Scottish Branch lines-Coast and Glen lines -last week of service 1968

8mm archive film (no sound) taken on the last week of the service in 1968 between Aberdeen and Elgin via Buckie and from Elgin to Keith Junction via Craigellachie.
Poor weather conditions and film quality but historic footage.

[@davidcann4329]

Fantastic film and unique footage of this long lost railway network, what a real tragedy and how it has made a lot of these communities more remote and more reliant on the motor vehicle. These railways were closed after Beeching had finished his pruning job and a lot of these places have grown in size, so a railway link would have made a lot of sense, but as per usual the short term thinking of the government of the day saw no future. I also think the mindless attitude of selling off pieces of trackbed for redevelopment rather than keeping in case of reinstatement or for footpaths or cycle routes was also very short sighted. Sad that these things took place in my lifetime.

[@Shelfandtabletoplayouts00gauge]

Some elegant and well kept stations through some gorgeous countryside. An ethereal beauty to the film. Some of the building styles are typical of that whole Aberdeen and inland area and have a real grace too them. Thanks for posting the video it was a real treat.😃

[@Shelfandtabletoplayouts00gauge]

Wow, such a waste of enineering, effort , labour , sweat and everything else that was put into building these lines every time someone decides to pull the plug. I hope the remaining lines prosper😃 Thanks for the video, subscribed👍

[@jamesgeddes4089]

The amount of workers going to elgin nowadays from the coast that coastal line would have made money

[@Aidankiwi]

Some real gems lost there :(

[@anderson357]

Imagine the quality if were made today. Just came too late.

[@charliechats9910]

Thank you for memories of last week of Train Services, via the Coast and via the Glen, Alan. I also liked the short one of the run to Banff. I travelled on the Last Train to Tillynaught in July 1964. Unforgettable, but sad days on the GNSR too. Charles Beaton (ex Macduff), Woodside, Aberdeen

[@rileyj7474]

1qq

[@railwaychristina3192]

Love the Dacha and cricket pavillion style stations

[@Tom-Lahaye]

Nice footage, was the same DMU doing the complete circuit (Keith jct, Cairnie, Tillynaught, Elgin, Craigellachie and back to Keith jct) or were these sepparate services? The coast line would be a major tourist attraction today, as would be the Glen line. Thinking that today's boring main line between Keith jct and Elgin was just of minor importance when looking at a 1950's BR railway map (thin line) and both the Glen and Coast route boasting a fair share of the trains between Inverness and Aberdeen, and then 10 years later it was all done.

[@charlie1872]

Thanks for posting this, great footage and historical record. Never saw those viaducts. Are any of these lines still open? Have been to Strathspey, Nairn etc👍

[@EM-yk1dw]

What a shame this shut. Another part of Scotland cut off forever by rail.

[@joesprinter8202]

It was done deliberately by people who needed you to buy cars. I know this challenges belief systems, but research it yourself. Find out who benefitted from this, who got the land, the contracts and who built the replacement road structure. When you've done this, find which clubs they all went to.

[@thomaswislocki2804]

+joe sprinter I'm glad someone else has spotted the "vested interests" that destroyed the rail network of Scotland..!!

[@joesprinter8202]

+Thomas Wislocki Thanks for your reply. It seems we would have a lot to talk about on this topic.

[@EM-yk1dw]

Crazy that this, Fraserburgh and Peterhead were axed. What were the powers to be thinking of?

[@joesprinter8202]

+Edward Pearce They were thinking of lucrative road building, road tax, fuel tax, freed up land and men down in clubs rubbing their hands looking for something to do next.

[@stevem-h3562]

A better vanished time, as a certain old song went... what a loss. Bordering on the criminal.

[@soundnicetome]

Tragic...all these lines lost...thanks to your ever caring and forward thinking government/s??

[@buddmetroliner200gaming3]

what if u try and do one with audio

[@joshimitsu96]

☹️😔☹️😔