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Deeside Extension Railway
All photographs of this railway in date order.
![Dess was a pottery run by a very nice young lady who lived with her husband in the stationmasters house. They drank in the small (6 foot square) bar at the Potarch Hotel West of Banchory. The potter sat in the window seat, knitting contentedly with darts whizzing past perilously close to her nose!<br><br>[Ken Strachan //]](/images/13000/13693.jpg "Dess")
![Glassel station had clearly been extended. Notice the two Morris Minor pickups - pure class! This section wasn't walked very often - I surprised a fox and a rabbit just around the corner - separately!<br><br>[Ken Strachan //]](/images/13000/13698.jpg "Glassel")
!['Aboyne from Railway Bridge'. This is an extract from a postcard. The view is of the station from the east end, looking west.<br><br>[Ewan Crawford Collection //]](/images/45000/45577.jpg "Aboyne")
![View west from a train showing Balnacraig Viaduct on the former Royal Deeside line in the summer of 1962. The 1857 structure, which spanned the Beltie Burn just west of Torphins, Aberdeenshire, was also referred to as Sundayswells, Lumphanan and Beltie Burn Viaduct. Demolition was carried out in June 1989.<br><br>[R Sillitto/A Renfrew Collection (Courtesy Bruce McCartney) 07/07/1962]](/images/36000/36977.jpg "Balnacraig Viaduct")
![An oft repeated scene at Banchory on the Royal Deeside line in the summer of 1965, where an Aberdeen - Ballater DMU has arrived at the westbound platform. Pupils from Banchory Academy board the train, while a Royal Mail van is parked further along the platform. Note the mail tarriffs of the day displayed on the side of the van, showing postcards at 3d and letters at 4d. Banchory station closed with most of the line in February 1966. [See image 12407] <br><br>[Frank Spaven Collection (Courtesy David Spaven) //1965]](/images/28000/28001.jpg "Banchory [2nd]")
![Platform scene at Lumphanan in the summer of 1965. View is east towards Aberdeen. Lumphanan station closed along with most of the Deeside line the following year. [With thanks to the many who responded to this query] [See image 13694] <br><br>[Frank Spaven Collection (Courtesy David Spaven) //1965]](/images/42000/42119.jpg "Lumphanan")
![A DMU at Torphins station on the Deeside line in 1965. View is east towards Aberdeen. <br><br>[Frank Spaven Collection (Courtesy David Spaven) //1965]](/images/42000/42181.jpg "Torphins")
![Banchory station in September August 1973.<br><br>[John McIntyre /08/1973]](/images/12000/12406.jpg "Banchory [2nd]")
![The boarded up shell of Banchory station in August 1973. The original Banchory station was slightly further east, off to the left.<br><br>[John McIntyre /08/1973]](/images/12000/12407.jpg "Banchory [2nd]")
![Looking west along the platform at Banchory in August 1973.<br><br>[John McIntyre /08/1973]](/images/15000/15797.jpg "Banchory [2nd]")
![A close up of a part of the main station building at Banchory in August 1973, showing the remains of the station clock and platform weighbridge. Although the station had been boarded up at some time after closure in 1966, parts of the boarding had been removed in several places and damage had been caused to both the internal and external fabric of this once impressive station.<br>
<br><br>[John McIntyre /08/1973]](/images/20000/20295.jpg "Banchory [2nd]")
![Scene at Aboyne station in 1975, some 9 years after closure, looking east towards Aberdeen. The canopy and platform have now gone, but the attractively refurbished station building survives today as part of a shopping complex [see image 5837 for the same view thirty years on].<br><br>[Colin Miller //1975]](/images/31000/31584.jpg "Aboyne")
![Lumphanan station was rarely photographed. No trace now remains of the station, nor of the adjacent hump-backed, single carriageway road bridge.<br><br>[Ken Strachan //1976]](/images/13000/13694.jpg "Lumphanan")
![The awnings on the up platform at Aboyne looked pretty good until they were demolished!<br><br>[Ken Strachan //1976]](/images/25000/25678.jpg "Aboyne")
![Around 41 years before Alan Cormack [See image 58988], I preceded him along the Deeside Railway, finding the view towards Aberdeen quite different. On the back of the print, I made the petulant remark, 'how to wreck a railway'. As Al Jolson might have said, 'you ain't seen nothing yet'.<br><br>[Ken Strachan /05/1976]](/images/59000/59137.jpg "Aboyne")
