Industrial & Private Lines: Ayrshire

This page should be regarded as “Work in Progress”. The webmaster will welcome additional information for this page.

County pages contain details of Industrial and other Private lines that do not form part of any of the principally listed companies on this web site. RailRefs generally remain un-numbered in the county lists.

In the list below the information is set out in tabular form, spread over four columns. The column entries are -

RailRef	The Line Code used in RailRef system.
Line Detail	The principal locations included within the Line Code. They are arranged in 'down' direction order. Locations shown are primarily stations and junctions to allow easy cross check against published atlases. Signal box names appear in italics where these are 'intermediate' to stations or have been shown to facilitate links from other pages on this web site. The inclusion of a station or junction name does not imply that there was always a signal box of that same name!
SBR	The section reference used in the relevant Signal Box Register published by the Society.
ELR	The corresponding Engineer's Line Reference(s). This will be blank for railways that never came within British Railways terms of reference. It will also be blank where British Railways had no surviving responsibility for infrastructure at the time the ELR system came into use.

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RailRef	Line Detail	SBR	ELR
ENTRIES BELOW ALL HAD THEIR OWN LOCOMOTIVES
Ardeer Foundry, Stevenston
Off CA313	Ardeer Foundry Co Ltd. Rail traffic ceased 1958.
Gasswater Barytes Mine, Cronberry Moor
Off GS041	NS 626 233. 1917-1964. Wrentall Baryta Co Ltd, later Anglo-Austral Mines Ltd. Worked by NCB from 1960.
Ballochmyle Quarry
Off GS060	NS 501 263. Marcus Bain, Ballochmyle Quarry. Closed 1943.
Portland Ironworks, Hurlford
Off GS080	Opened 1858(?). Closed by 1896.
Ardrossan Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Ardrossan
Off GS145
Ardrossan Harbour Company, Ardrossan
Off GS145	Working of rail traffic taken over by LMSR.
Eglinton Iron Works, Kilwinning
Off GS150	(NS) 230550 642390. c1853-c1921. Eglinton Iron Co, to William Baird & Co 1857.
Waterside Railway
Off GS112	narrow gauge section Beoch Pennyvenie standard gauge section Pennyvenie Craigmark Laight Dunaskin Junction GS112 Dunaskin Houldsworth Latterly NCB. See Steam Days, November 2011.
Barony Colliery, Auchinleck
Off	NS 528 217. William Baird Co Ltd until 1931, then Bairds & Dalmellington Ltd.
Dalmellington Ironworks, Waterside, Dalmellington.
Off	NS 443 083. Dalmellington Iron Co until 6/1885, then Dalmellington Iron Co Ltd until 10/1931, then Bairds & Dalmellington Ltd. There was apparantly another ironworks as well which closed due to a strike in 1921 and never reopened, the works being demolished 1927-1928.
Lugar Ironworks, near Old Cumnock.
Off	NS 590 217. Willaim Baird & Co until 1872, then Eglinton Iron Co until 1893, then William Baird & Co Ltd until 1931, then Bairds & Dalmellington Ltd. Closed c1920, shed and repair shops retained and passed to NCB in 1947.
Mauchline Colliery.
Off	NS 4960 2940. William Dixon & Co (or Caprington & Auchlochan Collieries Ltd) until 1934, then Bairds & Dalmellington Ltd. Closed 1966. Then became coal preparation plant which closed 1974.
Muirkirk Ironworks.
