Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)

Introduction

This line is open from Annbank to Killoch Colliery. The line was built to give a second outlet from the Muirkirk line to Ayr harbour without occupying the Glasgow and South Western Railway mainline. A section which connected to the Ayr and Dalmellington Railway had a short section open between Holehouse Junction and the Broomhill Opencast site but this closed and has been lifted due to lack of traffic. It is difficult to see why this link was originally built although export traffic from the Dalmellington Ironworks Company was probably expected - but a southbound junction with the Glasgow and South Western Railway mainline was not laid in, instead the line led to Muirkirk. Later the line was used by coal from the Coventry mines to Dalmellington and for coal from Rankinston.





Dates

11/06/1872Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Annbank (Annbank Junction) to Cronberry and Belston Junction to Holehouse Junction opened for goods and minerals. Cumnock Junction to Logan Junction probably also opened.
01/07/1872Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Annbank to Cronberry opened for passengers. Stations opened: Ochiltree, Dumfries House, Cumnock and junction station at Cronberry.
  /  /1876Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Drongan opened.
  /  /1884Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Rankinston opened.
  /  /1896Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Trabboch opened.
  /  /1901Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Skares opened.
  /  /1929Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Cairntable Halt opened.
  /  /1931Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Cumnock Junction (excluded) to Logan Junction (excluded) closed.
  /  /1950Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Holehouse Junction (excluded) to Littlemill Colliery (excluded) closed.
03/04/1950Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Holehouse Junction to Rankinston to Belston Junction closed to passengers. Rankinston and Cairntable Halt closed.
03/07/1950Muirkirk Branch (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Cronberry to Auchinleck closed to passengers (route from Muirkirk [2nd] via Ochiltree and Annbank to Ayr remains open to passengers).
  /  /1951Ayr and Mauchline Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Muirkirk Branch (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Ayr (excluded) to Muirkirk [2nd] (excluded) closed. Auchincruive, Annbank, Trabboch, Drongan, Ochiltree, Skares, Dumfries House, Cumnock, and Cronberry closed.
07/03/1964Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Cronberry (excluded) to Dykes Junction (excluded) closed to freight.
03/04/1966Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Dykes Junction to Belston Junction (excluded) closed to freight.
01/01/1975Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Littlemill Colliery to Belston Junction and Belston Junction to Drongan (excluded) closed to freight.
  /  /1998Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Holehouse Junction to new Broomhill Loading Pad re-opened.
13/08/2000Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
A Branch Line Society railtour visits Broomhill Loading Pad.
13/08/2000Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Branch Line Society railtour The Broomhill visits Broomhill Loading Pad from Holehouse Junction.
  /  /2002Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Broomhill Loading Pad to Holehouse Junction (excluded) closed and lifted.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Annbank to Cronberry

This former station was actually in the village of Mossblown. Annbank itself is about a mile to the south by road. A junction remains here today for the Killoch Washery off the Ayr to Mauchline line.
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See also
Ayr and Mauchline Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
On its return journey from Carlisle to Motherwell on driver training, DRS 66434 is seen on approach to Annbank on Friday 4th February 2022. The houses ...
Douglas Blades 04/02/2022
Hauled by DRS 66429, a diverted Daventry to Mossend container train passes through Annbank around 2005hrs on a bright sunny evening in May 2021.
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Douglas Blades 22/05/2021
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On a sunny February day a train of HAAs crosses Enterkine Viaduct heading towards Annbank. ...
John Clark 11/02/2004
Enterkinfoot. ...
G W Robin //
37676 with coal from Killoch crossing Enterkine Viaduct on 17 April 1989. ...
Bill Roberton 17/04/1989
Enterkinfoot viaduct. ...
G W Robin //
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This was the box for Drumdow Colliery Pits Nos 3 and 4. The colliery was on the east side of the line and accessed from the north. The box was on the east side, just south of the junction.
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This signal box was south of Trabboch station. It was on the west side of the line and controlled access to the north end of the Trabboch Colliery loop, which was on the east side of the railway. The southern end of the loop was controlled by Garrockhill Signal Box. Trabboch box closed in 1948
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This halt was to the south of the Drumdow-Trabboch road. The platform was on the east side of the line. To the north was Drumdow Colliery and to the south Trabboch Signal Box which controlled access to Trabboch Colliery.
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Ayr based Fowler 4F 0-6-0 no 44329, photographed near Trabboch, between Annbank and Belston Junction, on 30 March 1959. The train is the K45 trip to ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 30/03/1959
1 of 1 images.


This signal box controlled the south end of the Trabboch Colliery loop, on the east side of the line, and access to the Garrockhill Colliery loading point, a set of looped sidings running south parallel to the line on its west side with access at the north end. This colliery was to the south and connected to the loading point by a tramway system running on a viaduct. A further portion of ...

