Railways of Ayrshire - 15/04/19

There was plenty of local interest in the talk at Seagate Rotary on Monday, when enthusiast Gordon Thomson spoke about the Railways of Ayrshire which is the title of his recently published book on the subject.  With old and recent photos Gordon outlined the development of the railway network which was mainly constructed from the 1840’s to around 1900. 

With big demand for the bulk freight transportation of coal and iron ore numerous companies vied to build their own lines and capture a share of the market serving the heavy industries of the time, and passengers, leading to much duplication of routes.  With the Beeching cuts of the 1960’s followed by the demise of most of the heavy industries, many lines and stations were closed but their memories are preserved by enthusiasts. 

The railway museum at Dunaskin near Dalmellington has steam locomotives operating during the summer, and many people still remember stations at Bogside and Western Gailes.  There was talk about Mallards and Deltics, bringing back further memories, and after numerous questions and stories a Vote of Thanks was proposed by Andy Slater.