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Dornoch Light Railway

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85-593: The Dornoch Light Railway was a branch railway in Scotland that ran from The Mound on the Far North Line to Dornoch , the county town of Sutherland. It opened in 1902, having been heavily subsidised by the fourth Duke of Sutherland. It was worked by the Highland Railway. Although it provided a useful link, the journey to Inverness was circuitous, and the development of road services for goods and passengers led to

170-485: A " self-made man " in both his economic development and his intellectual and cultural development. He was so grateful to Colonel Anderson for the use of his library that he "resolved, if ever wealth came to me, [to see to it] that other poor boys might receive opportunities similar to those for which we were indebted to the nobleman". His capacity, his willingness for hard work, his perseverance, and his alertness soon brought him opportunities. Starting in 1853, when Carnegie

255-538: A $ 600 mortgage on the family's $ 700 home, but the opportunity was available only because of Carnegie's close relationship with Scott. A few years later, he received a few shares in Theodore Tuttle Woodruff 's sleeping car company as a reward for holding shares that Woodruff had given to Scott and Thomson, as a payoff. Reinvesting his returns in such inside investments in railroad-related industries (iron, bridges, and rails ), Carnegie slowly accumulated capital,

340-698: A bond salesman, raising money for American enterprise in Europe. He built Pittsburgh's Carnegie Steel Company , which he sold to J. P. Morgan in 1901 for $ 303,450,000 (equal to $ 11,113,550,000 today); it formed the basis of the U.S. Steel Corporation . After selling Carnegie Steel, he surpassed John D. Rockefeller as the richest American of the time. Carnegie devoted the remainder of his life to large-scale philanthropy, with special emphasis on building local libraries , working for world peace, education, and scientific research. He funded Carnegie Hall in New York City,

425-511: A branch line. The fourth Duke of Sutherland was its chairman, and contributed £5,000, and gave much of the land free; he had a seat on the Highland Railway board. A prospectus was issued in November 1898, quoting the cost of the line at £30,000; individual subscriptions reached £9,501. Sutherland County Council offered to contribute £1,000; Dornoch Borough Council put in £500. The Treasury was asked for £9,000. The Highland Railway (HR; successor to

510-614: A modest profit until 1921, when earnings of £4,868 were overtaken by costs of £5,612. It was then necessary to draw on the company's reserves of £800, and it was obvious that the situation would further deteriorate. (The Highland Railway was working the line, so the Dornoch Light Railway company was simply a financial shell.) In that year the Railways Act 1921 was passed, signalling that the railways of Great Britain were to be "grouped", and this took effect in 1923. The Highland Railway

595-483: A philanthropist. From 1901 forward, public attention was turned from the shrewd business acumen which had enabled Carnegie to accumulate such a fortune, to the public-spirited way in which he devoted himself to using it on philanthropic projects. He had written about his views on social subjects and the responsibilities of great wealth in Triumphant Democracy (1886) and Gospel of Wealth (1889). Carnegie devoted

680-472: A point of naming it after Thomson. As well as having good business sense, Carnegie possessed charm and literary knowledge. He was invited to many important social functions, which Carnegie exploited to his advantage. Carnegie, through Keystone, supplied the steel for and owned shares in the landmark Eads Bridge project across the Mississippi River at St. Louis , Missouri (completed 1874). This project

765-512: A public library; in 1886, he gave $ 250,000 to Allegheny City, Pennsylvania , for a music hall and library; and he gave $ 250,000 to Edinburgh for a free library. In total, Carnegie funded some 3,000 libraries, located in 47 U.S. states, and also in Canada, Britain, Ireland, Belgium, Serbia, France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the West Indies , and Fiji . He also donated £50,000 to help set up

850-675: A regular contributor to numerous magazines, most notably The Nineteenth Century , under the editorship of James Knowles , and the influential North American Review , led by the editor Lloyd Bryce . In 1889, Carnegie published "Wealth" in the June issue of the North American Review . After reading it, Gladstone requested its publication in Britain, where it appeared as "The Gospel of Wealth" in The Pall Mall Gazette . Carnegie argued that

935-590: A special vault was built to house the physical bulk of nearly $ 230 million worth of bonds. Carnegie continued his business career; some of his literary intentions were fulfilled. He befriended the English poet Matthew Arnold , the English philosopher Herbert Spencer , and the American humorist Mark Twain , as well as being in correspondence and acquaintance with most of the U.S. Presidents , statesmen, and notable writers. Carnegie constructed commodious swimming-baths for

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1020-588: A steel rolling mill , and steel production and control of industry became the source of his fortune. Carnegie had some investments in the iron industry before the war. After the war, Carnegie left the railroads to devote his energies to the ironworks trade. Carnegie worked to develop several ironworks, eventually forming the Keystone Bridge Works and the Union Ironworks, in Pittsburgh. Although he had left

1105-474: A steep decline, and it closed in 1960. The Sutherland Railway opened its line to Golspie in 1868, part of a route that eventually connected Inverness to Thurso and Wick , operated as the Far North Line . The Dornoch Firth presented a considerable natural barrier to the direct route of the line, although a crossing at Meikle Ferry would have been possible, putting Dornoch (population 2,861 in 1861) on

1190-547: A substantial breadwinner. But Carnegie attracted the attention of John Hay, a Scottish manufacturer of bobbins, who offered him a job for $ 2.00 per week ($ 70 by 2023 inflation). In his autobiography, Carnegie writes about the hardships he had to endure with this new job: Soon after this Mr. John Hay, a fellow Scotch manufacturer of bobbins in Allegheny City, needed a boy, and asked whether I would not go into his service. I went, and received two dollars per week; but at first

1275-521: A success and a source of profit for Woodruff and Carnegie. The young Carnegie continued to work for Pennsylvania's Tom Scott and introduced several improvements in the service. In the spring of 1861, Carnegie was appointed by Scott, who was now Assistant Secretary of War in charge of military transportation, as Superintendent of the Military Railways and the Union Government's telegraph lines in

1360-460: A thorough education, making the acquaintance of literary men. I figure that this will take three years' active work. I shall pay especial attention to speaking in public. We can settle in London and I can purchase a controlling interest in some newspaper or live review and give the general management of it attention, taking part in public matters, especially those connected with education and improvement of

1445-499: A trip to the United Kingdom. They toured Scotland by coach and enjoyed several receptions en route. The highlight was a return to Dunfermline, where Carnegie's mother laid the foundation stone of a Carnegie Library which he funded. Carnegie's criticism of British society did not mean dislike; on the contrary, one of Carnegie's ambitions was to act as a catalyst for a close association between English-speaking peoples. To this end, in

1530-487: A typical weaver's cottage with only one main room. It consisted of half the ground floor, which was shared with the neighboring weaver's family. The main room served as a living room, dining room and bedroom. He was named after his paternal grandfather. William Carnegie had a successful weaving business and owned multiple looms. In 1836, the family moved to a larger house in Edgar Street (opposite Reid's Park), following

1615-605: The Carnegie Institution at Washington, D.C., to encourage research and discovery. He later contributed more to these and other schools. CIT is now known as Carnegie Mellon University after it merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research . Carnegie also served on the Boards of Cornell University and Stevens Institute of Technology . In 1911, Carnegie became a sympathetic benefactor to George Ellery Hale , who

1700-768: The Peace Palace in The Hague , founded the Carnegie Corporation of New York , Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , Carnegie Institution for Science , Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland , Carnegie Hero Fund , Carnegie Mellon University , and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh , among others. Andrew Carnegie was born to Margaret (Morrison) Carnegie and William Carnegie in Dunfermline , Scotland, in

1785-725: The Philippines . Carnegie strongly opposed the idea of American colonies. He opposed the annexation of the Philippines almost to the point of supporting William Jennings Bryan against McKinley in 1900. In 1898, Carnegie tried to arrange independence for the Philippines. As the conclusion of the Spanish–American War neared, the United States purchased the Philippines from Spain for $ 20 million. To counter what he perceived as American imperialism , Carnegie personally offered $ 20 million to

