CONCLUSION

Kittybrewster depot, workshops and passenger yards all closed in 1965/6, along with the Peterhead and Fraserburgh (including the
Fraserburgh-St. Combes branch), the remaining section of the Alford branch from Kintore, the Old Meldrum branch from Inverurie,
the remains of the MacDuff line, between Inveramsay Junction and Turriff, the Elgin line from Keith Junction via Craigellachie and
Dufftown, the 'coast road' from Carnie Junction to Elgin via Tillynaught Junction, Portsoy, Cullen and Buckie, the Tillynaught to
Banff branch and the Aberdeen to Ballater (Royal Deeside ) branch. At the same time the main line between Aberdeen station and
Kennethmont was singled, with just one section of double track between Kennethmont and Inch to avoid delays over the 110 miles
too and from Inverness.

The loco works at Inverurie also closed, creating massive unemployment to railway workers. Possibly nowhere else in the U.K. did
railways suffered such loss of work and train services, in one sweep. Virtually nothing exists of the railway scenes shown on these
pages, except for railway preservation of two sections of line, the Keith to Dufftown and short section at Park on the Deeside line.
 

Both these preserved lines have every chance of continuing, with possible expansion, Keith Town to Keith Junction to meet the main
line, and a long term plan to eventually reopen the Deeside line back into Aberdeen. It is very doubtful if any of the other lines will
ever see railway services again, albeit, the Fraserburgh gets mentioned every now and again so who knows! However as much of the
route has been converted into a Cycle and Walkway with special exits and entrances being built at some cost. Reopening as a railway
could prove difficult. Likewise, both station areas at Fraserburgh and Peterhead have been wiped away and space for new stations
would also prove difficult and expensive, but certainly not impossible! All that is required is the political will and motorists to realise
the benefits of leaving the car behind for certain journeys. The Peterhead/Fraserburgh line was never developed for commuter traffic
and I am sure the potential was there for such a service and the lines still being with us today. During the time I worked over there
more people would enquire about trains than would use them as the service was so sparse. One particular useless service was the
1.10/15 pm train from, Peterhead to Maude Junction, where all we ever saw was empty countryside and wildlife. There was no
connections at Maud and over an hour's wait for the next Aberdeen train and that didn't arrive 5pm. For a 54 mile journey that was
scandalous even in those days. What wasted opportunity that was. Faster line speeds and more limited stops would have easily
competed with buses and their shorter routes. The locomotives and stock were well up to it, only the meanness to raise the line
speeds and reopen a few passing loops stopped it from happening.

The 08.25 from Aberdeen didn't reach Peterhead until around half 10. What was required was a service that would have got
passengers to either end in time for starting work and getting home again at a reasonable time in the evening and or for Buchan
folk to be able to visit Aberdeen for the cinemas and theatres and shopping. The Peterhead train could have been extended to Dyce
with regular connections for Aberdeen and the north and the Fraserburgh trains could have ran at express or semi-fast speeds.

Even the Boddam branch could have played it's part in increasing the number of services between Ellon and Aberdeen. The blinkers
were really on in the past! With one and two car Sprinter units, single manning of driving cabs, radio signaling, and on-train ticket
collection or Internet purchasing! the savings would have been on-going. Can anyone tell my why the Banff branch had to remain
steam hauled to the end! There were single and two car DMU's that would have made the branch more economic to run! Whatever,
the past is the past and what's done has been done and I doubt if it will ever be reversed. But at least we have our memories and
they can't take that away from us. 

                                              To Kittybrewster Index        To Ken Griffin Home Page

Further internet web sites relating to theses lines can be found at:  http://jove.prohosting.com/~ark84/railways/buchan/buchan.htm

http://www.railscot.co.uk/Formartine_and_Buchan_Railway/body.htm

Any additional information would be most welcome. reidcrcwdr@aol.com