Dalry and North Johnstone Line

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Dalry and North Johnstone Line
LUECKE
- - Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
STR exLUECKE
- - Paisley Canal Line
eABZrg exSTRrf
Elderslie East Junction
eBHF
Elderslie (GPK&AR)
xABZld STRlg
Elderslie West & Johnstone Junctions
exSTR LUECKE
- - Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
exSTRrg exABZrf
Cart Junction
exLUECKE exSTR
- - Bridge of Weir Railway
exABZlf exSTRlg
exSTRrg exKRZo exSTRrf
exKBFe exSTR
Johnstone North (original)
exBHF
Johnstone North
exBHF
Kilbarchan
exBHF
Castle Semple
exBHF
Lochwinnoch
exBHF
Kilbirnie
exSTR LUECKE
- - Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
xABZrg STRrf
Brownhill Junction
BHF
Dalry (GPK&AR)
LUECKE
- - Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway

The Dalry and North Johnstone Line (also known as the Lochwinnoch Loop Line or Kilbarchan Loop Line) was a branch of the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) in Renfrewshire and Ayrshire, Scotland, connecting the stations in Elderslie and Dalry via a route running parallel to the existing line built by the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway. This provided additional line capacity for Ayrshire Coast and Kilmarnock services. The loop line was used for passenger services until the mid 1960s, when it was closed by the Beeching Axe. The majority of the line's trackbed has since been absorbed into the Sustrans National Cycle Network.

Contents

[edit] History

The line opened on 1 June 1905,[1] replacing a short line which had ran from Cart Junction to a terminal station to the north of Johnstone. The main reason for the line was to provide a loop to relieve the pressure from the main line between Paisley and Kilwinning, where traffic was very dense.[1] From the south the line left the G&SWR at Brownhill Junction,[1] situated between Dalry and Glengarnock railway stations, and rejoined the main line at Cart Junction,[1] situated between Johnstone and Elderslie railway stations.

Prior to closure the line had about twelve return passenger journeys a day, running from St Enoch to Ardrossan, Ayr, Kilmarnock and Largs.[1] A casualty of the Beeching Axe, the line closed to regular passenger traffic on 27 June 1966.[2] The line later closed to all traffic from Cart Junction to Kilbirnie on 3 July 1972,[3] with the line between Kilbirnie and Brownhill Junction remaining open until 19 December 1977,[4] primarily to serve Glengarnock Steel Works. The majority of the trackbed is now part of National Cycle Route 7, which runs from Carlisle to Inverness via Glasgow.

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Stansfield, p. 16
  2. ^ Hurst, p. 44
  3. ^ Hurst, p. 67
  4. ^ Hurst, p. 70

[edit] Sources

  • Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present, 1st, Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199. 
  • Hurst, Geoffrey (1992). Register of Closed Railways: 1948-1991. Worksop, Nottinghamshire: Milepost Publications. ISBN 0-9477-9618-5. 
  • Stansfield, G. (1999). Ayrshire & Renfrewshire's Lost Railways. Ochiltree: Stenlake Publishing. ISBN 1-8403-3077-5. 


[edit] See also

RAILSCOT on Kilbarchan Loop Line