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1870-732: The United States Steel Corporation . It was the first corporation in the world with a market capitalization of over $ 1 billion. The buyout, secretly negotiated by Charles M. Schwab (no relation to Charles R. Schwab ), was the largest such industrial takeover in United States history to date. The holdings were incorporated in the United States Steel Corporation, a trust organized by Morgan, and Carnegie retired from business. His steel enterprises were bought out for $ 303,450,000. Carnegie's share of this amounted to $ 225.64 million (in 2023, $ 8.26 billion), which

1955-473: The University of Birmingham in 1899. As Van Slyck (1991) showed, during the last years of the 19th century, there was the increasing adoption of the idea that free libraries should be available to the American public. But the design of such libraries was the subject of prolonged and heated debate. On one hand, the library profession called for designs that supported efficiency in administration and operation; on

2040-525: The Columbia Oil Company in Venango County, Pennsylvania . In one year, the firm yielded over $ 1 million in cash dividends, and petroleum from oil wells on the property sold profitably. The demand for iron products, such as armor for gunboats, cannons, and shells, as well as a hundred other industrial products, made Pittsburgh a center of wartime production. Carnegie worked with others in establishing

2125-723: The Duchess of Sutherland who was unable to attend on account of the illness of the Marquis of Stafford. In November 1900 Chisholm's company went bankrupt and work was suspended, and after some delay, a new contractor, Roderick Fraser, took over in July 1901. It ran north-west from Dornoch to the station at The Mound, and it opened on 2 June 1902. It was the first light railway in the Highlands, and it cost £28,000 (equivalent to £3,840,000 in 2023) to construct. There were stations at Cambusavie (actually having

2210-518: The East. Carnegie helped open the rail lines into Washington D.C. that the rebels had cut; he rode the locomotive pulling the first brigade of Union troops to reach Washington D.C. Following the defeat of Union forces at Bull Run , he personally supervised the transportation of the defeated forces. Under his organization, the telegraph service rendered efficient service to the Union cause and significantly assisted in

2295-557: The HR laid on a dedicated train, the "Further North Express", which ran from Inverness to Dornoch on Fridays only during the months of July to September, non-stop from Inverness to the Mound. After October 1906 and the Further North Express became a Wick train, and Dornoch passengers had to change at the Mound unless an entire carriage had been reserved from Inverness. In 1922 the train service

2380-815: The Hartman Steel Works, the Frick Coke Company, and the Scotia ore mines. Carnegie combined his assets and those of his associates in 1892 with the launching of the Carnegie Steel Company . Carnegie's success was also due to his relationship with the railroad industries, which not only relied on steel for track, but were also making money from steel transport. The steel and railroad barons worked closely to negotiate prices instead of allowing free-market competition. Besides Carnegie's market manipulation, United States trade tariffs were also working in favor of

2465-552: The Inverness Works of the Highland Railway from the designs of Mr. Peter Drummond for working the traffic on the line... Its chief dimensions are six-coupled wheels 3ft 8in. diameter, wheel base 12ft. (equally divided); total length over buffers 25ft. 3in., centre of boiler above rail level 5ft. 4½ in., top of chimney above rails 11ft. 6in. An illustration in the Railway Magazine article shows it to have been no. 56; in fact this

2550-531: The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, he remained connected to its management, namely Thomas A. Scott and J. Edgar Thomson. He used his connection to the two men to acquire contracts for his Keystone Bridge Company and the rails produced by his ironworks . He also gave stock in his businesses to Scott and Thomson, and the Pennsylvania was his best customer. When he built his first steel plant, he made

2635-520: The Pennsylvania Railroad would be vital to his later success. The railroads were the first big businesses in America, and the Pennsylvania was one of the largest. Carnegie learned much about management and cost control during these years, and from Scott in particular. Scott also helped him with his first investments. Many of these were part of the corruption indulged in by Scott and the president of

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2720-472: The Pennsylvania Railroad, John Edgar Thomson , which consisted of inside trading in companies with which the railroad did business, or payoffs made by contracting parties "as part of a quid pro quo ". In 1855, Scott made it possible for Carnegie to invest $ 500 in the Adams Express Company , which contracted with the Pennsylvania to carry its messengers. The money was secured by his mother's placing of

