Welcome to gnosr.blogspot.com, a free database designed for anyone interested in the history of the Great North of Scotland Railway - and particularly those with queries about opening dates, station closures and numbering systems used to identify GNoSR engines as they were submerged into the LNER and British Railways fleets.
Much of the information was compiled during my time as a student at Aberdeen University, and thanks is due to friends in the university's railway society, staff at the phenomenal O'Dell Collection in King's College library in Aberdeen and to all those who accompanied me on rambles along old track beds and other "fact-finding"outings.
Those with long memories who were in the Granite City during that period may recall the chaotic student trains run to Kyle of Lochalsh in January/February 1976-80, a rail trip to Fraserburgh in May 1979, an AURS outing to Edinburgh and York in May 1980, an SRPS outing to Dufftown the same month and an AURS trip to the Forth Bridge and North Berwick in April 1980.
Later AURS trips that year included Kilmacolm in September and Muir of Ord in November, followed by Corbridge in March 1981, Falkirk in April, and the last train to Brechin in May.
There were also those who participated in the Keeping Tracks campaign, designed to encourage the reopening of former GNoSR stations around Aberdeen and which culminated in three important watersheds: the chartering of a special train, The Festival Flyer, which ran from Aberdeen to Keith Folk Festival on June 9, 1984; celebrations to mark the reopening of Dyce station on September 15, 1984; and another special train chartered to mark the reopening of Portlethen station on May 17, 1985 with a ceilidh in a local hall.
Special thanks are due to my old university friend and fellow GNoSR enthusiast John G Williamson for the use of his photographs throughout this blog - including the 1978 shot of Rathen station used above.
Contributions, corrections, comments and additional photographs are always welcome, so please feel free to contact me if you spot any errors or have any information or pictures which could be included on the site.
See also http://www.gnsra.org.uk, the official website of the Great North of Scotland Railway Association.
*A parallel website on the Highland Railway, highlandrailway.blogspot.com, is still under construction.
Much of the information was compiled during my time as a student at Aberdeen University, and thanks is due to friends in the university's railway society, staff at the phenomenal O'Dell Collection in King's College library in Aberdeen and to all those who accompanied me on rambles along old track beds and other "fact-finding"outings.
Those with long memories who were in the Granite City during that period may recall the chaotic student trains run to Kyle of Lochalsh in January/February 1976-80, a rail trip to Fraserburgh in May 1979, an AURS outing to Edinburgh and York in May 1980, an SRPS outing to Dufftown the same month and an AURS trip to the Forth Bridge and North Berwick in April 1980.
Later AURS trips that year included Kilmacolm in September and Muir of Ord in November, followed by Corbridge in March 1981, Falkirk in April, and the last train to Brechin in May.
There were also those who participated in the Keeping Tracks campaign, designed to encourage the reopening of former GNoSR stations around Aberdeen and which culminated in three important watersheds: the chartering of a special train, The Festival Flyer, which ran from Aberdeen to Keith Folk Festival on June 9, 1984; celebrations to mark the reopening of Dyce station on September 15, 1984; and another special train chartered to mark the reopening of Portlethen station on May 17, 1985 with a ceilidh in a local hall.
Special thanks are due to my old university friend and fellow GNoSR enthusiast John G Williamson for the use of his photographs throughout this blog - including the 1978 shot of Rathen station used above.
Contributions, corrections, comments and additional photographs are always welcome, so please feel free to contact me if you spot any errors or have any information or pictures which could be included on the site.
See also http://www.gnsra.org.uk, the official website of the Great North of Scotland Railway Association.
*A parallel website on the Highland Railway, highlandrailway.blogspot.com, is still under construction.