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This was a single platform station, the platform and station building being on the west side of the single track railway.
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See also
Killoch Colliery Branch (British Railways)
The Interior of Drongan signalbox seen in 1975, the diagram showing 'Drongan and its attendant loops'. ...
Bill Roberton //1975
Looking north at Drongan in 1975 to the closed station from the loops. ...
Bill Roberton //1975
View north at Drongan in the spring of 1962. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 24/05/1962
Damp day at Drongan. The BLS/SLS Scottish Rambler railtour calls at Drongan behind preserved Caledonian Railway locomotive 123 on 20 April ...
David Stewart 20/04/1962
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This was the junction between the 1872 line from Annbank to Cronberry and its branch to Holehouse Junction. Access to the branch was from the east. Both lines were single track, the branch having a loop just to the west of the junction. The branch provided a route to the Dalmellington Iron Works from the Muirkirk direction.
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Fowler 4F 0-6-0 44189 approaching Belston Junction on 24 May 1962 with a trainload of coal from Whitehill Colliery. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 24/05/1962
Ex-Caledonian 3F 0-6-0 no 57644 heading south from Belston Junction on 30 March 1959. The train is about to cross the bridge over the B7046 at ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 30/03/1959
Fowler 4F 0-6-0 no 44329 at Belston Junction on 30 March 1959 with trip working K45 from Littlemill Colliery. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 30/03/1959
An Ayr bound freight stands in the loop at at Belston Junction on 30 March 1959. Fowler 4F 0-6-0 44329 is at the head of trip working K45 from ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 30/03/1959
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This junction served Burnockhill Colliery Pits Nos 1 and 2. The junction was between Belston Junction (to the west) and Ochiltree (to the east). The Burnock Viaduct was to the east.
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This was a single platform station on the north side of the line. It was just over a mile and a half south of the village of Ochiltree.
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Looking west at the former Ochiltree station. ...
Ewan Crawford //
The former Ochiltree Station (closed to passengers in 1951), looking west on 16 July 1998. See image 9574 ...
Bill Roberton 16/07/1968
Ochiltree. Class 2 4.4.0 40574. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 09/05/1959
3 of 3 images.




This was a single platform station on a single track line.
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Looking east at Skares station. ...
Ewan Crawford //
CR 123 with the preserved Caledonian coaches standing at Skares station, East Ayrshire on 20 April 1962 with the first of the Easter Scottish ...
David Stewart 20/04/1962
3 of 3 images.


This is an eight arch viaduct. It was built to carry a double track but for years only carried a single line, on its south side. It is located between the former Skares station, to the west, and Dykes Junction, to the east.
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This was the junction for Dykes Pit No 1, Hindsward Colliery and Whitehill 1,2 Colliery. Access to a headshunt was from the west and a reversal was required to run south to the collieries.
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An ex-Caledonian 0-6-0 entering the Whitehill Colliery branch at Dykes Junction on 30 March 1959 see image 60035. The colliery closed in 1965. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 30/03/1959
An ex-Caledonian 0-6-0 approaching Dykes Junction, Ayrshire, propelling a brake van on 30 March 1959. The guard appears to be making advance ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 30/03/1959
View east at Dykes Junction, Ayrshire, on 30 March 1959. [Ref query 43599] ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 30/03/1959
3 of 3 images.


This was a single platform station. It served Dumfries House [House] about a mile to the north. The platform was on the north side, located in a deep cutting. There was no goods yard here - this was Dumfries House Siding which was located at Skares (due to the unsuitability of the deep cutting at Dumfries House station).
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Dumfries House station looking west. Apart from serving Dumfries House, the station was close to the Dykes, Whitehill and Hindsward collieries branch. ...
Ewan Crawford //1996
Looking west at the former Dumfries House station. ...
Ewan Crawford //
2 of 2 images.








This coal pit was served by sidings which were connected to the Ayr to Cumnock line at the west end.
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This was a single platform station about 3/4 of a mile south of Cumnock itself. The platform was on the north side of the line.
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The site of Cumnock station in 1996. The station was centre, the line continuing through the housing to Cronberry, and the goods yard was to the left. ...
Ewan Crawford //1996
Looking north east over the site of the former Cumnock station. ...
Ewan Crawford //
Cumnock (A & C). Class 2 4.4.0 40574. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 09/05/1959
3 of 3 images.


This is a double track thirteen arch masonry viaduct east of Cumnock [1st] station on the closed Ayr to Cronberry line (the Ayr and Cumnock Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway)). The viaduct has an overall length of 522 ft and height of 81 ft.
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Officially closed to rail traffic in 1964, Cumnock's Glaisnock Viaduct now provides a walking route over the valley of the Glaisnock Water. The 1872 ...
John Furnevel 11/10/1980
Cumnock Viaduct. Class 2 4.4.0 40574. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 09/05/1959
Strolling through the fields near Glaisnock Viaduct, Cumnock, in 1980. Built in 1872, the 13 arch viaduct carried the Ayr - Muirkirk line over the ...
John Furnevel 11/10/1980
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This was a double track junction between the curve from Cumnock Junction on the Glasgow and South Western Railway's main line and the line from Ayr via Cumnock [1st]. The combined line continuing on towards Lugar immediately singled.
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This is a masonry disused double track seven arch viaduct. The overall length is 312 ft and it is 82 ft high.
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This junction was directly west of Cronberry station. The Auchinleck to Muirkirk [1st] line of 1848 was met by the line from Ayr via Belston Junction in 1872.
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See also
Muirkirk Branch (Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway)
Cronberry Junction and station site seen from the bings of Mosshouse Pit in 1996. Cronberry was an largely an interchange station opened some years ...
Ewan Crawford //1996
View looking west over the site of Cronberry station and junction. ...
Ewan Crawford //
View looking east at Cronberry Junction. To the left is the mainline to Auchinleck and to the right the Ayr and Cumnock line. See image 39529 ...
Ewan Crawford 20/02/2005
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Belston Junction to Holehouse Junction