2805-695: The Philippines so that the Filipino people could purchase their independence from the United States. However, nothing came of the offer. In 1898 Carnegie joined the American Anti-Imperialist League , in opposition to the U.S. annexation of the Philippines. Its membership included former presidents of the United States Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison and literary figures such as Mark Twain . Carnegie spent his last years as

2890-517: The Sutherland Railway) worked the line. This was not to be taken for granted. The HR wanted to be paid £1,000 for installing the junction at The Mound, although it relinquished the charge later. The Treasury grant was conditional on the Highland Railway guaranteeing to work the line for 99 years, which the HR declined to agree to, unless the directors of the Dornoch Light Railway gave personal guarantees, which they refused to do. The guarantee period

2975-825: The U.S. output of steel exceeded that of the UK, and Carnegie owned a large part of it. Carnegie's empire grew to include the J. Edgar Thomson Steel Works in Braddock (named for John Edgar Thomson , Carnegie's former boss and president of the Pennsylvania Railroad), the Pittsburgh Bessemer Steel Works, the Lucy Furnaces , the Union Iron Mills, the Union Mill (Wilson, Walker & County), the Keystone Bridge Works,

3060-493: The United States in 1848 for the prospect of a better life. They headed to Allegheny, Pennsylvania , where they heard there was a demand for workers. Carnegie's emigration to America was his second journey outside Dunfermline. The first was a family outing to Edinburgh to see Queen Victoria . In September 1848, Carnegie and his family arrived in Allegheny. Carnegie's father struggled to sell his product on his own. Eventually,

3145-461: The United States. When Carnegie was 12, his father had fallen on tough times as a handloom weaver. Making matters worse, the country was in starvation. His mother helped support the family by assisting her brother and by selling potted meats at her "sweetie shop", becoming the primary breadwinner. Struggling to make ends meet, the Carnegies decided to borrow money from George Lauder, Sr. and move to

3230-486: The United States. One of his two great innovations was in the cheap and efficient mass production of steel by adopting and adapting the Bessemer process , which allowed the high carbon content of pig iron to be burnt away in a controlled and rapid way during steel production . Steel prices dropped as a result, and Bessemer steel was rapidly adopted for rails; however, it was not suitable for buildings and bridges. The second

3315-511: The Western Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad. On December 1, 1859, Carnegie officially became superintendent of the Western Division. He hired his sixteen-year-old brother Tom to be his personal secretary and telegraph operator. Carnegie also hired his cousin, Maria Hogan, who became the first female telegraph operator in the country. As superintendent, Carnegie made a salary of $ 1500 a year ($ 51,000 by 2023 inflation). His employment by

3400-585: The basis for his later success. Throughout his later career, he made use of his close connections to Thomson and Scott, as he established businesses that supplied rails and bridges to the railroad, offering the two men stakes in his enterprises. Before the American Civil War , Carnegie arranged a merger between Woodruff's company and that of George Pullman , the inventor of the sleeping car for first-class travel , which facilitated business travel at distances over 500 miles (800 km). The investment proved

3485-699: The demand for more heavy damask , from which his father benefited. Carnegie was educated at the Free School in Dunfermline, a gift to the town from philanthropist Adam Rolland of Gask. Carnegie's maternal uncle, Scottish political leader George Lauder Sr. , deeply influenced him as a boy by introducing him to Robert Burns ' writings and historical Scottish heroes such as Robert the Bruce , William Wallace , and Rob Roy . Lauder's son, also named George Lauder , grew up with Carnegie and later became his business partner in

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3570-412: The different sounds the incoming telegraph signals produced. He developed the ability to translate signals by ear, without using the paper slip. Within a year he was promoted to an operator. Carnegie's education and passion for reading were given a boost by Colonel James Anderson , who opened his personal library of 400 volumes to working boys each Saturday night. Carnegie was a consistent borrower and

