Introduction

This standard gauge railway of just over a mile ran from a headshunt south of Cromdale station on the Strathspey Railway south to the Balmenach Distillery. The line opened around 1885 and closed in 1968. The distillery had its own locomotives. Its second locomotive was a Barclay 0-4-0ST introduced in 1936. It was employed in shunting inbound barley and coal and outbound spirit. The daily freight train over the Speyside Railway was withdrawn by British Rail on 4th November 1968 - with traffic then concentrated on modern railheads in Dufftown and Elgin East. The locomotive was then sent to Dailuaine Distillery just before that, in October. It was withdrawn in 1969 and has been preserved on the present day Strathspey Railway [Preserved].