RON's SMITH FAMILY HISTORY
Last Updated : 16 Dec 2008

My great great grandfather, Robert Smith, who was born about 1822 and lived in Aberdeen until his death in 1905. Robert Smith worked for the Caledonian Railway. The picture on the right shows the Caledonian "Special Express" train heading south from Glasgow. The train comprises locomotives numbers 46 and 901 (behind) with "Grampian" type 8-wheeled coaches.

The name "Caledonian Railway" was first used in 1844, the year before the "Caledonian Railway Bill" that authorized 122 miles of railway track between Carlisle and Edinburgh, one of the largest authorizations up to that date. This was one part of a chain of railways that would link England to Aberdeen and 20,000 people were involved in construction work by August 1847. All but one of these railway companies would become vested in the Caledonian Railway within 21 years.