3655-513: The early 1880s in partnership with Samuel Storey , he purchased numerous newspapers in Britain, all of which were to advocate the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of "the British Republic". Carnegie's charm, aided by his wealth, afforded him many British friends, including Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone . In 1886, Carnegie's younger brother Thomas died at age 43. While owning steel works, Carnegie had purchased at low cost

3740-494: The end of June 1904. There was an opening ceremony on 2 June 1902: a special train hauled by the Duke of Sutherland's private locomotive "Dunrobin", ran from the Mound conveying invited guests. After a formal opening ceremony at Dornoch led by Mr D Maclean, Deputy Chairman of the Highland Railway, there was a luncheon. Among the speakers was Andrew Carnegie , "the American steel king and multi-millionaire, who resided at Skibo [Castle], in

3825-467: The establishment of public libraries throughout the United States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and mostly other English-speaking countries was especially prominent. In this special driving interest of his, Carnegie was inspired by meetings with philanthropist Enoch Pratt (1808–1896). The Enoch Pratt Free Library (1886) of Baltimore, Maryland , impressed Carnegie deeply; he said, "Pratt was my guide and inspiration." Carnegie turned over management of

3910-465: The eventual victory. Carnegie later joked that he was "the first casualty of the war" when he gained a scar on his cheek from freeing a trapped telegraph wire. The defeat of the Confederacy required vast supplies of munitions , railroads and telegraph lines to deliver the goods. The war demonstrated how integral the industries were to Union success. In 1864, Carnegie was one of the early investors in

3995-419: The father and son both received job offers at Anchor Cotton Mills, a Scottish-owned facility. Carnegie's first job in 1848 was as a bobbin boy , changing spools of thread in a cotton mill 12 hours a day, 6 days a week in a Pittsburgh cotton factory. His starting wage was $ 1.20 per week ($ 42 by 2023 inflation). His father soon quit his position at the cotton mill, returning to his loom, and was again removed as

4080-481: The late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in history. He became a leading philanthropist in the United States, Great Britain, and the British Empire . During the last 18 years of his life, he gave away around $ 350 million ($ 10.9 billion in 2023 dollars ), almost 90 percent of his fortune, to charities, foundations and universities. His 1889 article proclaiming " The Gospel of Wealth " called on

4165-422: The library project by 1908 to his staff, led by James Bertram (1874–1934). The first Carnegie Library opened in 1883 in Dunfermline. His method was to provide funds to build and equip the library, but only on the condition that the local authority matched that by providing the land and a budget for operation and maintenance. To secure local interest, in 1885, he gave $ 500,000 to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , for

4250-527: The life of a wealthy industrialist should comprise two parts. The first part was the gathering and the accumulation of wealth. The second part was for the subsequent distribution of this wealth to benevolent causes. Philanthropy was key to making life worthwhile. Carnegie was a well-regarded writer. He published three books on travel. In the aftermath of the Spanish–American War , the United States seemed poised to annex Cuba , Guam , Puerto Rico and

4335-551: The line declined steeply. The line was first proposed for closure by in 1949 but following protests by Dornoch Town Council the Railway Executive relented and line was saved. It was eventually closed on 13 June 1960, having retained "a meagre passenger service, despite its geographical handicap". The line was then left and by 1962 & the track on the DLR had been lifted. The Mound railway station The Mound railway station

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4420-468: The main line in an ancient mail coach. The passing of the Light Railways Act 1896 encouraged many local communities to consider whether they could provide a railway connection for themselves. The Act implied that less formal, low-cost operational and engineering arrangements would be possible, although this was never made specific. The Dornoch Light Railway Company was formed in early 1897 to build

4505-716: The main line, and the platform for the Dornoch branch had a run-round loop. Adjacent to the main line passing loop were two goods sidings, and there were three sidings to the west of the station, two of which were on the southern side of the line. In 1922, there were six trains per day – in the up direction , departures were at 6:17 am, 11:30 am and 5:20 pm to Inverness; departures in the down direction were at 10:31 am and 1:55 pm to Wick and 6:38 pm to Helmsdale. Trains called at most intermediate stations, although some were request stops. There were no trains on Sundays. The Dornoch branch closed on 13 June 1960, and The Mound station closed

