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

  /  /1819Ardrossan Railway
Proposed by the 12th Earl of Eglinton.
  /  /1827Kilwinning Waggonway
Absorbed by Ardrossan Railway.
  /  /1839Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway
Reformed as the Ardrossan Railway for conversion to standard gauge. The change of name may be artificial.
  /  /1840Ardrossan Railway
First locomotive used. The line was to grow to own ten locomotives.
  /  /1840Ardrossan Railway
Railway separated financially from the Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal (but taking a portion of debt, £29,150).
27/07/1840Ardrossan Railway
Stevenston, Saltcoats [1st], Ardrossan Pier stations opened.
20/08/1840Glasgow, 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.
  /  /1844Ardrossan 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.
  /  /1845Eglinton Ironworks
Opened (re-opened?), this leads to an expansion of the Ardrossan Railway.
  /  /1854Ardrossan RailwayGlasgow 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.
01/07/1858Ardrossan Railway
Saltcoats [1st] station re-sited further west at Saltcoats [2nd].
  /  /1882Ardrossan Railway
Saltcoats station re-sited between Saltcoats [1st] and Saltcoats [2nd] stations.
01/01/1883Ardrossan Railway
Ardrossan South Beach opened.
02/06/1924Ardrossan Railway
Ardrossan Pier re-named Ardrossan Winton Pier.
30/06/1952Ardrossan Railway
Saltcoats re-named Saltcoats Central.
02/03/1953Ardrossan Railway
Ardrossan re-named Ardrossan Town.
06/04/1964Glasgow, Paisley Kilmarnock and Ayr RailwayArdrossan Railway
Irvine (Byrehill Junction) to Stevenston (Dubbs Junction) closed to passengers. Ardrossan to Kilmarnock service via Crosshill withdrawn.
04/02/1965Ardrossan Railway
Saltcoats Central re-named Saltcoats.
01/01/1968Ardrossan Railway
Ardrossan Town closed.
  /  /1987Ardrossan Railway
Ardrossan Winton Pier closed when line is cut back to a replacement station; Ardrossan Harbour.
19/01/1987Ardrossan Railway
Ardrossan Town re-opened.
24/08/2001Ardrossan 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.

This spartan single platform terminal station replaced the terminus of the line immediately to the north and closer to the harbour, Ardrossan Winton Pier. Trains run to Glasgow Central.
...

More details
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
A sole non-standard sign stands defiantly at Ardrossan Harbour on 1 April 2009 - the second line should be left-justified. ...
David Panton 01/04/2009
380 112 waits to leave with its passengers off the Arran Ferry on the drizzly morning of 29/10/2016.
...
David Panton 29/10/2016
4 of 23 images. more


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.
...

More details
Looking over the site of Winton Pier station towards the buffers. The wall in the foreground was the wall on the west side of the station, now the ...
Ewan Crawford 10/08/2017
Ardrossan Winton Pier station in August 1985. This once fine station was to close when the line was cut back to the new Ardrossan Harbour station in ...
Bill Roberton 31/08/1985
Black 5 no 45007 is about to leave Ardrossan Winton Pier on 6 July 1959 with a boat express for Glasgow St Enoch. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow /07/1959
Shunting at Ardrossan Winton Pier on a sunny 6 July 1959 is McIntosh 3F 0-6-0T 56282. The 1898 veteran survived until April 1962 at the nearby ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 06/07/1959
4 of 16 images. more


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.
...

More details

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.


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.
...

More details

See also
Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
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
Standard Mogul 77015 at Byrehill Junction on 4 April 1959 with an Ardrossan - Kilmarnock train. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 04/04/1959
4 of 5 images. more