NEWTYLE (North Junction) TO ADLER JUNCTION
(New. From a walk on the 16th April 2015)
This walk continues from the site at Newtyle North Junction, where a turntable was built in the triangle between the two lines. Trains for the 'old' station
heading north from Dundee had to shunt back down the to the Goods Depot and the turntable became neccessary. From North Junction the two
branches ran side by side as far as the two B954 Road bridges, where they separated, one turning westwards towards Ardler Junction and on to Perth,
while the other, after crossing the B954 then crossed the A&P on an embankment then turned eastwards and running into the D&N platform at Alyth
Junction then on to Alyth Town. The original D&N route to Essie Jctn Station curved northeastwards just to the south where the two new spurs
head for Ardler and to Alyth Junction. The two lines opened in Aug. 1868. At the same time the old station at Newtyle was converted to a
Goods Depot and ran as a long siding from Newtyle North Junction. The Hatton Incline being abandoned.( NSL Map of 1955-1961).
Newtyle North Junction, with the Goods line (Left) running directly south and the new line curves (Large tree on track bed) southwest to the new station and
on to Dundee.
Left: Looking back towards Newtyle 'old' station (Goods) with the Ardler branch at a higher level on the right.
Right: Exact opposite view, leading to the gap over the B954.
Left: The stone bracing wall makes the Ardler branch look as if it had a station platform.
Right: Site where the original D&N curved off towards the junction at Essie on the A&P. The embankment at this point was used to form the Alyth Spur embankment, leaving this gap.
Left: Looking south on the Ardler Spur. Right: Looking north along the Ardler Spur embankment.
Left: Looking south on the Ardler Spur. Right: Looking north along the Ardler Spur embankment.
Left: A footpath has been formed from the Adler track bed that takes you to Water Backie, where you can join the Newer line, to the west of Newtyle.
Right: A welcome seat on the Ardler embankment with a pleasant view westwards.
You can just mke out the embankment of the original line to Essie Junction, curving away northwards. From the Adler Spur embankment.
From the Newtyle side of the Ex B945 Road bridge, with the north side abutment where the track bed continues to the site at Ardler Junction.
Remains of both railway bridges on the B954 by the Belmont Arms. Towards Newtyle. The Alyth Junction abutments nearest.
Undated photo of the two bridges. The Adler junction bridge nearest. A train appears to be heading for Newtyle on the Alyth
junction bridge. The Adler bridge being the original is mostly of stone while the Newtyle being a later addition is of steel.
(Author unknown).
Left: Both abutments on the south side of the road. Right: Both abutments on the north side of the road, with the Alyth Jctn abutments nearest.
Left: The Ardler south side abutment, from Newtyle North Junction. Right: The North side abutment, with the path on the right that takes you up onto the track bed and onto Ardler Junction.
On the main road towards the Hotel.
The Ex Ardler Spur over bridge on the B954. Looking north from the south side of the embankment, towards Ardler Junction. The footpath on the right
takes you up onto the track bed. It's a very busy road. Take care when crossing. The spur to Alyth Junction station is to the far right.
Reverse view. On the path up to the track bed, which is the embankment on the right.
Left: The Ex farm crossing gate where you get back onto the Adler track bed, with the stump of the embankment coming from the Ex over bridge on the A945.
Right: Looking back to where I got back on to the track bed from the main road. The embankment has been lowered to form the present foot path.
Left: Looking back towards Newtyle. Right: Looking towards Ardler Junction.
Looking towards Ardler Junction.
Left: Looking across the gap that was the embankment towards Alyth Junction station. The stub where it crossed the A&P, curved sharping and dropping down into the D&N platform.
RightL The A&P track bed runs along side the north side of the D&N spur. Looking north.
Left: The two track beds running towards Ardler Junction. Right: Looking back towards Newtyle, with the A&P on the far left, running towards Alyth Junction.
You would have seen the Alyth Spur embankment crossing the field, in the background.