4590-446: The main line. However the Duke of Sutherland desired that the railway should come through Ardgay , and as he funded a considerable part of the cost of the line his wishes were complied with. The line made a wide westward sweep through Invershin and Lairg , and left Dornoch some considerable distance – 7 miles (11 km) – from the nearest station at The Mound. Passengers made their way to

4675-404: The most valuable of the iron ore fields around Lake Superior . Following his tour of the UK, he wrote about his experiences in a book entitled An American Four-in-hand in Britain . In 1886, Carnegie wrote his most radical work to date, entitled Triumphant Democracy . Liberal in its use of statistics to make its arguments, the book argued his view that the American republican system of government

4760-476: The nearby road embankment engineered in 1817 by Thomas Telford across the head of Loch Fleet , which is now on the route of the A9 road . In 1873–74 the station had one platform on the southern side of the line; on the northern side of the line there were two goods sidings. In 1895, a tree blew down near to the station, and it fell on the rear of the sorting carriage of a mail train from Inverness to Wick . The sorter

4845-413: The neighbourhood of Dornoch". In a speech warmly praising the attractions of Dornoch, he said he "had come there to try to arrange that Dornoch would be placed in the programme for a through saloon, and he was assured that it would come direct". (He meant a through carriage from Inverness.) The Railway Magazine reported that: A special six-wheel coupled, tank locomotive, "Dornoch". has been constructed at

4930-464: The other, wealthy philanthropists favored buildings that reinforced the paternalistic metaphor and enhanced civic pride. Between 1886 and 1917, Carnegie reformed both library philanthropy and library design, encouraging a closer correspondence between the two. In 1900, Carnegie gave $ 2 million to start the Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT) at Pittsburgh and the same amount in 1902 to create

5015-493: The people of his hometown in Dunfermline in 1879. In the following year, Carnegie gave £8,000 for the establishment of a Dunfermline Carnegie Library in Scotland. In 1884, he gave $ 50,000 to Bellevue Hospital Medical College (now part of New York University Medical Center ) to create a histological laboratory, now called the Carnegie Laboratory. In 1881, Carnegie took his family, including his 70-year-old mother, on

5100-406: The poorer classes. Man must have no idol and the amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry ! No idol is more debasing than the worship of money! Whatever I engage in I must push inordinately; therefore should I be careful to choose that life which will be the most elevating in its character. To continue much longer overwhelmed by business cares and with most of my thoughts wholly upon

5185-478: The rest of his life to providing capital for purposes of public interest and social and educational advancement. He saved letters of appreciation from those he helped in a desk drawer labeled "Gratitude and Sweet Words." He provided $ 25,000 a year to the movement for spelling reform . His organization, the Simplified Spelling Board , created the Handbook of Simplified Spelling , which was written wholly in reformed spelling. Among his many philanthropic efforts,

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5270-492: The rich to use their wealth to improve society, expressed support for progressive taxation and an estate tax , and stimulated a wave of philanthropy. Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland . He immigrated to what is now Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , United States with his parents in 1848 at the age of 12. Carnegie started work as a telegrapher . By the 1860s he had investments in railroads, railroad sleeping cars, bridges, and oil derricks . He accumulated further wealth as

5355-431: The running maintenance was carried out; there was a small shed at Dornoch for overnight stabling. After nationalisation three Highland Railway 0-4-4 Highland Railway W Class tank locomotives were retained for service on the branch: no. 55051 and 55053, formerly no. 25 and 45. 55051 was withdrawn in the summer of 1956, but 55053 was overhauled and continued in service. However early in 1957 its leading axle broke while it

5440-402: The same day. The line remains open, and the nearest station is now Golspie. Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie ( English: / k ɑːr ˈ n ɛ ɡ i / kar- NEG -ee , Scots: [kɑrˈnɛːɡi] ; November 25, 1835 – August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist . Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in

5525-412: The status only of a "platform"), Skelbo, Embo and Dornoch. A dedicated platform was provided at The Mound for branch trains. The line was inspected by Major E Druitt of the Board of Trade on 29 May 1902 and declared fit for public service. Leaving The Mound the line fell sharply at 1 in 45 for 1 ⁄ 4 mile (400 m), but after that the line was generally level with minor undulations as far as