![A more conventional view of the viaduct near Torphins [see image 13686]. View looks towards Lumphanan.<br><br>[Ken Strachan /06/1976]](/images/13000/13695.jpg "Torphins")
![A moment in time... Aboyne station had not yet been restored as shops in 1977, but the awning was still there - and our beloved Vanden Plas Princess had not yet rusted to bits.<br><br>[Ken Strachan //1977]](/images/25000/25679.jpg "Aboyne")
![The derelict Aboyne station, seen in June 1978 looking west towards Ballater [see image 12935].<br><br>[Bill Roberton /06/1978]](/images/36000/36780.jpg "Aboyne")
![The Deeside line stopped at Ballater, right? Not quite. If you follow the promisingly named Old Line Road, you come across a very scenic footpath - here seen high above the River Dee to the right. The Deeside line nearly got to Braemar, but Queen Victoria heard about it, and was NOT amused. She didn't want her tranquility disturbed at Balmoral - so work stopped in the middle of a field. [Railscot note: the line was built as far as Bridge of Gairn.]<br><br>[Nick Silburn /08/1991]](/images/25000/25683.jpg "Ballater")
![The short tunnel at the west end of the former Aboyne station in February 1997. The west signal box (closed 1920) was located to the left at the end of the westbound platform so the signal box looking building, a shop accessed from station square, on the distant right is intriguing.<br><br>[Ewan Crawford 04/02/1997]](/images/55000/55596.jpg "Aboyne")
![Looking to Aboyne on the Deeside Extension Railway in 1997.<br><br>[Ewan Crawford 04/02/1997]](/images/55000/55600.jpg "Dess")
![View east at Lumphanan. The station was to the right, now housing.<br><br>[Ewan Crawford 04/02/1997]](/images/55000/55604.jpg "Lumphanan")
![View east to Aberdeen at Torphins in 1997 taken from station road. This road was severed when the railway opened, being replaced by a new road with an overbridge (Bridge Crescent) further west, the road now runs through the site again obliterating much of the station.<br><br>
<br><br>
But not all. The grassy area was the approach road, from the left, to the station which was to the right. The post-railway house seen on the right is now a pottery, gallery and coffee house called Platform 22. The bridge remains standing a little distance behind the camera.<br><br>[Ewan Crawford 04/02/1997]](/images/55000/55608.jpg "Torphins")
![Unusual signage and decoration at the entrance to Glassel station in 1997. The station building was still there, hidden behind the trees.<br><br>[Ewan Crawford 04/02/1997]](/images/55000/55612.jpg "Glassel")
![Stacks of track panels alongside the A93 at Banchory in 2000, for use on the Royal Deeside Railway. (Looks like a Christmas present, only lacking a ribbon!). <br>
<br><br>[Bill Roberton //2000]](/images/62000/62354.jpg "Milton of Crathes")
![Looking north over the much extended Glassel station in 2006.<br><br>[John Furnevel 09/11/2006]](/images/12000/12644.jpg "Glassel")
![Approaching the forecourt of the former Aboyne station in November 2006, now part of a shopping centre.<br><br>[John Furnevel 10/11/2006]](/images/5000/5836.jpg "Aboyne")
![Once the main station building at Aboyne, this is now the rear of a row of shops. Looking east along the former platform in 2006. [See image 31584]<br><br>[John Furnevel 10/11/2006]](/images/5000/5837.jpg "Aboyne")
![Nice one! Clue regarding the location of the former Torphins station supplied courtesy of the ceramics workshop at 22 Station Road. November 2006. <br><br>[John Furnevel 10/11/2006]](/images/12000/12352.jpg "Torphins")
![Rear view of the old curlers platform at the Loch of Aboyne looking south in 2006.<br><br>[John Furnevel 10/11/2006]](/images/12000/12598.jpg "Aboyne Curlers Platform")
![Looking east along the trackbed at the remains of the Curlers Platform alongside the Loch of Aboyne in November 2006.<br><br>[John Furnevel 10/11/2006]](/images/12000/12599.jpg "Aboyne Curlers Platform")
![The refurbished former station building at Aboyne, platform side, in November 2006. Now part of the town shopping centre [see image 5836]. <br><br>[John Furnevel 10/11/2006]](/images/12000/12935.jpg "Aboyne")
