History
The line began life as a 9.5-mile (15.3 km), double track 4 ft (1,219 mm) gauge, horse-drawn waggonway which opened on 6 July 1812. It was built using cast iron plate rails with an inner flange.
A 2.5-mile (4 km) branch to Drybridge and Fairle colleries was built to 3 ft 4 in (1,016 mm) gauge. It opened in 1818. The branch had fish bellied edge rails set in iron chairs spiked to stone blocks.
A George Stephenson-built locomotive named The Duke, his second one from Killingworth colliery, was tried on the main line in 1817, but the weight of the engine broke the cast iron plate rails. It worked better when wooden rails were used; and the locomotive remained in use until 1848. Wooden wheels are mentioned by Mackintosh. Sprocket-wheels on the driving axles caused problems by digging up the pathway for horses which was raised up between the rails. An eye witness had commented upon the ease and grace by which the huge machine snorted along the line.
In 1837 an Act of Parliament was obtained to convert the line for locomotive use; and these services commenced on 27 September 1841.
On 16 July 1846 the line was leased to the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway (GPK&A). On 16 July 1899 the line was bought by the GPK&A's successor, the Glasgow and South Western Railway, who ran services until the 1923 Grouping. Services continued under the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and then British Rail until the line's closure to passenger traffic on 3 March 1969.
The Drybridge branch was abandoned in 1846 or 1849.
Read more about this topic: Kilmarnock And Troon Railway
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