Off	NS 697 267. Willaim Baird & Co until 1872, then Eglinton Iron Co until 1893, then William Baird & Co Ltd until 1931, then Bairds & Dalmellington Ltd. Closed c1920, shed and repair shops retained and passed to NCB in 1947.
Caledonia Works, Kilmarnock.
Off	NS 425 382. Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co Ltd. Locomotive manufacturers.
Brand's Pure Spelter Co. Ltd, Gailes Road, Irvine.
Off	William Henderson & Co until 1924.
Glengarnock Iron And Steelworks, Kilbirnie.
Off	NS325532. Merry & Cunningham by 1854, then Glengarnock Iron Co until 1872, then Merry & Cunninghame Ltd until 1892, then Glengarnock Iron & Steel Co until 1916, then David Colville & Sons Ltd until 1930, then Colvilles Ltd, then British Steel Corporation.
Busbie Colliery, Crosshouse, Kilmarnock.
Off	Archibald Finnie by 1854 until at least 1866; James Dunlop & Co by 1886 and until c1902, Busbie Coal Co Ltd. Closed by 1913.
Ardeer Ironworks, Stevenston
Off	Merry & Cunningham until 1872, then Merry & Cunninghame Ltd until 1892, then Glengarnock Iron & Steel Co until 1916, then David Colville & Sons Ltd. Closed c1920 and dismantled.
Capringstone Colliery
Off	J S Cunningham 1854-1855, then Thomas Smith Cunningham 1856-1858, then Wm Smith Cunningham 1859-1886, then Hugh S Dunn 1893, then Capringstone-Auchlochan Collieries 1902, then Wiliam Dixon Ltd. Closed c1924.
Glenfield Works
Off	NS431368. Glenfield & Kennedy Ltd, Hydraulic Engineers, Low Glencairn Street, Kilmarnock
Rankinston Ironstone Mines.
Off	Merry & Cunningham to 1892 then Glengarnock Iron & Steel Co Ltd. Closed 1913. Reopened 1924 David Colville & Sons Ltd.
Hurlford Fireclay Works
Off	J & R Howie Ltd (subsidiary of William Baird & Co Ltd.
Muirside Colliery, Crosshouse
Off	J & R Howie Ltd (subsidiary of William Baird & Co Ltd. Closed c1940.
Finnies Pits
Off	Fardalehill near Crosshouse. Archibald Finnie & Son until c1915 then J & R Howie Ltd (subsidiary of William Baird & Co Ltd. Closed c1927.
Ardeer
Off	Imperial Chemical Industries, Dyestuffs Division.
Walkers Works, Irvine
Off	NS315377. Alexander Walker & Co Ltd until 1916, then Imperial Chemical Industries, General Chemicals Division. Closed 1953.
Bowhouse Factory, near Hurlford
Off	Imperial Chemical Industries, Nobel Division. Used by ROF 1939-1945. Closed 1958 and reopended as War Department storage, shunted by BR. Demolished 1973.
Grangeston Factory, near Girvan
Off	Imperial Chemical Industries, Nobel Division (MOS until 1949). Closed 1952, track removed 1961. Site later used as trading estate. Also narrow gauge section.
Stevenston
Off	Nobel Explosives Co. Ltd until 1919; then Nobel Industires until 1926; then Imperial Chemical Industries, Nobel Division until 1972; then Imperial Chemical Industries, Organics Division.
Montgomeryfield Colliery & Brickworks, Dregorn
Off	NS349375. A Kenneth & Sons untel 1917; then A Kenneth & Sons Ltd. Colliery closed 1940. Brickworks to NCB 1947.
Kilmarnock Iron Co
Off
Kilbirnie Mills, Kilbirnie
Off	W & J Knox
Royal Naval Armament Department, Giffen
Off	NS345510. Ministry of Defence.
Rankinston Open Cast Mine
Off	Ministry of Fuel & Power, Directorate of Opencast Coal Production; to NCB 1953.
Wellwood Disposal Point, Cronberry Moor
Off	Ministry of Fuel & Power, Directorate of Opencast Coal Production; to NCB 1953. Closed 1961.
Royal Ordnance Factory, Irvine
