subject for discussion

[guest311]

was debating whether this should be here, or in real railways, but decided on here in the end.

I was reading Ian Futers' Modelling Scotland's Railways and I came across the bit about the G&NWR proposal for a line from Fort William to Inverness.

It got me thinking, and a few drams later I was trying to work out the route on Google earth.

Most of it is reasonably easy, but then I couldn't make up my mind as to how they would have accessed Inverness.

Would they have gone into Inverness station itself, or built their own?

Would they have been able to find a route into the station, or would they have needed to go north and join the Far North Line at Clachnaharry?

By this time the drams were having their effect, but what do you think would be the answer ?

looking forward to hearing your suggestions, and also suggestions for freight etc using the line supposing that it survived Beeching.

cheers

alan

[belstone]

I haven't read the Ian Futers book, but I reckon the following is likely:

The G&NW wouldn't have got as far as laying a yard of track before they were taken over by a larger company.  Question then is which one - North British (Fort William) or Highland (Inverness).  The NB was a bigger and more aggressive concern than the Highland, and I can imagine them thinking that Inverness would be a good destination to add to their empire., allowing them to run Inverness-Glasgow trains in competition with the Highland.  If Inverness-Glasgow via Fort William seems a bit of a long way round, it wouldn't have been any worse than the old Highland route via Forres, before the direct line over Slochd was built. (And possibly having to change trains at Perth where the Highland met the Caledonian).

In fact, it sounds such a good idea on paper that I'm surprised the North British didn't do it. Chances of the Highland letting the NB use their station at Inverness to steal their traffic: nil.  So I reckon the NB would have had their own terminus at Inverness.

Richard

[Sprintex]

was debating whether this should be here, or in real railways, but decided on here in the end.

Are you considering building a layout based on this route then?


Paul

[guest311]

My layout is/will be based loosely [very loosely] on Inverness in around 1986, with bits of the Far North line, possibly Georgemas Junction, and some of the Highland main line to let trains stretch their legs.

The interest in this 'might have been' route is that it would hopefully have provided extra passenger and freight movements into Inverness.

I like Richards comments, but I wonder if BR, or it's predecessors might have rationalised the layout and rerouted into Inverness station, from the north, and selling the other station for development.

The joys of planning!

though a small station with passing loop would be nice   

where is that tape measure