The Engine Shed and Turntable

Our second phase once complete will effectively bring the railway alive as it is a real showcase of the project.  Covering the Station Building, Engine Shed and Turntable it will allow the short shunting of trains between the shed and station.

It raises awareness, stimulates interest and with the station building allows for grant funding application to organisations such as National Heritage Lottery and further community activities such as raffles, open days and tours. All of which will continue to raise the profile and enthusiasm for the project. There will also be plenty of scope for volunteer support around the short section of rail track, the general landscaping in this area between the engine shed and station and the functional arrangement within the engine shed itself.

This phase of the project offers huge opportunity to establish a young engineers club which will reach across a demographic in Alford that will support succession and sustainability.

It will also encourage and enable some avenues of carbon free initiatives to be explored with wider community benefits. Both the educational and green energy/carbon footprint elements will open other potential funding streams to support the project such as Aberdeen Bay Windfarm and Viridor-Credit.

The turntable also exists in this short section between the carriage shed and the station and will be a component within Phase 2 that the group may be able to find some discrete funding opportunities for due to its unique and rarity value. Our turntable may be one of the oldest surviving turntables on a branch line and the only one to carry standard and narrow gauge track.  Possibly it is likely that there will be some rail enthusiasts who will be involved in the turntable restoration. 

The estimated timescale for this phase is eighteen months with a cost in the region of £74,000. Funding grants awarded for phase 2 is £165,000 which will include completion of outstanding work from phase 1 on the station, complete refurbishment of the engine shed – windows, doors and rewiring.