This line is open, except between Dalry and Kilmarnock, and a short section in Troon.
The line was extended from Kilmarnock to Old Cumnock to meet a line approaching from Carlisle. The line formed the core of what was later to become the Glasgow and South Western Railway.
Also known as the Glasgow and Ayrshire Railway.
Leased the Paisley, Hurlet and Barrhead Railway.
This line is divided into a number of portions.
This is the principal station in Paisley (Paisley Canal is a terminus.) It is on both the line between Glasgow Central and Greenock Central, Gourock, Wemyss Bay and the line to Ardrossan, Largs, Ayr, Girvan and Stranraer.
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This junction was at the west end of Paisley station (renamed Paisley Gilmour Street in 1883). It is sometimes also referred to as 'Stoneybrae Junction'. This was an end on junction between the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway and the junction between the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway and Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway.
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This twin frame box, opened 1888, was west of Paisley Gilmour Street. It controlled the two separate routes west from the station: to Greenock and Ayr. In addition there was a connection between the lines via a short headshunt exchange siding.
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This was a set of sidings west of Paisley Gilmour Street, and the former Stoneybrae Twin Signal Box, on the Glasgow and South Western Railway's line to Ayr. Stoneybrae Signal Box was to the west. The depot was also known as the Ayrshire Coal Depot or Paisley Minerals.
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This signal box was west of Paisley Gilmour Street on the Ayr line. The box was on the north side of the line controlling loops to the east, on the north side of the line, and sidings (a coal depot Paisley Mineral Depot [GSW]) to the south, approached from west.
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This was the signa box for Paisley Gas Works and Paisley Western Coal Depot [2nd] . The box was on the north side of the junction. The sidings were on the north side of the line and approached from the east.
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These gas works were located at Underwood to the west of Paisley's town centre. It belonged to Paisley Corporation.
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This was the junction for the Linwood Branch Railway (Glasgow and South Western Railway). The branch was approached from the east. There was a signal box on the north side of the junction and looped exchange sidings laid on the north side of the main line in the 'V' of the junction. A mile of the branch belonged to the G&SWR.
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This double track masonry and brick viaduct is east of the former Canal Junction [Elderslie] on the line to Paisley Gilmour Street.
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This junction was located at the east end of Elderslie station. Here the double track Paisley Canal line of 1885 met the already existing Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway of 1840. Elderslie station had opened in 1876.
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This station opened after the Bridge of Weir [1st] branch and before the Paisley Canal line, initially with 2 platforms and later expanded to four around the time of the Kilbarchan Loop (Glasgow and South Western Railway) opening - thus providing a quadruple route from Dalry to Glasgow St Enoch.
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This junction was formed in 1864 between the 1840 Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway and the Bridge of Weir Railway.
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This was a double track junction east of Johnstone station which was opened with the Greenock and Ayrshire Railway allowing a train from Ayrshire to take the line to Greenock Princes Pier. The north end of the curve was at Cart Junction.
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This is a two platform station. The main station building is on the Glasgow bound platform. It formerly had large platform canopies.
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This was the original Milliken Park station, originally named for the mill to its west on the bank of the Black Cart Water. The station was a little closer to Paisley than the present station. Milliken Park itself was to the west on the opposite bank of the watercourse.
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This is a two platform station. The station has no car park and serves the Milliken Park area.
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This is a modern minimal two platform station north of Howwood itself. The station re-opened in 2001. There is a small car park between the line and the A737.
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This intermediate signal box was between Howwood, to the north, and Lochwinnoch stations. The box was on the west side of the railway with Semple Loch behind.
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This is a two platform station 3/4 of a mile south east of the town of Lochwinnoch. It is a modern minimal station with a car park. Barr Loch is to the west and Castle Semple to the north. 'Loch Winnoch' may have referred to the area before drainage created the two lochs.
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This was a two platform station with the main building on the up platform. There was a goods yard at the north end, west side and approached from the north. The signal box was on the west side, located a little to the north of the passenger station where the goods yard line left the main line. The station was over a mile north west of the town, by road.
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This junction was taken out in 1937. (The iron works had closed in the 1920s, but the steel works remained open.)
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This junction provided the final connection for Glengarnock Steel Works before closure. It also provided access to the second goods yard built for Glengarnock station.
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This is a two platform station with an original building on the northbound platform.
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This junction with a flyover opened in 1905, the south western end of the Kilbarchan Loop (Glasgow and South Western Railway), an important junction on the Glasgow and South Western Railway's quadrupling from Glasgow St Enoch to Dalry Junction.