Left: The south end of the embankment, with the steps allowing access too and from the track bed. On the south sir. Right: the stub of the west side of the embankment where the track bed ran down to Ardler Junction.
Left: Direction post at the bottom of the embankment. The way to the left takes you to Water Backie, where the D&N Divergence route crossed the Cupar Road, just west of Newtyle.
Right: The embankment steps, on the south side.
Left: The south side embanlment stub. Right: The Ex Camno crossing keeper's house.
Left: Colourful scene looking southwards from the Camno road. The Ex overbridge filled the gap, centrally between the trees on the right.
Right: From the A&P track bed at Camno Crossing site with the D&N embankment behind, showing the gap where the over bridge had been.
.JPG)
The two track beds running towards Ardler Junction.
The D&N Spur embankment from the Camno road.
Ex Camno Crossing, with the A&P track bed running towards Alyth Junction.
From Camno crossing, south side, looking towards Ardler junction, with the D&N Spur embankment to the far left.
Left: From the Adler tack bed, looking towards Camno Crossing and Ex Crossing Keeper's house. D&N to the far right.
Right: Reverse view, towards Adler Junction site and onto Perth.
From the track bed of the A&P line, towards Camno Crossing site and to Alyth Junction, with the D&N spur on the embankment on the right.
Reverse view, towards Perth. The hut is where the signal box stood, in between the two railways. The D&N ran around the left side of the Signal Box,
with the actual junction just a few years up ahead.
Adler Junction. The D&N ran down the left side of the signal box and onto Perth.
Left: Looking south. The Dundee spur coming in from the right hand side of the trees, with the Aberdeen-Perth line towards Alyth Junction on the left.
Right: remains of the two out buildings and where Ardler Junction signal box stood (To the right).
Left: The two out buildings, remains. Right: Remains of the top of a telegraph pole, including insulators.
Right: Wooden remains in the undergrowth.
The out building was well-built.
The interior is in quite good condition.
Made to last! The store was built from complete sleepers that would have been very strong.
Towards Perth on the A&P, where the two routes joined and which was the site of a serious collision between a passenger and a parcels on the 17th July 1948, in which two
railwaymen were killed. Right: From more to the left, with the D&N spur approaching Ardler Junction and blanked off with a sleeper in 1959. While the signal box was
demolished the store room in front of the signal box is still in place today, as is part of the Tool's Store just behind the store room. Photo by the late Norris Forrest.
Aftermath of the accident. The D&N line comes in from the right hand side of the signal box and you can see the crossover
from the Down A&P to the D&N below the rear two coaches of the A&P train. You can also see the two Down Starter
signal posts on each side of the signal box. D.C. Thomson.
The track bed remains quite clear until the approach Ardler station site where it becomes
impossible to continue , as indeed is most of the track bed the rest of the way to Cupar Angus.
======================================================================================
NEWTYLE GOODS TO ALYTH JUNCTION TO ALYTH
Links & Reading:
The Dundee & Newtyle Railway by Niall Ferguson. Still available from some books shops and on the Internet.
The Dundee & Newtyle (A history by Elliot Simpson)
http://www.auchterhouse.com/history/railway.htm (Includes and excellent map of the railway)
http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=7762615 Excellent 'remains' photos including the Law Tunnel, Balbeuchley Incline and Dronley
http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/incline/dund.htm Explains the inclines but sketches are very poor quality and almost useless.
Video Screen grabs from the The Railways Of Scotland Volume 8 "Dundee". An excellent video available on DVD, from Cinerail at: http://www.cinerail.com/cinerail/railways-of-scotland.html
There are many great archive scenes of almost every Scottish route you can think of. Well worth a look.The Cromford & High Peak Incline railway in Derbyshire has been luckier in having
much of it's buildings, including an Engine House preserved. This is what could have happened, indeed, should have happened with at least one of the D&N inclines. However, the C&H
gives an excellent comparison of what the D&N would have looked like.
http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/incline/hop.htm
Boddam To Ellon Branch (Walks) By Bill Reid.
Hosted by www.theatreorgans.com