The problem with finding anything out for sure at the Strathspey Railway, is finding somebody there who has an interest in the small plant, and actually finding anybody there. We visited last week, and could not find a single person at the sheds at Aviemore, or the main yard at Boat of Garten, and the shed the other side of the road where most of the small plant is kept has never been open in the last nine years the line has been visited, and the station at Broomhill only had someone in the bookshop who could not help. This is not meant to be critical of the Strathspey, as nobody could be found at the Caledonian Railway at Brechin, to help with the Ballast Packers, and a visit to Bridge of Dun found a less than helpful volunteer who really was not that interested in helping out with our enquiries about the small plant. Sorry I can't be more helpful, maybe better luck next year.

Was it a running day you visited. If so extremely unusual not to find anyone around except in small yard at Boat.

As a regular visitor who was born north of the border have never found a Marie Celeste situation in day time in the summer.

Reception has varied from hostile (a while ago) to total helpfulness more recently and met someone who was au fait with small plant.

Interested to hear about new arrivals. Need another visit though may have to wait as just been home a couple of months ago.

Brechin is another story altogether.

A couple of answers, kindly provided by the operations manager for the line who I've been messaging on and off for the past few months prior to my visit in May.

He tells me that the Atlas was sold to a farmer near Brechin, and he believes it sees use on the farm. The reason for the sale was that the 'requirements of of the insurance inspector made it not viable for use on the railway.'

He says the EGO5 was scrapped sometime before the latest ones arrived.

He also told me that there's currently only one operational ballast packer - two are just shells and the third will provide spares to keep the operational one...operational!