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There are loops on either side of the railway running north from near Dalry station (Swinlees Junction) to the former Brownhill Junction. The loops are electrified and may be used by passenger trains.
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Originally Kersland Junction (the mileage of the Swinlees Branch was measured from Kersland Junction). It then became Carsehead and Swinlees Branch Junction (as shown on the Railway Clearing House map).
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This chemical works was opened by Roche to the north of Dalry around 1958. The site has been owned by DSM since 2003. The site produces, amongst other things, vitamin C.
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This is a two platform station with a car park on the west side.There are steps up to the road bridge to the north to reach the southbound platform. The station is to the east of Dalry itself.
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This junction was south of Dalry station it was the divide between the Glasgow routes to Ayr (1840) and Kilmarnock (1843). Also known, in the early days after the Kilmarnock route was extended to become a route to Carlisle in 1850, as Annandale Junction.
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This junction was south of Dalry station it was the divide between the Glasgow routes to Ayr (1840) and Kilmarnock (1843). Also known, in the early days after the Kilmarnock route was extended to become a route to Carlisle in 1850, as Annandale Junction.
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This turntable was on the east side of Dalry Junction, just at the north end of Dalry Junction [Station] and approached from the south, off the Kilmarnock route.
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This short lived exchange platform station 1850-1859 was south of Dalry station and immediately south of the Dalry Junction itself. To the north of the junction the line continued as a double track to Dalry. The station was built in the 'V' of the junction with the routes to Ayr and Kilmarnock continuing as double track railways.
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This was an intermediate signal box between Dalry Junction and Dalgarven Signal Box. The box was on the west side of the line just north of the bridge over the Dusk Water and with Monkcastle itself to the west over the River Garnock.
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This signal box was located just north of the viaduct over the River Garnock, not far north of Kilwinning and south of Dalry Junction. It was on the east side of the line.
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This junction is north of Kilwinning station. It s the junction between the line from Glasgow to Ayr and the branch to Ardrossan. Also known as Ardrossan Branch Junction.
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This is a four platform station with two platforms on the Ardrossan Harbour / Largs branch and two platforms on the line south to Ayr. There was an extensive goods yard on the west side, approached from the north, but this is reduced to a pair of civil engineer sidings.
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This signal box controlled the approach to the Eglinton Iron Works from the north (Kilwinning station) direction.
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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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This is a double track three arch viaduct. The viaduct has also been known as the Eglintown (sic) Viaduct and the Eglinton Viaduct. ...
More detailsStill in use in 1984 with a daily return trip to Falkland Yard. BR vans. Worked by Class 20.
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This was the junction for the Bartonholm Coal Pit No 1 branch. This was later adapted to become the Snodgrass Branch which served the portion of ICI east of the River Garnock. ...
More detailsThis was a two platform station to the west of Bogside Race Course. Bogside Golf Club House (now Irvine Golf club) was built on the west side.
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This was a siding south of Bogside station, on the west side of the line, served from the north. It may have been used in connection with Bogside Race Course which was just to the west.
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This low profile six arch double track viaduct crosses the River Garnock between the former Bogside station (to the north) and Irvine station (to the south).
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This is a two platform station. The station has a mixture of old and new buildings. The line is raised and station entry is one floor below the track level. There is a surviving original station building. The building on the southbound platform bears a strange resemblance to Highland Railway station buildings such as that at Ardgay. The building on the northbound platform is different in ...
More detailsThis was a two platform station, opened around 1893. The station is bound up with the establishment of golf courses at Gailes. Before 1892 there was little at Gailes other than Gailes Farm.
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This is a two platform station on the Glasgow-Ayr route.
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This is a four was junction directly south of Barassie station.
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This carriage and wagon works was located south of Barassie Junction on the west side of the original route of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway, now reduced to sidings approached from the junction. The Troon Loop (Glasgow and South Western Railway) was to the west.
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The second station in Troon was opened on the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway. It was a two platform station with a goods yard north of the station on the west side, approached from the north. The main station building was on the northbound platform. (Troon [1st] station was located by the harbour to the west and was the terminus of the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway).
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This junction opened in 1892 when a new curve through Troon station, at a location better serving the town, opened between Lochgreen and Barassie Junction. The new alignment also allowed an approach to Troon Harbour Goods from the south.
