You can create your own railway lines through Google MyMaps!
I got bored and created one. It's called the Queen O' Scots line and, as you can see, it snakes it's way through the Highlands from Inverness, passing through many real settlements, as well as some fictional ones, before terminating at the fictional town of Havensbrook.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...ll=58.040097,-4.141846&spn=1.401553,5.625&z=8
The railway is single track throughout with regular passing loops at most stations. It shares the same track as the Far North and Kyle Lines as far as Lentran Junction near Beauly where it heads off towards it's first stop at Drumchadine. It then flows through the Highlands into Breakchy, but not before crossing over an impressive viaduct over the River Beauly. The railway then glides up to Muir of Fairburn and dramatically curves west before flowing past Loch Meig before arriving at it's fourth stop of Dalnacreich. The line then heads north-west, over the Far North line before a sharp turn through Aultgish Forrest (fictional) and then north-east into Strathrannoch. The line then sharply twists into Deanich Lodge Halt, built specifically to cater to holiday makers. The railway then climbs through the Torridon mountains before again turning sharply into Croich, which was the first junction on the line. It had a branch for serving the local collieries. These closed during WW1 and never reopened. The railway then heads east towards Culrain where it does not stop, but you can see the station on the Far North Line from the train! It crosses the river via a girder bridge then runs parrael to it. As of 2011, the A87 road has taken some of the trackbed here into it's own use. The railway's next stop is Invercassley, then it turns east towards Dalchork on the shores of Loch Shin. The railway crosses the loch via Shin Viaduct which offers passengers a magnificent view of the loch. The railway then performs a U-turn ito Langwell Junction - the first passenger-train junction on the line.
The branch here heads south-east into East Langwell, before heading up to Indleside (fictional) on the shores of Loch Indle (fictional). The branch then crosses Loch Brora on the long stretch to Dalbrea where it terminates. The last train to use this branch did so in May 1963 when it closed to passengers and freight, and was hauled by 65820 - an LNER J27 from Shed 69A Havensbrook (fictional).
The Main Line continued into West Langwell and Rhilochan before turning into Dalreavoch Junction station where the short single-line branch from Kinloch arrives into a bay-platform. As the station is on a passing loop, this makes Dalreavoch Junction the only through station on the line with more than two platforms. This lasted until closure of the branch in 1964 to passengers, but saw one parcels train per week until 1967. The main line heads over Balnacoil Moor (fictional) before climbing into it's penultimate stop at Dunleanan (fictional) where there is accomodation only for railway workers and their families. Things such as food come by train from Havensbrook, and this is how children are taken to and from school. The railway then heads in the final stretch of it's long journey north into Havensbrook where it's met by the line from Port of Skye which closed to passengers in 1963 and to freight in 1970.
The Queen O' Scots line was an unfortunate victim of the Beeching report as it shadowed the Far North (odd as it was also listed for closure. Thankfully it survived) and because passenger numbers were incredibly low thanks to the car and rural bus as well as the high price and slow, winding trains. Even DMUs made no difference and so the line was finally closed to passengers in September 1967 not long after the end of Scottish steam. The section between Inverness and Dalchork was dismantled, but a chord was built at Lairg to allow parcel and freight trains from the Far North to run to Havensbrook and along the Port of Skye branch and the line to Havensbrook completely singled (passing loops removed). This operation lasted until 1970 when the Port of Skye line was lifted. The Dalbrae and Kinloch branches were obliterated and Havensbrook saw it's last train - a Sulzer Type 4 hauled parcels train in early 1972. By 1975, the Queen O' Scots line was wiped from the map. Today little trace of the railway remains -only cuttings, embankments and maybe the odd milepost or two, and Havensbrook station - once a fine four platform terminus - is now merely a carpark.
I got bored and created one. It's called the Queen O' Scots line and, as you can see, it snakes it's way through the Highlands from Inverness, passing through many real settlements, as well as some fictional ones, before terminating at the fictional town of Havensbrook.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...ll=58.040097,-4.141846&spn=1.401553,5.625&z=8
The railway is single track throughout with regular passing loops at most stations. It shares the same track as the Far North and Kyle Lines as far as Lentran Junction near Beauly where it heads off towards it's first stop at Drumchadine. It then flows through the Highlands into Breakchy, but not before crossing over an impressive viaduct over the River Beauly. The railway then glides up to Muir of Fairburn and dramatically curves west before flowing past Loch Meig before arriving at it's fourth stop of Dalnacreich. The line then heads north-west, over the Far North line before a sharp turn through Aultgish Forrest (fictional) and then north-east into Strathrannoch. The line then sharply twists into Deanich Lodge Halt, built specifically to cater to holiday makers. The railway then climbs through the Torridon mountains before again turning sharply into Croich, which was the first junction on the line. It had a branch for serving the local collieries. These closed during WW1 and never reopened. The railway then heads east towards Culrain where it does not stop, but you can see the station on the Far North Line from the train! It crosses the river via a girder bridge then runs parrael to it. As of 2011, the A87 road has taken some of the trackbed here into it's own use. The railway's next stop is Invercassley, then it turns east towards Dalchork on the shores of Loch Shin. The railway crosses the loch via Shin Viaduct which offers passengers a magnificent view of the loch. The railway then performs a U-turn ito Langwell Junction - the first passenger-train junction on the line.
The branch here heads south-east into East Langwell, before heading up to Indleside (fictional) on the shores of Loch Indle (fictional). The branch then crosses Loch Brora on the long stretch to Dalbrea where it terminates. The last train to use this branch did so in May 1963 when it closed to passengers and freight, and was hauled by 65820 - an LNER J27 from Shed 69A Havensbrook (fictional).
The Main Line continued into West Langwell and Rhilochan before turning into Dalreavoch Junction station where the short single-line branch from Kinloch arrives into a bay-platform. As the station is on a passing loop, this makes Dalreavoch Junction the only through station on the line with more than two platforms. This lasted until closure of the branch in 1964 to passengers, but saw one parcels train per week until 1967. The main line heads over Balnacoil Moor (fictional) before climbing into it's penultimate stop at Dunleanan (fictional) where there is accomodation only for railway workers and their families. Things such as food come by train from Havensbrook, and this is how children are taken to and from school. The railway then heads in the final stretch of it's long journey north into Havensbrook where it's met by the line from Port of Skye which closed to passengers in 1963 and to freight in 1970.
The Queen O' Scots line was an unfortunate victim of the Beeching report as it shadowed the Far North (odd as it was also listed for closure. Thankfully it survived) and because passenger numbers were incredibly low thanks to the car and rural bus as well as the high price and slow, winding trains. Even DMUs made no difference and so the line was finally closed to passengers in September 1967 not long after the end of Scottish steam. The section between Inverness and Dalchork was dismantled, but a chord was built at Lairg to allow parcel and freight trains from the Far North to run to Havensbrook and along the Port of Skye branch and the line to Havensbrook completely singled (passing loops removed). This operation lasted until 1970 when the Port of Skye line was lifted. The Dalbrae and Kinloch branches were obliterated and Havensbrook saw it's last train - a Sulzer Type 4 hauled parcels train in early 1972. By 1975, the Queen O' Scots line was wiped from the map. Today little trace of the railway remains -only cuttings, embankments and maybe the odd milepost or two, and Havensbrook station - once a fine four platform terminus - is now merely a carpark.
Last edited:
