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: enquiries@caledonianrailway.com

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

(enquiries@caledonianrailway.com). 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.