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The Ardrossan Railway was a railway company in Scotland that primarily ran services between Kilwinning and Ardrossan.
[edit] History
The line began life as a waggonway which opened in 1831 between Ardrossan and Kilwinning and was known as the Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway.[1] It was initially built to the Scotch gauge of 4 ft 6 in (1371 mm) and was worked by horses.[2] For passenger services, a carriage held 24 passengers; 16 inside and 8 outside.[2]
The railway was built by the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal company. It commenced on the west side of Ardrossan harbour. It was intended to terminate at Johnstone, to connect with the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal.[1] However, this never occurred due to lack of money. It therefore terminated at Kilwinning.[1]
The 3 mile (5 km) long Doura branch left the main line near Stevenston and crossed under the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway to reach the Doura coal pit.[1][2] The 0.5 mile Fergus Hill branch left the Doura branch just after the Lugton Water crossing to reach the Fergus Hill coal pit.[1][2]
In 1840 the line was regauged to standard gauge and connected with the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway at Kilwinning station; and in 1854 both lines merged with the new Glasgow and South Western Railway.
[edit] Connections to other lines
[edit] Current operations
The majority of this line is still in use as part of the Ayrshire Coast Line. The only sections closed are the lines to Eglinton Ironworks (and other local former factories) and Ardrossan Winton Pier railway station (now cut back to Ardrossan Harbour railway station).
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Lewin, Pages 17-18
- ^ a b c d Wishaw
[edit] Further reading
- Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-508-1.
- Lewin, Henry Grote (1925). Early British Railways. A short history of their origin & development 1801-1844. London: The Locomotive Publishing Co Ltd.
- Stansfield, G. (1999). Ayrshire & Renfrewshire's Lost Railways, Stenlake Publishing, Catrine.
- Whishaw, Francis (1842). The Railways of Great Britain and Ireland practically described and illustrated. Second Edition. London: John Weale. Reprinted and republished 1969, Newton Abbott: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-4786-1.
| Main lines: |
East Coast - West Coast - Ayrshire Coast - Glasgow-Edinburgh (via Carstairs) - Glasgow-Edinburgh (via Falkirk) - Edinburgh-Aberdeen - Glasgow South Western - Highland |
|
Glasgow commuter
lines: |
█ Argyle - █ Ayrshire Coast - █ Cathcart Circle - █ Croy - █ Cumbernauld - █ Inverclyde - █ Maryhill - █ Motherwell-Cumbernauld - █ North Clyde - █ Paisley Canal - █ Shotts - █ South Western - █ Whifflet |
|
Edinburgh commuter
lines: |
█ Bathgate - █ Crossrail - █ Dunblane - █ Fife Circle - █ North Berwick - █ Shotts |
|
| Rural lines: |
Aberdeen-Inverness - Far North - Kyle of Lochalsh - Tay Coast - West Highland |
|
| Future lines: |
Waverley - Airdrie to Bathgate - Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Rail Link - Edinburgh Airport Rail Link - Glasgow Airport Rail Link - Glasgow Crossrail - Aberdeen Crossrail |
|
| Historical Scottish Railway Companies: |
Aberdeen Railway - Alloa Railway - Arbroath and Forfar - Ardrossan Railway - Annbank to Cronberry - Ayr and Dalmellington - Ayr to Mauchline - Ayrshire and Wigtownshire - Ballochney - Bathgate and Coatbridge - Brechin and Edzell District - Bridge of Weir Railway - Busby Railway - Caledonian Railway - Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction - Callander and Oban - Cathcart District - City Union - Clydesdale Junction - Crieff & Methven - Crieff Junction - Crieff and Comrie - Darvel Branch - Denburn Valley Line - Duke of Sutherland - Dunblane, Doune & Callander - Dundee and Arbroath - Dundee and Perth - Formartine and Buchan - Edinburgh and Dalkeith - Edinburgh and Glasgow - Edinburgh and Hawick - Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction - Forfar and Brechin - General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour - Girvan and Portpatrick Junction - Glasgow and Garnkirk - Glasgow and Paisley Joint - Glasgow and Renfrew District - Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint - Glasgow Central Railway - Glasgow City and District - Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh - Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle - Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr - Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock - Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank - Great North of Scotland - Greenock and Ayrshire - Greenock and Wemyss Bay - Invergarry and Fort Augustus - Inverness and Aberdeen Junction - Inverness and Nairn - Inverness and Ross-shire - Kilbarchan Loop - Killin Railway - Kilmarnock and Troon - Kincardine Line - Lanarkshire and Ayrshire - Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire - Leadhills and Wanlockhead - Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Comrie - Maidens and Dunure - Mallaig Extension - Monkland and Kirkintilloch - Morayshire Railway - North British, Arbroath and Montrose - Paisley and Barrhead District - Paisley and Renfrew - Perth, Almond Valley & Methven - Polloc and Govan - Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint - Rutherglen and Coatbridge - Slamannan - Scottish Central Railway - Scottish Midland Junction - Stirling and Dunfermline - Sutherland and Caithness - Sutherland Railway - West Highland Railway - Wick and Lybster - Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness - Wishaw and Coltness Railway |
