RAILSCOT | Ardrossan Railway

Ardrossan Railway

Introduction

This was the Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway rebuilt to standard gauge to meet the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway at Kilwinning. Formation of the Ardrossan Railway Company separated the railway from the Glasgow and Ardrossan Caal. Note that the names Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Railway, Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway and Ardrossan Railway were used interchangeably for this railway. For clarity the name Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway has been adopted for the line prior to conversion to standard gauge and Ardrossan Railway afterwards.

Dates

/ /1819	Ardrossan Railway Proposed by the 12th Earl of Eglinton.
/ /1827	Kilwinning Waggonway Absorbed by Ardrossan Railway.
/ /1839	Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway Reformed as the Ardrossan Railway for conversion to standard gauge. The change of name may be artificial.
/ /1840	Ardrossan Railway First locomotive used. The line was to grow to own ten locomotives.
/ /1840	Ardrossan Railway Railway separated financially from the Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal (but taking a portion of debt, £29,150).
27/07/1840	Ardrossan Railway Stevenston, Saltcoats [1st], Ardrossan Pier stations opened.
20/08/1840	Glasgow, Paisley Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway Glasgow to Ardrossan trains start running, with connections to Liverpool steamers. The Ardrossan Railway was re-built to standard gauge for its connection to the main line.
/ /1844	Ardrossan Steam Navigation Co Company formed, backed by the Ardrossan Railway, and the Earl of Eglinton (owner and developer of Ardrossan), to operate between Ardrossan and other locations, such as Belfast.
/ /1845	Eglinton Ironworks Opened, this leads to an expansion of the Ardrossan Railway.
31/12/1850	Railway Clearing House By this date, Ardrossan Railway, Caledonian Railway, Cockermouth and Workington Railway, Eastern Counties Railway, East Lincolnshire Railway, Fleetwood, Preston and West Riding Junction Railway, Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway, Great Northern Railway, Huddersfield and Manchester Railway (London and North Western Railway), Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway, Maryport and Carlisle Railway, North British Railway, Preston and Wyre Railway, Dock and Harbour, Shrewsbury and Chester Railway, South Staffordshire Railway, Stockton and Darlington Railway, Stockton and Hartlepool Railway, St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway, Stirling and Dunfermline Railway, Whitehaven Junction Railway and York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway join.
/ /1854	Ardrossan Railway Glasgow and South Western Railway The older Ardrossan Railway was merged with the Glasgow and South Western Railway. The older line was re-gauged earlier to provide a through connection to Ardrossan Harbour.
01/07/1858	Ardrossan Railway Saltcoats [1st] station re-sited further west at Saltcoats [2nd].
/ /1882	Ardrossan Railway Saltcoats station re-sited between Saltcoats [1st] and Saltcoats [2nd] stations.
01/01/1883	Ardrossan Railway Ardrossan South Beach opened.
02/06/1924	Ardrossan Railway Ardrossan Pier re-named Ardrossan Winton Pier.
30/06/1952	Ardrossan Railway Saltcoats re-named Saltcoats Central.
02/03/1953	Ardrossan Railway Ardrossan re-named Ardrossan Town.
06/04/1964	Glasgow, Paisley Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway Ardrossan Railway Irvine (Byrehill Junction) to Stevenston (Dubbs Junction) closed to passengers. Ardrossan to Kilmarnock service via Crosshill withdrawn.
04/02/1965	Ardrossan Railway Saltcoats Central re-named Saltcoats.
01/01/1968	Ardrossan Railway Ardrossan Town closed.
/ /1987	Ardrossan Railway Ardrossan Winton Pier closed when line is cut back to a replacement station; Ardrossan Harbour.
19/01/1987	Ardrossan Railway Ardrossan Town re-opened.
24/08/2001	Ardrossan Railway A Class 318, on approach to Ardrossan Harbour, struck a Stagecoach bus at the ungated level crossing just south of the station.

Locations along the line

These locations are along the line.

Ardrossan Harbour

This spartan single platform terminal station replaced the terminus of the line immediately to the north and closer to the harbour, Ardrossan Winton Pier. The platform is on the west side of the track.
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'Open wide!'. 'Caledonian Isles' at Ardrossan on 26th June 2011. I recall this as a Red Letter Day - the Arran service was running as planned and to ...
Colin Miller 22/06/2011

380011 just arrived at Ardrossan Harbour with the ex-13.18 service from Glasgow Central and now waiting time on the return service at 14.36 on 15th ...
David Bosher 15/09/2022

View of the builders plate on Calmac 'MV Caledonian Isles' taken as it battled a strong wind and extremely rough sea on the crossing from Ardrossan ...
David Pesterfield 15/06/2013

Calmac 'MV Caledonian Isles' loads for the return sailing after battling a strong wind and extremely rough sea to reach her berth at Ardrossan Harbour ...
David Pesterfield 15/06/2013

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Ardrossan Harbour [1st]

This was a terminus on a steamer pier in Ardrossan Harbour. The pier and station were not part of the original Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway but opened with the Ardrossan Railway, replacing Ardrossan Town as the passenger terminus in the town. With the opening of this station further goods lines also opened on the neighbouring piers.
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A DMU seen in Ardrossan Harbour station in a view looking north of the station in the 1970s. ...
Roger Geach Collection //1974

A 1970 scene at Ardrossan Harbour (formerly Winton Pier), with platforms occupied by two Derby diesel multiple units and the Burns and Laird vessel ...
Brian Haslehust //1970

A DMU for Glasgow Central waits at Ardrossan Harbour station in 1984. ...
Colin Miller //1984

The 12.33 to Glasgow Central awaiting departure time at Ardrossan Harbour in July 1984. ...
John Furnevel 07/07/1984

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Blacklands Junction

This was the junction between the Doura Branch of the Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway and the curve onto the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway.
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See also
Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway

Standing on a bridge over Blacklands Junction looking north. In the middle distance is a bridge over the former Kilwinning East - Ardrossan line, with ...
Ewan Crawford 14/09/2017

1 of 1 images.

Byrehill Junction

This is the junction between the line to Ardrossan Harbour and the Glasgow to Ayr line which allows a train from the Ayr direction to run to Ardrossan. It is largely used for goods and empty stock movements. The main line is double track and the Ardrossan approach single.
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See also
Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway

Catching an ECS movement between Dubbs Junction and Byrehill Junction during daylight hours is normally quite difficult. However, thanks to extended ...
Douglas Blades 07/07/2022

A 380 at Byrehill Junction. The view is to the east. The mineral line to Stobbs Junction passed from left to right in this view. ...
Ewan Crawford 14/09/2017

Southbound 380 just south of Byrehill Junction and rainbow. ...
Ewan Crawford 07/09/2017

Looking south east towards Byrehill Junction on 4 April 1959 as Crab 2-6-0 42808 takes the route north towards Kilwinning with a train from Ayr ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 04/04/1959

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