Conservation
All aspects of the proposals which follow are put forward on the assumption that the normal processes of negotiation will at the appropriate time be entered into between the promoting company and British Rail, landowners public and private, hotel, transport and sporting interests, and that as a matter of principle, the promoting company will commit itself to meet and satisfy the needs of these interests in the spirit of full cooperation for the common benefit. More especially these proposals will at their centre the firm belief that tourist and sporting access to the delicately balanced ecology of the mountaintop must be so planned as to give priority both during construction and thereafter to the safeguarding and conserving of the sensitive natural environment of the area. In itself a railway track 4 feet 8.5 inches wide is a great deal less obtrusive on a hillside than a 22 feet wide roadway. But more than just generalisations are required if damage is not to be done from the advancing railtrack alone, and specifically, that no scouring earth-moving vehicles would be countenanced on the open hillside for whatever purpse. It is quite vital that the mistakes made elsewhere in using bulldozers and similar equipment to alter gradients and encourage snow-holding on the mountain slopes - with such disasterous results - be never repeated.

The proposals in outline
It is proposed that:-

1. A mountain rack railway of standard guage (4’ 8.5") be built from a point on the Dingwall to Kyle of Lochalsh railway some 50 metres east of the railway bridge over the Peffery Water and some 40feet vertical height below the Raven Rock summit on that line to the summit of Ben Wyvis (3433’) by way of the upper slopes of Glensgauch, Cnoc nan Each Mor, Coire na Faeriach and the south west spur of the Ben - a total linear distance of 9.3KM (5.8 miles).

2. An interchange station be built on the Kyle line at this point to permit the through running of the D&BWR (Dingwall and Ben Wyvis Railway) trains by adhesion over the B.R. metals between Dingwall and Garve under a comprehensive agreement between B.R. and the D&BWR, covering running rights, use of station premises and the terms of all financial, commercial and operating arrangements. It is considered that there are good prospects of such an aggreement being concluded in terms which would be mutually advantageous.

3. A second phase, to be completed within two years of the opening to traffic of the mountain section, provide for the construction of a 1.25 mile long spur line between the former Strathpeffer station and the Kyle line at Achterneed, of which the final 0.25 of a mile would be in rack, the remainder being worked by adhesion; and that, pending the completion of this second phase, the residual platform at Achterneed be made availiable after restoration of necessary facilities for the use of Strathpeffer passengers travelling by British Rail as well as the trains of the D&BWR.

4. The agreement with British Rail include the construction of two lineside platforms with appropriate access at Loch Garve and Rogie respectively for use by passengers of the D&BWR residing in the hotels in Contin and Achilty and by walkers on the forest paths between these platforms and the Falls of Rogie.

5. The above agreement further include provision for sale or lease to the D&BWR of an appropriate area of ground within the boundary of Dingwall station for the erection thereon of all necessary locomotice and carriage workshops, stores and company offices together with car parking and waiting accommodation for passengers of the D&BWR.

6. The Dingwall and Ben Wyvis Railway Company seek the rights to reopen and work the Raven Rock quarry from which all necessary ballast for the construction of the line be quarried together with aggregates and dressed stone for bridges, buttress walling, platforms and lineside buildings; and that the articles of the comprehensive aggreement between the Company and British Rail secure to the D&BWR the right to transport all quarried materials over the Kyle line section between the Raven Rock quarry and the Company’s site of operations on the mountain section during the period of construction.

7. The trains on the mountain section between Raven Rock interchange station and the summit take power from over-head catenary built to accord with current B.R. main line electrification practise and standards in order to facilitate the eventual through-working of the D&BWR trains under the B.R. overhead supply when and if main line electric traction replaces diesel working on the Highland lines at the end of the "oil era".

8. The initial passenger train stock comprise three triple-unit electric railcar sets (powercar, passenger and pilot car) for mixed rack and adhesion working, each set having a passenger capacity of 270 persons; in addition, traction over the Kyle line and proposed Strathpeffer spur sections without overhead catenary be provided by two diesel-electric rack and adhesion locomotives with through power, brake and control links to the railcar drive and control systems.

These locomotives are required from the outset to fill a multipurpose operational role in addition to the above, viz:

(a) as motive power during the construction phase of the mountain section prior to the erection of the O/H supply line

(b) For snow clearance and maintenance work throughout

(c) for stand-by duty on the passenger service to the summit in emergency or at times of peak uplift demand.

In normal working they would uncouple from uptrains at Raven Rock interchange to return downtrains to Dingwall, Garve and Strathpeffer. It has been the experience on a number of electrified rack lines in the Alps that diesel locomotives retained after electrification continue to play an important operational role.

9. The initial rolling stock of the Company include three open "toastrack" ski-and-skier trolleys to provide additional uplift during the wintersports season between Bealach Mor station at 1900’ (bottom of all ski runs in Coire na Faeriach), the Spur station at 3000’ (head of the Spur and Whitewells ski runs) and Carn a Chaiptein at 3100’ (head of main ski run with level traverse to An Cabar run.)

10. The D&BWR Company seek the agreement of the Forestry Commission to allow the siting and erection at suitable locations and at various altitudes along the length of the line of Scandinavian-type log cabins for sale or lease to such members of the Association of Ross-shire hotel and tourist interests as may wish so to invest for the use of the guests residing in their hotels. This statement of objective does no more than recognise in its intent the obligation held to exist between any development company and the hoteliers of the area in general and the members of the former Ben Wyvis Ski Development Association in particular, whose efforts over more than a dozen years have laid the foundations for such development. It would be an injustice to local Ross-shire interests if on-the-hill facilities of this kind were to be developed by the Commission or its agents in unfair competition with those in the townships and villages below whose sole livelihood derives from tourism and who have at their disposal neither public funds nor a profusion of holiday sites.