NEW: Combined working model of Dollar Railway Station and Dollar Mine and The Devon Valley Railway Exhibition

We are pleased to announce a new exhibit: A new attraction has been added to our permanent exhibition of the Devon Valley Railway in Dollar Museum. It is a combined working model of Dollar Railway Station (as it was around 1960) with Dollar Mine, and it also shows some underground mine workings..

The railway came to Dollar in 1869 as part of the Devon Valley Railway (DVR), which linked East and West Scotland. It closed to passengers in 1964, the year after the Queen travelled on it after her visit to Dollar. The track is now a popular walkway and cycle path.

In 1992 Dollar Museum was given over 700 negatives and photographs illustrating all aspects of the DVR line, taken by local railway enthusiast Peter Wilson. These were scanned and may all be seen on slide shows and in albums in the museum. They formed the basis of the Museum’s DVR Collection, which has been added to over the years by many generous donations of railway items, such as the Rumbling Bridge to Kinross tablet giving the train driver access to that section of the single-line track, the drinking fountain from Dollar Station, and tickets for the last train, including one for the passenger’s bike.

During lockdown, Mick Rice, a retired design engineer with Mercedes and modelling enthusiast, lovingly created a scale model of Dollar Railway Station with its platform, signals and associated buildings, as well as the Dollar Burn, the Kelly Burn and the branch line leading to Dollar Mine. Following the success of this first model Mick then went on to build a second model, of Dollar Mine, which was housed upstairs in our reading room. Both models were popular and aroused much interest and questions about our past.

It was then decided to find a new location to accommodate a new enlarged exhibit. Both models were taken off site and combined by Mick so that the model train now runs from Dollar Station to the Mine. Underground mine workings are also shown. So step into the museum and be truly amazed.

The model has a working locomotive and carriages, which can be demonstrated during a visit to the Museum. Visitors can also hear the actual sounds of a steam train travelling from Alloa to Dollar, complete with shunting at Dollar Mine. The whole journey was recorded, with a commentary, by Mike Jodeluk, who was on the footplate.

The new model has already aroused a great deal of interest and sparked the memories of many visitors. A former worker at Dollar coal mine remembered that coal was delivered to the mine to provide power to work the machinery, whilst the locally mined coal, of inferior quality, was sent to Kincardine Power Station. A retired teacher at Dollar Academy recalled being responsible for organising the flowers for the Queen’s departure from the station in 1963.

Dollar Museum is grateful to Mick Rice for making the model and to a generous Friend of the Museum for financial assistance.

Part of the Devon Valley Railway Exhibition with the earlier working model of Dollar Railway Station