With over 3 miles of trails to chose from, taking a walk around Bridge of
Dun and Montrose Basin offers the ideal opportunity for viewing the
wide variety of local wildlife. More info at scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk
Small Relics Museum
Along with our variety of rolling stock on show, we also have a small
relics display and museum located at Brechin Station next to the ticket
office on Platform 1.
THINGS TO SEE & DO
Image © Chris Pegg 2015 Image © Steph Wilkie 2015
Image © The National Trust for Scotland 2015
services. The timetable for these services is shown below.
Cab rides are available on these trains and are sold on a
first come first served basis – simply speak to the driver for
more information. A valid train ticket is also required.
Brechin - 11.00 12.20 13.40 14.55 16.10B
Bridge of Dun 10.15A 11.35 12.55 14.15 15.35 -
Notes:
Timetable may differ during Special Service dates. Train departure times
for Special Services can be found on our website. Estimated return
journey time is 1 hour.
A : Service does not operate on 17th July, 7th & 14th August 2016.B : Service is one way and terminates at Bridge of Dun station.
* : Trains do not operate during Special Service dates.
Brechin with your fish supper served on the train just
before departure, with deserts being served at Bridge of
Dun station. On-train bar open until 9pm.
Advanced booking is essential.
There’s been a murder
and the only way to solve
it is with your help!
Who ‘Dun’ it?
Collect the clues
throughout the night and
unravel this mystery.
Buffet available at Bridge of Dun station with on-train bar
open ‘til 9.30pm. Advanced booking is essential.
Saturday 16th
July & 13th
August
6.15pm ‘til 9.00pm
Saturday 6th
August
6.45pm ‘til 10.45pm
WWW.CALEDONIANRAILWAY.COM
Every Saturday in July and
August*
Every Sunday From 29th
May ‘til
4th
September*
Timetable
Sunday 27th
March
10.30am ‘til 4.00pm
DAY OUT WITH THOMAS
See Our Website For Dates
9.30am ‘til 4.30pm
can indulge in a miniature of whisky or wine.
Advanced booking is highly recommended.
10th
, 11th
, 17th
, 18th
& 24th
December
10.30am ‘til 4.00pm
For more details on all of our services and to book
tickets, please visit our website.
Image © Chris Pegg 2015
Ticket pricing information and more details about our
services can be found on our website.