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This was a two platform station to the west of Monkton itself. The Station Road between the two has been re-routed with the construction of Prestwick Airport's runway. The main station building was on the east side.
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This junction was between Prestwick (to the south) and Monkton (to the north) stations. It is today the site of Prestwick International Airport station.
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This is the Prestwick Oil Depot for Prestwick Airport. It is built on the site of the goods yard for the former Monkton station. The sidings are to the west of the line and approached from the north.
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This station was opened for Glasgow Prestwick Airport which is to the immediate east and connected to the station by a long elevated covered walkway. It serves Prestwick Airport (as it is typically known), Glasgow is 37 miles away to the north east by train.
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This is a two platform station with a pair of fine station buildings on each platform. The larger, on the southbound platform, has a long glass canopy on the platform site. The smaller, largely timber built, on the northbound platform, also has a canopy platform side.
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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 three road shed, approached from the north, was north of Ayr [1st] station. A siding was provided on either side of the shed. The building was 200ft long and 42 ft wide. It was located on the west side of the line north of Waggon Road (the Auchincruive Waggonway and road). Locomotives entered over the turntable. A coke shed was to the north.
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This was a terminus of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway. The station was on the north bank of the River Ayr and close to the river.
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This short lived exchange platform station 1850-1859 was south of Dalry station and immediately south of the Dalry Junction itself. To the north of the junction the line continued as a double track to Dalry. The station was built in the 'V' of the junction with the routes to Ayr and Kilmarnock continuing as double track railways.
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This siding was on the north side of the line, reached by reversal from the Crosshouse direction. It was between Dalry Junction and Montgreenan.
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This was a two platform station with the main building on the Kilmarnock bound platform.
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Owned by the Glengarnock Iron and Steel Co and close to Cunninghamhead station. ...
More detailsThis station was 4 1/4 miles south west from Stewarton, considerably closer to Cunningham at about 1/2 a mile. It was named for Stewarton, the larger town, until it became inappropriate with the opening of Stewarton station in 1871, after a short delay it was renamed for Cunninghamhead in 1880.
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This box was between Cunninghamhead, to the north west, and Crosshouse, to the south east. It controlled access to Busbiehead Colliery Pit No 3. This colliery was originally on the north side of the line with its siding making a trailing connection to the Kilmarnock bound line. The box on the north side of the line.
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This station was immediately west of Busbie Junction. This was the junction between the 1843 Glasgow, Paisley Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway and its 1848 line to Irvine which provided an outlet for Ayrshire coal at Ardrossan and opened in the same year as the Galston branch, Muirkirk [1st] branch and the main line extended as far as Auchinleck.
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This was a double track junction south east of Crosshouse station. The original Glasgow - Kilmarnock line (1843) was met by the line from Irvine (1848). The location name is spelt variously Busby and Busbie. Ordnance Survey favoured the latter.
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This was the junction for Fardalehill Colliery (older spelling), Greenhill Colliery Pit No 1, Woodhall Colliery Pit No 14 and Woodhall Colliery Pit No 16. The collieries were on the south side of the line, approached from the west. The junction was between Crosshouse and Kilmarnock.
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This signal box was north west of Kilmarnock on the original main line from Glasgow via Dalry.
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Bonnyton signal box was located at Bonnyton Junction in Kilmarnock. It was on the Dalry route just to the north west of Kilmarnock Junction.
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In 1843 the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway opened to Kilmarnock [1st]. This location is where the passenger station (Kilmarnock [1st], to the north) and goods lines (Kilmarnock Goods, to the south) parted.
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This was initially the terminus of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway between 1843 and 1848, the site being roughly the same as the present Kilmarnock station. A temporary station existed between 1843 and 1846.
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This station is located in the middle of Kilmarnock. It is a four platform station with two bay platforms at the north end and two mainline platforms. There are three tracks between the main platforms. The bay platforms and northbound (down) platform are canopied.
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This is a double track 23 arch masonry viaduct just east of Kilmarnock station on the route south to Dumfries and Carlisle. The viaduct is 954 ft long.
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This junction is east of Kilmarnock station. A 1904 spur from Kay Park Junction ran south to join the 'Kilmarnock bypass' between Thirdpart Junction and Mayfield Junction meeting that line at Bellfield Junction. A number of works had opened at Bellfield and Riccarton and the connection provided a goods route to these from the north.
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This is a seven arch double track masonry viaduct crossing the River Irvine north of the former Hurlford station.