5610-565: The steel industry. Carnegie spent energy and resources lobbying Congress for a continuation of favorable tariffs from which he earned millions of dollars a year. Carnegie tried to keep this information concealed, but legal documents released in 1900, during proceedings with the ex-chairman of Carnegie Steel, Henry Clay Frick , revealed how favorable the tariffs had been. In 1901, Carnegie was 65 years of age and considering retirement. He reformed his enterprises into conventional joint stock corporations as preparation for this. John Pierpont Morgan

5695-432: The third milepost. There followed a sharper sawtooth profile, with 1 in 45 once again for short lengths. Embo station was placed on a minor summit, and after a drop there was a second summit before a final steep descent to Dornoch station. On 17 October 1901 the Highland Railway announced its intention to build a large hotel in Dornoch, the first purely resort hotel built by the Highland Railway; it had 65 rooms and opened at

5780-409: The way to make more money in the shortest time, must degrade me beyond hope of permanent recovery. I will resign business at thirty-five, but during these ensuing two years I wish to spend the afternoons in receiving instruction and in reading systematically! Carnegie made his fortune in the steel industry, controlling the most extensive integrated iron and steel operations ever owned by an individual in

5865-399: The work was even more irksome than the factory. I had to run a small steam-engine and to fire the boiler in the cellar of the bobbin factory. It was too much for me. I found myself night after night, sitting up in bed trying the steam gauges, fearing at one time that the steam was too low and that the workers above would complain that they had not power enough, and at another time that the steam

5950-468: Was Lochgorm Tank 0-6-0T no. 56, which had been built in 1869 and rebuilt in 1896. It was specially renamed Dornoch for the branch, having previously been named Balnain . It was used on the branch until at least Summer 1919. Dornoch had a wooden engine shed, and the line was operated on the one engine in steam principle. The passenger train service at the beginning was three trains each way with an additional return journey on Tuesdays; Cambusnavie Platform

6035-484: Was a banker and America's most important financial deal maker. He had observed how efficiently Carnegie produced profits. He envisioned an integrated steel industry that would cut costs, lower prices to consumers, produce in greater quantities and raise wages to workers. To this end, he needed to buy out Carnegie and several other major producers and integrate them into one company, thereby eliminating duplication and waste. He concluded negotiations on March 2, 1901, and formed

6120-490: Was a constituent of the new London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), and the LMS absorbed the Dornoch company. The LMS paid £75 for every £100 of Dornoch £100 debenture stock, totalling £1,652, and £15 per £100 of ordinary stock (£13,072). In common with many branch lines serving areas with a low population density, the traffic on the line was hit hard by the advent of reliable road services, both for goods and passengers, and use of

6205-563: Was a former railway station on the Far North Line near the head of Loch Fleet in Scotland. For more than half of its life it was the junction for Dornoch . The Sutherland Railway opened between Bonar Bridge and Golspie on 13 April 1868. Among the intermediate stations was one at The Mound , which opened with the line. It was 80  miles 70  chains (130.2  km ) from Inverness , 3 miles 66 chains (6.2 km) from Rogart and 3 miles 42 chains (5.7 km) from Golspie . The station took its name from

6290-414: Was a request stop; the first train from Dornoch was at 6:10 am, no doubt to connect onwards to Inverness. The journey time on the branch was between 20 and 27 minutes; there was no Sunday service. A through carriage from Inverness was conveyed on the 12:58 pm train in 1905, and a through Pullman sleeper was run from Glasgow to Dornoch every Friday night in June. However, with the opening of the hotel in 1906

6375-555: Was an important proof-of-concept for steel technology, which marked the opening of a new steel market. Carnegie believed in using his fortune for others and doing more than making money. In 1868, at age 33, he wrote: I propose to take an income no greater than $ 50,000 per annum! Beyond this I need ever earn, make no effort to increase my fortune, but spend the surplus each year for benevolent purposes! Let us cast aside business forever, except for others. Let us settle in Oxford and I shall get