![The former station master's house in Torphins, looking west along William Street in November 2006. The station was located to the south of William Street on a lower level, with pedestrian access once provided via the pathway running off to the left.<br><br>[John Furnevel 10/11/2006]](/images/61000/61071.jpg "Torphins")
![Looking east over the former station at Aboyne from near the tunnel on 18 October 2012. In the background are the houses that have been built over the trackbed and goods yard. The car in the middle of the photo would have been on the Aberdeen platform some 46 years ago.<br><br>[John McIntyre 18/10/2012]](/images/40000/40774.jpg "Aboyne")
![The former station a Aboyne on 18 October 2012 viewed from the east end. Although the former Up platform building no longer has a canopy, the corbels that supported it are quite clearly seen. Much of the trackbed here has been built over making it difficult to see where it used to be but at the west end the approach to the tunnel is easily found. The tunnel itself is in use as a rifle range and beyond that towards Ballater much of the tarckbed is used as the Deeside Way cycle and footpath.<br><br>[John McIntyre 18/10/2012]](/images/40000/40802.jpg "Aboyne")
![An old 9 compartment suburban coach has found further use on a farm near Torphins. Viewed from the B993 just south of the village on 19 October 2012. It would appear to have seen 'better days' and although missing quite a few bits and pieces has had two external lights fitted.<br><br>[John McIntyre 19/10/2012]](/images/40000/40853.jpg "Torphins")
![The former GNoSR Agent's house at Dess Station in 2014. The steps took the agent straight to the platform, which can still be clearly seen. Situated between Lumphanan and Aboyne on the Deeside line Dess had only a single platform, located on the up-side. The remote station saw few passengers even in its GNoSR/LNER prime. <br><br>[Brian Taylor 23/02/2014]](/images/46000/46741.jpg "Dess")
![The converted former station building at Dess, on the Deeside Line, photographed on 23 February 2014. [See image 46741] <br><br>[Brian Taylor 23/02/2014]](/images/46000/46770.jpg "Dess")
![Former Aboyne Station.This is the platform side where trains would have stopped. View looking east. The building houses a variety of small businesses,and,in common with many closed stations,the area round the building is now a car park.<br><br>[John Gray 27/07/2016]](/images/56000/56095.jpg "Aboyne")
![This is part of the Deeside line in Banchory, to the right is Banchory golf club. A new house is being built beside Bridge Street.<br><br>[Alan Cormack 10/03/2017]](/images/58000/58384.jpg "Dee Street Halt")
![A view of the former Deeside line in Banchory, the new house being built is directly behind me, the line to Aberdeen continued to the east directly in front where the bungalow is now.<br><br>[Alan Cormack 10/03/2017]](/images/58000/58403.jpg "Dee Street Halt")
![Looking west, line to Aboyne and Ballater continued behind the bridge abutment.<br>
To the left is Banchory golf club, in the foreground is a car park beside Bridge Street.<br><br>[Alan Cormack 10/03/2017]](/images/58000/58420.jpg "Dee Street Halt")
![Platform side at Aboyne, the tunnel under the A93 is in the distance, a new addition is the electric car re-charging point, it's a shame that the electric battery railcar wasn't still operating as intended on the line. The nearest charging points for the battery railcar were at Ballater and Aberdeen.<br><br>[Alan Cormack 16/03/2017]](/images/58000/58515.jpg "Aboyne")
![Aboyne railway station yesterday, part of the building is now a café, 'Spider on a bicycle' it was a welcome stop while I ran from Holburn Street station to Ballater on the Deeside way which mostly follows the old line.<br><br>[Alan Cormack 14/04/2017]](/images/58000/58973.jpg "Aboyne")
![Aboyne railway station yesterday, part of the building is now a café, 'Spider on a bicycle' it was a welcome stop while I ran from Holburn Street station to Ballater on the Deeside way which mostly follows the old line.<br>
The ceiling has lovely original plasterwork.<br><br>[Alan Cormack 14/04/2017]](/images/58000/58974.jpg "Aboyne")
![This is where the line crossed the Tarland burn just east of Aboyne station.<br>
The bridge abutment looks like it has been partially removed and with subsequent development it makes the line difficult to locate.<br><br>[Alan Cormack 14/04/2017]](/images/58000/58988.jpg "Aboyne")
