This line is open for freight between Dalrymple Junction and Chalmerston near Dalmellington. Currently there is no traffic (2018). A section was re-opened from Holehouse Junction to the Broomhill Loading Pad (opencase) site, but has been uplifted. The line also includes the section from Falkland Junction in the north of Ayr through the new Ayr station to Dalrymple Junction, still in use for passengers and freight for Stranraer. A short portion of this line, the Ayrshire and Galloway Railway was built in isolation for the Dalmellington Iron Works before the rest of the line. This company was intended to build a line along a similar route to the Ayr and Dalmellington Railway but collapsed with only the middle portion built by the Houldsworths, owners of the iron works.
This line is divided into a number of portions.
This junction is to the north of Newton-on-Ayr station. Today it is where the lines of Falkland Yard fan out on either side of the line, particularly to the west on the approach to Ayr Harbour.
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This yard is in the north of Ayr, directly north of Newton-on-Ayr station. The yard is largely associated with the operation of Ayr Harbour for coal export and the various Ayrshire coal loading points. With the demise of Scottish Coal (April 2013) and the reduced demand for coal for power stations the yard is now very under used.
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This is a two platform in the Newton area of Ayr, to the north of the River Ayr. The station is to the south of Falkland Yard and just north of Newton Junction.
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This 1870 junction was south of Newton-on-Ayr station (1886). Four lines meet here, the main Glasgow to Ayr railway and branches to Ayr Harbour and Mauchline on the main line to Carlisle.
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This shed was located with the triangle of lines south of Newton-on-Ayr and north of Ayr. It opened in 1879, just after the Ayr and Mauchline Line (Glasgow and South Western Railway) of 1870 which created the triangular junction. It replaced Ayr Shed [1st], on the line to the original Ayr [1st] terminus, as the main Ayr shed.
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This was the 1870 junction between the main line from Glasgow and the line from Mauchline, giving both lines access to Ayr. It was a double track curve. The signal box, opened with the junction, was on the east side of the junction, just north of Hawkhill Avenue. The box was replaced with a larger box on a similar site.
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This is a double track masonry four arch viaduct which crosses the River Ayr, also known as River Ayr Viaduct. The viaduct is around 320 ft long.
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This station was immediately south of the Ayr Viaduct over the River Ayr and north of the Kyle Street bridge. This was a two platform station on the Ayr and Dalmellington Railway.
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This station has four platforms - two through platforms on the route to Stranraer and two bays for traffic to the north.
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On the west side of the line and south of Ayr station is Townhead depot, where the electric trains operating to Glasgow Central are stabled.
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This level crossing is south of Ayr. The double track line south to Dalrymple Junction crosses Belmont Road on the level.
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This was a junction south of Ayr. It was the junction between the 1906 Maidens and Dunure Light Railway (Glasgow and South Western Railway) (Carrick Coast line) and the 1856 Ayr and Dalmellington Railway.
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This signal box was south of Alloway Junction, Ayr. It controlled access to Glengall Siding. This was the siding for Ailsa Hospital, originally the 'District Lunatic Asylum (Ayr)'. The siding was reached via a headshunt which made a trailing connection to the southbound line.
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The railway is double track from Dalrymple Junction north to Ayr. Both the lines to Girvan and Waterside are single track. The single track lines meet and the line doubles to the north of the junction.
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This was a short lived four platform interchange station just south of Dalrymple Junction. The platforms were short.
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This is an impressive viaduct. It is a single track, sixteen arch viaduct crossing over the Purclewan Burn (or, more particularly, the low land on either side).
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This junction was a little east of Burnton Viaduct. The main line from Ayr to Dalmellington was single track and the branch to Coylton was also single track. The Coylton Branch (Dalmellington Iron Company) route was approached from the east and turned north, passing through Potterston Junction Loop to run north east by Martnaham Loch to Coylton.
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This single platform station opened to passengers and goods in 1856. The platform was on the north side of the single track. There was a goods yard at the east end of the station, on the north and south sides of the line, approached from the east.
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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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Junction for the Downieston No 1 pit and ng to Carnochan No 1 - reached by timber bridge. ...
More detailsThe original Patna station was directly south of the Downieston bridge. There was a short platform on the west side of the line with a building. There was a signal box at the north end of the platform.
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This replaced the original Patna [1st] station, with the platform moving from directly south of the Downieston bridge to south of the goods shed. There was a single platform on the west side of the line. What had been a siding on the west side of the line was looped at the south end and the platform opened alongside. This gave the station a goods bypass.
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Coal mine, 70 fathoms deep. Retained for pumping after closure - date of closure unknown and date of pumping ceasing assumed. ...
More detailsThis portion was the only portion of the failed Ayrshire and Galloway Railway to open, it served the Dalmellington Iron Works. It opened in isolation and was later reached and extended by the Ayr and Dalmellington Railway.
This was the terminus of the line from Ayr. The station was laid out with a goods yard on the west side, passenger station in the middle and locomotive shed to the east, with turntable. The locomotive shed was probably originally the goods shed. The signal box (1884) was on the east side of the station throat.
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