6460-472: Was around 18 years old, Thomas A. Scott of the Pennsylvania Railroad employed him as a secretary/telegraph operator at a salary of $ 4.00 per week ($ 146 by 2023 inflation). Carnegie accepted the job with the railroad as he saw more prospects for career growth and experience there than with the telegraph company. When Carnegie was 24 years old, Scott asked him if he could handle being superintendent of

6545-464: Was hauling a mixed train on the branch. No-one was injured but this was the end of 55053, and an 0-6-0 pannier tank locomotive, no. 1646, was drafted in from the Western Region to take over. A second engine of the 1600 Class , no. 1649, was sent to Helmsdale in July 1958. A British Railways 2MT Mogul no. 78052 saw occasional work on the line between February 1957 and September 1958. The DLR made

6630-475: Was in his vertical integration of all suppliers of raw materials. In 1883, Carnegie bought the rival Homestead Steel Works , which included an extensive plant served by tributary coal and iron fields, a 425-mile-long (684 km) railway, and a line of lake steamships . In the late 1880s, Carnegie Steel was the largest manufacturer of pig iron, steel rails, and coke in the world, with a capacity to produce approximately 2,000 tons of pig iron per day. By 1889,

6715-427: Was later reduced to 50 years. The Duke guaranteed the first 15 years and the HR softened its stance and agreed to guarantee the second 15 years. The HR was to be paid the actual cost of working the line. Chisholm and Company of Dingwall contracted to build the line, for £11,573. The first sod of the railway was cut on Achinehanter farm, just north of Dornoch, on 15 May 1900 by Miss Florence Chaplin, acting on behalf of

6800-574: Was paid to him in the form of 5%, 50-year gold bonds. The letter agreeing to sell his share was signed on February 26, 1901. On March 2, the circular formally filed the organization and capitalization (at $ 1.4 billion—4% of the U.S. gross domestic product at the time) of the United States Steel Corporation actually completed the contract. The bonds were to be delivered within two weeks to the Hudson Trust Company of Hoboken, New Jersey , in trust to Robert A. Franks, Carnegie's business secretary. There,

6885-508: Was simply three return journeys daily; the first train left Dornoch at 10:55 am and the last arrived there at 7:15 pm; the foreshortened working day was no doubt a result of the working hours limitation that had been introduced. The route was 88 miles (142 km) compared with a straight line distance of 29 miles (47 km). Locomotives used on the Dornoch branch needed to have a light axle loading, and they operated both passenger trains and pick-up freight. They were based at Helmsdale, where

6970-529: Was superior to the British monarchical system. It gave a highly favorable and idealized view of American progress and criticized the British royal family. The cover depicted an upended royal crown and a broken scepter. The book created considerable controversy in the UK. The book made many Americans appreciate their country's economic progress and sold over 40,000 copies, mostly in the U.S. Although actively involved in running his many businesses, Carnegie had become

7055-597: Was too high and that the boiler might burst. In 1849, Carnegie became a telegraph messenger boy in the Pittsburgh Office of the Ohio Telegraph Company, at $ 2.50 per week ($ 92 by 2023 inflation) following the recommendation of his uncle. He was a hard worker and would memorize all of the locations of Pittsburgh's businesses and the faces of important men. He made many connections this way. He also paid close attention to his work and quickly learned to distinguish

7140-435: Was trying to build the 100-inch (2.5 m) Hooker Telescope at Mount Wilson , and donated an additional ten million dollars to the Carnegie Institution with the following suggestion to expedite the construction of the telescope: "I hope the work at Mount Wilson will be vigorously pushed, because I am so anxious to hear the expected results from it. I should like to be satisfied before I depart, that we are going to repay to

7225-476: Was unhurt as he was working in the front half of the carriage at the time. On 2 June 1902, the Dornoch Light Railway was opened, which connected to the main line at a junction situated 11 chains (220 m) to the west of The Mound station. The platform for the Dornoch branch curved away from that of the main line. In 1906 the station had two platforms, one for each route; there was a passing loop on

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