Off	Minitry of Munitions, Nobels Explosive Works; then Ministry of Supply. Closed 1959 and site became industrial estate.
Shieldmains Colliery, Colyton, Drongan
Off	Narrow gauge only.
Rigfoot Colliery
Off	Lanemark Coal Co by 1902; then Lanemark Coal Co Ltd; then New Cumnock Collieries Ltd.
Bank Colliery
Off	NS595115. New Cumnock Iron Co 1854-1857; then Hyslop & McKenzie until 1866; then Bank Coal Company until 1878; then New Bank Coal Company until 1909; then New Cumnock Collieries Ltd; to NCB 1947. Closed 1969.
Lanemark Colliery
Off	Lanemark Coal Co by 1864 to 1902; then Lanemark Coal Co Ltd; then New Cumnock Collieries Ltd.
Aften Colliery
Off	Lanemark Coal Co by 1886 to 1902; then Lanemark Coal Co Ltd until 1913; then New Cumnock Collieries Ltd.
Knockshinnock Castle Colliery
Off	NS607125. New Cumnock Collieries Ltd; to NCB 1947.
Afton Ironworks, New Cumnock
Off	Opened 1847 as Nithsdale Iron Co; then New Cumnock Iron Co. Closed 1855, demolished 1860.
Ardeer Works
Off	Nobel's Explosives Co Ltd until 1919; then Nobel Industries Ltd until 1926; then ICI Nobel Division until 1971. Narrow gauge only.
Harbour Engineering Works, Irvine
Off	Renfrew Bros & Co, Engineers and Boilermakers.
Kilmarnock Gas Works
Off	Kilmarnock Corporation until 1949; then Scottish Gas Board. Closed 1964.
Longpark Pottery, Hillhead, Kilmarnock
Off	NS427387. J Gilmour (registered 1898); then Shanks & Co Ltd. Rail ceased c1966.
Ardeer Ironworks, Stevenston
Off	Shanks & McEwan Ltd. Closed.
Ardrossan
Off	NS230428. Shell-Mex Ltd until 1931; then Shell Oils & Shell-Mex Ltd; then Shell Refining Co Ltd.
Barony Power Station, Auchinleck
Off	NS525217. South of Scotland Electricity Board
Kilmarnock Power Station
Off	NS424367. Kilmarnock Corporation until 1926; then Ayrshire Electricity Boad until 1948; then South of Scotland Electricity Board
Mauchline Power Station
Off	South of Scotland Electricity Board
Southhook Colliery & Fireclay Works, Crosshouse
Off	Southhook and Shawsrigg Fireclay Co until 1913; then Southhook Potteries Ltd. Closed 1924.
Bonnyton Colliery & Fireclay Works, Kilmarnock
Off	Southhook and Shawsrigg Fireclay Co until 1913; then Bonnyton Potteries Ltd until 1935; then Southhook Potteries Ltd. Colliery closed 1913, fireclay works closed 1923.
Bourtreehill Colliery & Fireclay Works, Dreghorn
Off	Southhook Potteries Ltd. Colliery closed 1924, fireclay works much later.
Troon Harbour
Off	Created in connection with Kilmarnock & Troon Railway, vested in GSWR 1901.
Kilmarnock Works
Off	NS425385. John Walker & Sons Ltd, whisky blenders.
Hurlford Works
Off	NS456359. John Walker & Sons Ltd, whisky blenders.
Auchincrieve Colliery, Monkton & Prestwick
Off	NS 3665 2594. 4, 5, 6 & 7 collieries. Opened 1911-1912. Geo Taylor & Co until 1916; then Wm Baird & Co until 1931; then Bairds & Dalmellington Ltd until 1947; then NCB. Closed 1973.
Beoch No 4 Colliery, New Cumnock. aka Benbain No.5
Off	NS 5105 0917. Opened 1937. Bairds & Dalmellington Ltd until 1947; then NCB. Closed 1968.
Kames Colliery, Muirkirk
Off	NS 6847 2619. Opened c1870. Bairds & Dalmellington (from 1931) until 1947; then NCB. Closed 1968.
Littlemill Colliery, Rankinston, Colyton. aka Knocksinnock.
Off	NS 4438 1441. Opened 1860. Colyton Coal Co until 1937; then Bairds & Dalmellington Ltd until 1947; then NCB. Closed 1974.
Rankinston Disposal Point
Off	Closed 1960.