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This iron works, owned by the Portland Iron Co, was in Hurlford which, in fact, developed around it. Latterly the works was owned by the Eglinton Iron Works of Kilwinning.
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The original junction for the Galston branch was north of Hurlford station, the branch passing round a third platform, the southbound main line platform being an island. In addition to being the junction for Galston there was also a line east to the Portland Iron Works and west to Bellfield Colliery - both served from the north.
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This station is closed. Initially this was a three through platform station - two main line platforms (two tracks between) and the up platform was an island, the outside face of which was for the Galston Branch.
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Hurlford signal box was to the south of Hurlford station. It was on the west side of the junction between the G&SWR main line from Glasgow to Carlisle and the Galston branch. The box still stands, although unused.
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This location was south of Hurlford on the main line to Dumfries. It was a junction providing access to Barleith Pit No 2 which was on the west side, served from the north.
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This signal box opened in the Second World War to control access to the Bowhouse Munitions Depot. This was an Air Ministry Munitions Factory where incendiary bombs were assembled.
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This goods yard was on the west side of the line, just north of the Garroch Burn bridge. The sidings made a trailing connection to the southbound line. There was a loading bank and two sidings.
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This was an intermediate signal box south of Kilmarnock. It was located south of Garrochburn Goods, just to the north on the west side of the line, and a mineral line to Mauchline Colliery Pits Nos 1,2,4, to the south and on the east side.
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Private railway halt associated with repair and maintenance of the Mossgiel Tunnel. ...
More detailsThis is a double track single bore tunnel of 684 yards between the open stations at Kilmarnock (to the north) and Auchinleck. Historically Mossgiel Tunnel Platform was to the north and Mauchline a little further to the south.
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This was a three platform station about half a mile to the south of Mauchline itself. The main station building was on the main line southbound platform. There was a goods yard at the east end, north of the line, approached by reversal.
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This is an impressive double track seven arch viaduct over the River Ayr. It is the central span which sets it apart - at 181 feet long it is the longest masonry arch of a railway viaduct in Britain. The overall length is 630 ft. The height is 164 ft (there is some disagreement about this amongst sources - 169 ft is also possible). It is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
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This was a siding on the down side, approached from the north. It was provided with a crane. This was probably the Sir James Boswell siding of the Railway Clearing House map. A signal box, 'Boswell Quarry' opened here in 1877 and closed in 1891 when a new signal box at Brackenhill Siding opened.
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This was the junction for the Catrine branch, a short branch south east of Mauchline.
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This was a siding on the down line, approached from the north. Later a signal box was provided here in 1891. On older Railway Clearing House maps the spelling is 'Breckenhill Siding'.
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This junction opened around 1906 in connection with the sinking of Barony Colliery Pits Nos 1,2,3,4. The signal box was replaced with a permanent box in 1916 on the east side of the line. The branch was approached from the north and there were exchange sidings for the Barony Colliery Railway in the 'V' of the junction.
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This is a two platform station with a small car park.
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This junction was immediately east of Auchinleck station between the lines to Muirkirk and the main line from Glasgow St Enoch to Carlisle. Muirkirk Junction Shed was located in the 'v' of the junction. The Muirkirk branch singled shortly after the junction, with initially only the westbound line laid.
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This is a 14 span double track masonry viaduct over the Lugar Water, for which is is also known as the Lugar Water Viaduct or Templand Viaduct. The overall length is 705 ft, height 153 ft.
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A two platform station with a two storey building on the northbound platform.
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This short lived exchange platform station 1850-1859 was south of Dalry station and immediately south of the Dalry Junction itself. To the north of the junction the line continued as a double track to Dalry. The station was built in the 'V' of the junction with the routes to Ayr and Kilmarnock continuing as double track railways.
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This coal and limestone pit was located east of Dalry, reached by a mineral line (Blair and Co's Siding) from Dalry Junction which ran north east to the mine. The bing was to the north. The same line served Blair Mine Blair Colliery No 9 Pit, which was further east.
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This mine was at the end of a single track mineral line running east from Dalry Junction [Station]. Owned by Blair and Co.
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This is a two platform station. The station has a mixture of old and new buildings. The line is raised and station entry is one floor below the track level. There is a surviving original station building. The building on the southbound platform bears a strange resemblance to Highland Railway station buildings such as that at Ardgay. The building on the northbound platform is different in ...
More detailsThis iron works was located east of Dalry on the east bank of the River Garnock. The furnaces were built into the river embankment. It was owned by Blair and Co.
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