This was the junction between the 1872 line from Annbank to Cronberry and its branch to Holehouse Junction. Access to the branch was from the east. Both lines were single track, the branch having a loop just to the west of the junction. The branch provided a route to the Dalmellington Iron Works from the Muirkirk direction.
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Fowler 4F 0-6-0 44189 approaching Belston Junction on 24 May 1962 with a trainload of coal from Whitehill Colliery. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 24/05/1962
Ex-Caledonian 3F 0-6-0 no 57644 heading south from Belston Junction on 30 March 1959. The train is about to cross the bridge over the B7046 at ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 30/03/1959
Fowler 4F 0-6-0 no 44329 at Belston Junction on 30 March 1959 with trip working K45 from Littlemill Colliery. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 30/03/1959
An Ayr bound freight stands in the loop at at Belston Junction on 30 March 1959. Fowler 4F 0-6-0 44329 is at the head of trip working K45 from ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 30/03/1959
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BR Standard Mogul 76097 photographed near Polquhairn, East Ayrshire, on 24 May 1962 with a train of coal empties from Ayr. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 24/05/1962
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This junction was immediately east of Rankinston station. The branch gave access to Rankinston No 1 Pit, Rankinston No 2 Pit Limestone and Rankinston No 3 Pit Coal]]. To reach the furthest reaches of the branch required a number of reversals as the line climbed the hillside. ...

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This was a single platform station. There was a loading bank on the south side, giving the appearance, almost, of a two platform two track station. The village of Rankinston developed around the station.
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This halt was located between Holehouse Junction and Rankinston. ...

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This was a coal loading point for the open cast sites to the south. To serve it the line, which had closed in 1950, was re-opened from Holehouse Junction to Broomhill. It was short lived and the line was closed around 2001/2 and was lifted. It was visited by the Branch Line Society's 'The Broomhill' railtour on 13/08/2000 (which also visited the sidings at Barassie). Operation was awkward ...

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The short lived Broomhill Loading Pad, reached by reversing at Holehouse Junction, seen when still in operation in 1999. The pad can be seen (with a ...
Ewan Crawford //1999
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This was an interchange platform with two faces in the 'V' of Holehouse Junction. The 1856 line from Ayr to Dalmellington was met by a 1872 branch from Belston Junction via Rankinston giving it access towards Dalmellington and particularly the Dalmellington Iron Works at Waterside. Both lines were single track.
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See also
Ayr and Dalmellington Railway
Scene on the Ayr & Dalmellington route in the spring of 1959 showing Fairburn 2-6-4T no 42131 with a train on Holehouse curve. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 28/03/1959
Fairburn tank 42131 about to run south through Holehouse Junction on 28 March 1959 on its way to Dalmellington. The train is passing the site of the ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 28/03/1959
Looking north at Holehouse Junction, Ayrshire, on 16 July 1998 with the Broomhill siding diverging to the right. The former station (closed 1950) ...
Bill Roberton 16/07/1998
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Dykes Branch

This was the junction for Dykes Pit No 1, Hindsward Colliery and Whitehill 1,2 Colliery. Access to a headshunt was from the west and a reversal was required to run south to the collieries.
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An ex-Caledonian 0-6-0 entering the Whitehill Colliery branch at Dykes Junction on 30 March 1959 see image 60035. The colliery closed in 1965. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 30/03/1959
An ex-Caledonian 0-6-0 approaching Dykes Junction, Ayrshire, propelling a brake van on 30 March 1959. The guard appears to be making advance ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 30/03/1959
View east at Dykes Junction, Ayrshire, on 30 March 1959. [Ref query 43599] ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 30/03/1959
3 of 3 images.




This colliery was near Skares. It was 245m deep.
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Rankinston Branch

This junction was immediately east of Rankinston station. The branch gave access to Rankinston No 1 Pit, Rankinston No 2 Pit Limestone and Rankinston No 3 Pit Coal]]. To reach the furthest reaches of the branch required a number of reversals as the line climbed the hillside. ...

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Cumnock Curve

This was a double track junction between the curve from Cumnock Junction on the Glasgow and South Western Railway's main line and the line from Ayr via Cumnock [1st]. The combined line continuing on towards Lugar immediately singled.
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This junction was east of Cumnock [2nd] on the Glasgow and South Western Railway main line and was east of Cumnock [1st] on the Ayr and Cumnock line. It gave access to the Muirkirk line without the need to go via Lugar.
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See also
Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway