Glasgow South Western Line

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

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Caledonian Railway, a railway originally designed as a trunk line connecting Edinburgh and Glasgow with Carlisle, but now embracing an extensive district, and forming the second, in point of mileage, of the railway systems in Scotland. In 1845 an elaborate examination of the various proposals for providing railway facilities between England and Scotland was made on behalf of the Board of Trade, with the result that the Caledonian line, as then proposed, was approved. The act for the construction of the line was passed in July 1845, embracing a main line from Carlisle to Carstairs in Lanarkshire, dividing there into a fork reaching to Edinburgh on the one hand and to Glasgow on the other; with a spur from the latter arm of the fork to join the Scottish Central railway for Stirling, Perth, and the North of Scotland. In constructing these lines, 141 miles in length, there was used a portion of the Glasgow and Garnkirk and the Wishaw and Coltness railways, lines opened in 1831 and 1833, and ranking early in the railway enterprises of the kingdom. For the original line, which was completed in 1848, the authorised capital was £3,433,130 in shares and £1,030,200 in loans. By extensions, amalgamations, leases, and working agreements the Caledonian railway now consists of 733¼ miles of railway owned by the company, 176 miles worked under agreement, 76½ miles of other companies' lines used under running powers, and the Forth and Clyde Canal 52¾ miles, being a total of 1038½ miles of public communications in the hands of the company. Of the system there are 2½ miles consisting of four lines of railways, 453¾ miles consisting of double line, the remainder consisting of single line. At July 1881, the capital expenditure of the company amounted to £36,459,245, of which there was raised in shares £29,037,751 (of which sum £10,257,074 stood as 'ordinary' stock, £2,783,658 as 'deferred' stock, and the remainder as ' guaranteed ' and 'preference' stocks), and in loan and debenture stock £7,127,936, with some minor items of receipt. This Capital total is to a certain extent fictitious, owing to the creation of nominal capital in consolidating various guaranteed and preference stocks, formerly carrying various dividends into stock at one uniform rate, and the 'deferred' capital is also nominal, being created to represent the claims of some of those consolidated stocks to contingent rights of dividend under certain specified circumstances. It is thus impossible to say specifically how much ` hard money ' has been expended in the construction of the system, but it probably does not fall short of thirty millions sterling. In the half-year last reported, the railway carried 679,388 first class, 520,528 second class, and 6,416,487 third class passengers, making, with 7529 season-ticket holders, a total of 7,623,932 passengers, yielding a total revenue of £364,532. The goods revenue amounted to £859,625, the total revenue for the half-year being thus over 1¼ million of money. To carry this trade the company possessed 681 locomotive engines, 1602 passenger vehicles (including horse boxes, luggage vans, etc.), and 42,938 waggons, 30,644 of the latter being engaged in the vast mineral traffic of the company. In the course of the half-year those vehicles traversed in all 5,602,565 train-miles, of which there were run for passenger traffic 2,511,644 train-miles, and for goods and mineral traffic 3,090,921 miles. The gross revenue per train-mile was 57-68d., the passenger train average being 43-75d., and the goods train average 68-77d. per mile. As the main route of the mail service in Scotland, the Caledonian received in the half-year the sum of £26,866 for the conveyance of mails. The affairs of the company are controlled by a board of directors, fourteen in number. As now extended, the Caledonian railway system covers a large portion of the railway map of Scotland, having Carlisle for its southern, and Aberdeen for its northern, terminus, touching on the W Portpatrick, Ayr, Kilmarnock, Wemyss Bay, Greenock, Stirling, Oban, Crieff, and Perth, and on the E Arbroath, Dundee, Edinburgh, Leith, Carstairs, and Peebles. The only districts of importance in the S of Scotland to which it does not reach are Nithsdale in Dumfriesshire, and the middle and western portions of Ayrshire, and that great Border and E district which the North British railway holds. North of Perth and Aberdeen the country is served by the Highland, Great North of Scotland, and allied railway systems. The various parts composing the Caledonian railway will be incidentally noticed under the parishes and counties where they occur, and here the general scope of the system will be detailed, proceeding from S to N. From Carlisle to Beattock the line, which was opened in 1847, passes through a richly varied district, chiefly pastoral and cheese-producing. Six miles of the line are in England, and between the junction with the North British Longtown branch at Gretna and the Gretna Junction, a bridge over the Sark brings the line into Scotland. At Gretna Junction the Glasgow and South-Western main line strikes off to Annan and Dumfries, the traffic into Carlisle being conducted under running powers. The next junction on the Caledonian system is at Kirtlebridge, where the Solway Junction line, sanctioned in 1864, branches off, crossing the Solway to Brayton, on the Maryport and Carlisle line. The portion of the Solway Junction railway N of the Firth was purchased by the Caledonian in 1873. The first town of importance on the main line is Lockerbie, where important lamb fairs and other stock markets are held, and where the line branches off to Dumfries, Stranraer, and Portpatrick. The Dumfries, Lochmaben, and Lockerbie Company was incorporated in 1860, to construct a line 14½ miles long, running through a pleasing district, opening up to view the numerous lochs which give the old burgh of Lochmaben its name, and giving Dumfries an important outlet to the N and E. The line was amalgamated with the Caledonian in 1865. Westward from Dumfries, to Castle-Douglas, the railway, 19¼ miles long, is in the hands of the Glasgow and South-Western Company, but from Castle-Douglas to Stranraer and Portpatrick the railway is worked by the Caledonian Company, and hence reckons as part of its system. There are running powers and ` facilities ' granted under statute to enable the two companies to work those dissevered lines. The Portpatrick railway, which, although worked by the Caledonian, is held by an independent company under acts passed in 1857 and 1864, provides an important connection with Ireland by means of the steamers between Stranraer and Larne, now the 'shortest sea route' since the passage formerly maintained between Portpatrick and Donaghadee was given up. The total length of this railway is 62½ miles, including the branches to Stranraer and its harbour. Returning to the main Caledonian line, it is found to proceed northward through Annandale, till Beattock is reached. A line is (1881) projected to Moffat, 3 miles from Beattock, to bring that favourite spa into connection with the railway system. North of Beattock there are deep rock cuttings, and the line ascends on a steep gradient to the summit-level, where an elevation 1012 feet above the sea is reached, about 10 miles beyond Beattock. The basin of the Clyde is now reached, at the lower parts of which the Caledonian railway has its greatest source of traffic and revenue. At Symington, a branch to Biggar and Peebles, 19¼ miles long, is thrown off. This railway was constructed to Broughton, 8 miles, under an act of 1858, and in 1860 the extension to Peebles was authorised, and the line was amalgamated with the Caledonian in 1861. The main line is at this point, and for some distance northward, passing through a moorland and mountainous district, giving little promise of local traffic, but there are few parts of the railway system of the country where a larger or more important through traffic is carried. At Carstairs is an important junction. On the first construction of the line, it was merely the place where the lines for Edinburgh and Glasgow bifurcated, but it is now also the junction for the Lanark, Douglas, and Ayr route, and for a branch to Dolphinton, as well as a central goods and mineral yard for general traffic. The Dolphinton branch, 11 miles in length, was constructed in 1863. From Cleghorn, 3 miles beyond Carstairs, the Lanark and Douglas branch, authorised in 1860, leaves the main line, but the passenger traffic is now worked direct to Carstairs. In 1865, a line of 11 miles was authorised from Douglas to Muirkirk, and on the opening of the 'Ayrshire lines' of the Glasgow and South-Western railway in 1872, running powers gave the Caledonian direct access to Ayr. The Edinburgh section of the original line is 27½ miles long, and is now augmented by a series of branches and extensions. At Midcalder Junction the railway is joined by the Cleland line, 31 miles, constructed in 1866 to afford a short route between Edinburgh and Glasgow. This extension, which was opposed by the North British, was eventually constructed under an agreement by which the Caledonian consented not to oppose further the Tay Bridge scheme and other works then contemplated by the North British Company. An arrangement subsists by which all through passenger traffic between Edinburgh and Glasgow is shared between the two companies in certain proportions irrespective of the number of passengers carried by each. Nearer Edinburgh, a loop line 5¼ miles, constructed in 1872, leads to Balerno and Currie, rejoining the main line at Slateford. In the immediate vicinity of Edinburgh various connections have been made, being loops to facilitate the transference of traffic from the Leith branch, etc. A junction with the North British was also made, having in view the transfer of the North of Scotland traffic to the Company's own station, instead of to the North British ' Waverley' station; but this junction has never been so used. The Granton and Leith branches, 6¼ miles in all, were constructed as goods lines merely under acts of 1857 and 1862, but in 1880 the Leith line was opened as a suburban passenger railway, with several stations, affording facilities to residents N and W of Edinburgh. The western breakwater at Granton harbour is used as a quay for railway traffic, and there, as well as at Leith docks, the company derives a large traffic outward and inward. The terminus in Edinburgh is at the W end of Princes Street, and the passenger station is as yet a temporary wooden erection. Large goods and mineral yards have been laid out at Lothian Road and Morrison Street. From Edinburgh, the Caledonian holds running powers over the North British railway to its own station at Larbert in Stirlingshire, and also over the Graugemouth branch- It is proposed (1881) to make a new and independent access to the latter port, where the company has promoted the construction of extensive dock and harbour works, and where the Forth and Clyde Canal has its eastern connection with the sea. This canal, which was acquired by the company in 1867, was opened from sea to sea in 1790, and is 37 miles in length, with a summit-level of 150 feet, reached by 20 locks on the E side and 19 locks on the W. The capital, on amalgamation with the railway, was £1,141,333, on which the railway company guaranteed a dividend of £71,333 annually, or 6¼ per cent., converted in 1881 to a 4 per cent. stock by the nominal increase of the capital at that rate to absorb the amount of the annuity. Reverting to Carstairs Junction, the western fork proceeds to Wishaw, at which point, as already indicated, the route follows, as far as Glasgow, lines made under powers taken as early as 1826, comprising 19 miles in all. Between Wishaw and Glasgow, and by means of branches to a large number of out lying places, the map here presents a complex network of lines, the greater part of which is in the hands of the Caledonian. The main trunk route to the N over which the 'limited mail' travels diverges at Coatbridge, proceeding to Castlecary and Lower Greenhill, where the Scottish Central section, subsequently referred to, carries the line to Stirling, Perth, etc. Approaching Glasgow from the S, the route principally followed until lately was by the old Garnkirk route, reaching Buchanan Street station. The Central station in Gordon Street, with a splendid bridge over the Clyde above Broomielaw and parallel to Glasgow Bridge, was opened in 1879, at a cost approaching two millions sterling, since which time both the S and N traffic, and the trains by the direct Cleland and MidCalder route to Edinburgh, have been conducted to the new station. After crossing the river on leaving Glasgow, this line follows the route of the Clydesdale Junction, constructed in 1845, and incorporated as part of the Caledonian original system. It must suffice to say that the Caledonian in this district possesses lines to Larkhall and Lesmahagow, Stonehouse, Strathaven, Hamilton, East Kilbride, etc., and numerous mineral connections over and above its passenger lines. The Greenock and Paisley railway, opened in 1841, was taken as part of the Caledonian system in 1847, under a dividend guarantee, with a separate board for financial purposes. In 1879 this board had a unique experience, having found it necessary to obtain an act of parliament to create new stock to replace an amount fraudulently issued by one of the officials, with the effect of permanently reducing the dividend on the stock thus augmented. The Wemyss Bay railway, 10 miles, was constructed in 1863, and is worked by the Caledonian, and, by means of an extensive service of steamers, provides a favourite route to the watering places of the Clyde and the West Highlands. By an act passed in 1869, the Caledonian became joint-owner with the Glasgow and South-Western of the line to Kilmarnock. The Scottish Central railway, projected in 1845, was completed from Greenhill to Perth in 1848, this portion being 45½ miles in length, and some additions were subsequently made to it prior to its amalgamation with the Caledonian in 1865, this amalgamation being carried after a fierce parliamentary contest. The extensions before and since amalgamation embrace a branch to Denny, 3 miles, and a branch to South Alloa, where a ferry across the Forth to Alloa is maintained. At Dunblane, the Dunblane, Doune, and Callander, 10½ miles, branches off- This line was projected in 1845, and was leased by the Scottish Central, being subsequently amalgamated by it, and so eventually brought into Caledonian hands. The importance of this branch has been increased by the construction of the Callander and Oban railway, 72 miles, separately noticed, which is worked by the Caledonian Company. Near Auchterarder, a branch to Crieff, 9 miles, strikes off from the main line, and forms a circular route with the Crieff and Methven Junction, 11½ miles, and the Methven and Almond Valley to Perth, 6 miles, both now included in the Caledonian railway system. At Moncrieff, the North British Perth line via Fife joins the Caledonian, running jointly into Perth Central station. This station is the key of the whole of the traffic in the N of Scotland, and is in consequence a railway centre of great importance. The Caledonian Company possesses two routes out of Perth, one by the Dundee and Perth, 20½ miles to Dundee, and the other by Cupar-Angus to Forfar and Aberdeen. The line to Dundee, opened in 1847, was amalgamated in 1863 with the Scottish Central, and in 1865 with the Caledonian. From Dundee, the Caledonian holds the Newtyle line, 11 miles, which formerly left the town by a series of steep slopes worked by stationary engines, but was subsequently taken round by Lochee on better gradients, thus providing a line to that important suburb of Dundee. The Newtyle joins the other line from Perth, above referred to, near Meigle. The Dundee and Arbroath railway, 17 miles, was the first line in Scotland on which locomotives were used. It was opened in 1840, and at an early period in its history was leased to the Caledonian, by whom it was subsequently amalgamated as part of the Scottish NorthEastern system. In 1879, carrying out a scheme originally sanctioned when the Tay Bridge Act was passed, this line was converted into a ` joint ' possession of the Caledonian and North British companies, managed independently by a directorate elected by the two boards, so that this 17 miles forms an integral part of both systems. From the neighbourhood of Broughty Ferry is another cross line, joining the northern section from Perth. This is the Dundee and Forfar, or 'Forfar Direct' line, 17½ miles long.

The railways last described do not reckon as part of the 'through' route to Aberdeen, that being on the other line proceeding N from Perth. The first section of this route beyond Perth was constructed in 1847 as the Scottish Midland Junction line, reaching to Forfar 33¼ miles. A short distance from Perth this line receives on the left the Almond Bank and Crieff railway, already mentioned, and at Stanley Junction the Highland railway, which enjoys running powers over the Caledonian from this point to Perth, branches off. From Cupar-Angus, a branch leads to Blairgowrie, 5 miles this being part of the original scheme; at Meigle, a branch to Alyth, 5¼ miles, joins the main line, constructed under an act of 1868, and amalgamated with the Caledonian in 1875. Another branch, 3½ miles, goes to Kirriemuir, this having also been part of the original Midland Junction scheme. From Forfar on the one hand, and Arbroath on the other, there is a line, 15½ miles, originally a separate undertaking to unite those two towns, and opened as early as 1839. When the Aberdeen railway was projected, this line was incorporated as a fork, the railway to Aberdeen leaving at Guthrie Junction, and thus affording access to both the routes to Perth that have been described. The line to Aberdeen, 72 miles in all, embraces this Arbroath to Forfar fork, and branches from Bridge of Dun to Brechin, and Dubton to Montrose, with a triangle line at Guthrie to facilitate traffic with the diverging routes. In 1866 the whole of the lines now described from Perth to Aberdeen, which had already been associated as the Scottish North-Eastern, were incorporated with the Caledonian system. In 1860 there was constructed a line from Montrose to Bervie, 12 miles, which was worked by the Scottish NorthEastern, and afterwards by the Caledonian. In 1881, however, an act was passed amalgamating it with the North British railway, which had in the meantime constructed its Arbroath and Montrose railway, and became joint-owners, as already stated, of the Dundee and Arbroath line, the Bervie amalgamation thus making another step in the progress of that company towards an independent access to Aberdeen.

The district commanded by the Caledonian company is very much diversified, both as regards the scenery of the line, the character and occupation of the population, and the nature of the traffic drawn from the various sections. In no part of its system does it present memorable engineering works, although the difficulties of crossing some of the mosses on the original line from Carlisle, the solid rock tunnels on the Greenock line and at Moncrieff Hill, the heavy cuttings near Beattock, the romantic and adventurous route through Glen Ogle on the Callander and Oban line, the bridge over the Clyde at Glasgow, and the central station there may deserve special notice. In Glasgow it forms the principal means of communication between this centre of the cotton, iron, and shipbuilding interests of Scotland, and the famous mineral district of Clydesdale, in which the railway holds such a commanding position. At Greenock, Grangemouth, Granton, Leith, and Dundee, a large shipping trade is done, carrying coals and iron for export, and receiving a varied traffic in the imports from the Continent and America at those various ports. The line from Carlisle to Perth forms the main artery in Scotland of the great postal stream borne through the country by the ' limited mail,' and to Callander and Aberdeen the mail is carried forward by rapid trains, as it is beyond Stanley over the Highland line. As a passenger line the Caledonian takes high rank, its stations embracing all the 'eight large towns' in Scotland, as well as nearly every populous district in the kingdom. As an access to the picturesque parts of Scotland, the railway occupies a position of great advantage. It issues an extensive programme of routes for tourists, embracing, on its own line, Bothwell, ' Tillietudlem,' and the Falls of Clyde near Glasgow, with Edinburgh, Stirling, Perth, and Aberdeen amongst the attractive towns, and a journey of unexcelled interest through Perthshire and Argyllshire to Oban and the West Highlands. It also offers a series of circular tours through the highlands and islands by means of the steamboats and railway companies with which the Caledonian Railway Company is in alliance. It forms part of the west coast route of communication between England and Scotland, acting in close alliance with the London and North-Western Railway Company. In this relation the Caledonian enjoys a large share of the traffic to and from England, and a practical monopoly of the railway traffic between Liverpool and Scotland.

Castle-Douglas and Dumfries Railway, a railway partly in Dumfriesshire but chiefly in Kirkcudbrightshire, from a junction with the Glasgow and South-Western in the vicinity of Dumfries station, 19½ miles south-westward to Castle-Douglas. It was authorised in 1856, on a capital of £120,000 in shares and £40,000 in loans; was opened 7 Nov. 1860; and was amalgamated with the Glasgow and South-Western 5 July 1865.

Girvan and Portpatrick Railway, The, extends from Girvan, the terminus in Ayrshire of the Glasgow and South-Western railway, to a junction with the Portpatrick Railway at East Challoch, near Dunragit, in the parish of Glenluce and county of Wigtown. In 1846 there was projected the Glasgow and Belfast Union railway, a line proposed to leave Ayr for Girvan and proceed southwards into Galloway. The powers then obtained only covered the line to Maybole and Girvan, although the extended line was in contemplation. The project was allowed to lapse, and the line to Maybole was not opened till 1856 (under an act obtained in 1854); in 1860, under a later act, the line was opened to Girvan. In 1865 the Girvan and Portpatrick railway was sanctioned, but the matter lay in abeyance; and in 1870 the time for completing the line was extended, a further extension of time being obtained in 1873. The first sod was cut in Sept. 1871, and in Oct. 1876 the railway was opened for traffic. The line is 30¾ miles long, with a single line of rails. Crossing Girvan Water, it ascends a steep gradient for 4 miles, passes through a tunnel of 500 yards, and crosses the Stinchar and the Dhuisk on important bridges. After passing Barrhill it follows the valley of Cross Water of Luce, and crosses the Luce by a viaduct of ten arches. In the course of the construction of the line, the works were seriously damaged by floods; and, from an estimated cost of £330, 000, the capital expenditure advanced to a sum of £532,000. The railway was at first worked by the Glasgow and South-Western Railway Company under an experimental agreement, and afterwards on stated terms. The railway, however, having fallen into financial difficulties, a judicial factor was appointed by the Court of Session in 1881; and the line, which for a time was used as a rapid through route between Glasgow and Stranraer, was, after being shut for a brief period, resumed for the accommodation of local traffic. In 1882, under a new act, powers were obtained to reconstruct the company and to develop its capabilities as a through line. The stations on the line are Girvan, Pinmore, Pinwherry, Barrhill, Glenwhilly, and New Luce.

Glasgow and South-Western Railway, a railway in Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, and Dumfriesshire, with connections into Wigtownshire, etc. The system is an amalgamation of various lines constructed at various times, and as it now embraces the first railway made in Scotland under an Act of Parliament, the line may claim to be the oldest railway enterprise in the country. This line, connecting the Duke of Portland's coal-fields near Kilmarnock with the port of Troon, was authorised by an Act passed in 1808, with a share capital of £55,000 and loans £10,500, and was long worked by horse haulage, while a passenger car conveyed the inhabitants of the inland weaving town to the 'saut watter,' this being at one time a favourite trip from Kilmarnock. Aiton, in his survey of the agriculture of Ayrshire, speaks of this railway as 'of magnitude unequalled in Scotland,' it being in course of formation when he wrote. The total length of this early railway was about 9½ miles, or, with branches subsequently made, 12 miles 1 furlong. The construction of this line was of cast-iron rails resting on stone blocks, a method of laying the line which subsisted down to and after the making of the Edinburgh and Glasgow railway, but was discarded in favour of wooden sleepers laid under both rails, and steadied by 'ballast.'

As early as 1835 the scheme of connecting Glasgow with Carlisle through Nithsdale was advocated in the Ayr Advertiser and the Dumfries Courier, and some years previously there had been proposals made for a railway between Glasgow and Paisley. The first proposal in the latter direction was to convert the Glasgow, Paisley, and Johnston Canal into a railway, and what was proposed in 1830 was not sanctioned for fifty years thereafter, and is only now (1883) in process of being carried into effect. In April 1836 a meeting was held in Glasgow to promote the construction of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayr railway, a line which, it may be remarked, only came within 5 miles of Kilmarnock, although bearing that name in its title, the prospectus stating that 'the high ridge which lies to the S of Glasgow' rendered a more direct line impossible. Thirty years later, however, when the art of making and working railways had advanced, a direct line to Kilmarnock was constructed, being the joint property of the Glasgow and South-Western and the Caledonian Companies.

The first act for the construction of part of the system, eventually combined under the general title of Glasgow and South-Western, received the royal assent on 15 July 1837, the capital being fixed at £625,000, with borrowing powers £208,300. The first section of the line, that between Ayr and Irvine, was opened on 5 Aug. 1837, and on 11 Aug. 1840 the line was opened through between Glasgow and Ayr, amidst great rejoicing. In 1844-the intervening period being occupied by the directors in consolidating the line, constructing branches to Irvine, Ardrossan, etc., acquiring and strengthening the Kilmarnock and Troon line, and other works-a movement was made towards the construction of the Dumfries and Carlisle connection. Although promoted as a separate undertaking, the Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle was supported by the Ayrshire company and its board, and in 1850 the lines were amalgamated. The Act was obtained, after much opposition, in 1846 ; and on 16 July 1847 the foundation-stone of the bridge over the Nith at Martinton was made the occasion of a great public demonstration at Dumfries. The line was opened on 28 Oct. 1850, when the two systems became one, the first meeting as the 'Glasgow and South-Western railway' being held in March 1851.

By a series of constructions and amalgamations, the system at the end of July 1882 consisted of 300¼ miles wholly the property of the company, 31½ partly owned (the Kilmarnock joint line, etc.), 17 leased or rented, and 25 worked by the company. Of the lines maintained by the company there were 233¼ miles of double and 96½ of single line. At the same date the authorised capital of the company was £9,727,770 in stock and £10,340,998, 14s. 8d. was given as the capital sum expended in the construction and equipment of the railway, including subscriptions to allied or subsidiary railways. As with other companies it is difficult now to say what amount in actual cash was expended in making the line, as a certain amount of nominal stock is comprised in the above totals, including a sum of £987,770 added on the consolidation on an equal dividend basis of certain guaranteed stocks, and an amount of £442,250 created as 'deferred' stock, to carry certain contingent dibidends that were payable to stock of equal amount, neither of those sums representing actual outlay on the line. Of the share capital, £4,927,920 stood as consolidated ordinary stock, £748,360 as 'guaranteed' stock (increased to £935,450 on equalisation as above described), and £1,949,299 as 'preference' stock at 4, 4¼, and 5 per cent. In the half-year last reported upon the company carried 354,701 first class, 238,344 second class, and 3,463, 284 third class passengers, besides issuing 3191 season tickets, making a total of 4,059,520 passengers, yielding a revenue of £191,906. For parcels, horses, and mails, the company received £221,963, and the goods traffic (merchandise 495,843 tons, minerals 2,022,103 tons) yielded a revenue of £313,861. With some miscellaneous items of receipt the revenue for the half-year was £546,915. To carry this traffic the company owned 280 locomotives, 871 passenger vehicles (including horse-boxes, carriage trucks, post office vans, etc.), and 11,592 waggons, 7051 of the latter being mineral waggons, and 184 brake-vans for goods trains.

In the half-year those vehicles traversed 1,042,340 miles in the passenger, and 1,125,556 in the goods department. The gross revenue per train mile was 59-32d., and of this the passenger traffic yielded an average of 51-11d., and the goods traffic an average of 66-92 per train mile. The affairs of the company are controlled by a board consisting of chairman, deputy-chairman, and 8 directors, who received an honorarium of £1000 in the half.-year.

As constructed up to the end of 1882, the Glasgow and South-Western railway served a district admirably described by its title, and having for its termini Glasgow, Greenock, Dumfries, Girvan, Castle-Douglas, and Kirkcudbright, with a vast network of intercommunication between the various parts of the district comprised within those limits. The parent line, that from Glasgow to Ayr, passes from Glasgow through a level country sprinkled with villas, villages, towns, and manufactories. Paisley, the first station of importance, is approached by a bridge over the White Cart, with the castellated buildings of the jail prominent in the foreground, and a glimpse is got of the venerable remains of the abbey, 'the cradle of the Empire', for to the birth of the son of Marjory Bruce, the Queen Blearie of the ringing aisle, the present reigning house traces its right to the British throne. At Paisley the branch to Renfrew diverges. Before reaching Johnstone, the line to Bridge of Weir and Greenock branches off, the section to Bridge of Weir, 3¾ miles, having been sanctioned in 1862, and the Greenock and Ayrshire, 15 miles, in 1865. The former was absorbed in 1865, and the latter in 1872. By the construction of this line, the Glasgow and South-Western obtained an independent access to Greenock, running their passenger trains to Princes Pier, at the W end of the port, where steamers call regularly. The Anchor Line passengers for America are conveyed by special train from Glasgow to Princes Pier, starting some hours after the vessel has left the harbour of Glasgow. From Johnstone the main line proceeds through a fine verdant district, passing Loch Semple, with a station for Lochwinnoch, and immediately entering Ayrshire, where it skirts Kilbirnie Loch, and passes through a picturesque country, with its beauties marred, as so many scenes in the W of Scotland are marred, by the mineral operations which bring the railway and the county their wealth. At Dalry there is a separation of the lines, that to the right proceeding to Kilwinning, from which a branch runs to Saltcoats (with a branch to the harbour) and Ardrossan. Extensions of the latter branch were opened to West Kilbride in 1878 and to Fairlie in 1882, and in the latter year powers were obtained to continue the railway to Largs, further N on the Ayrshire coast. A direct line from Dalry to Fairlie was at one time projected, but owing to the magnitude of the works involved, the powers to make this line were abandoned, and the circumbendibus route to the favourite watering place of Largs has been, after some delays, carried into effect. Leaving out of view some mineral lines in this part of the county, we next on the main line reach the town and harbour of Irvine, from beyond which a cross line by Dreghorn connects, for the first time, the two principal parts of the system, forming a short route between Kilmarnock and Ardrossan. This line skirts the coast, affording a fine view of the lower waters of the Clyde estuary, with Holy Island and the bold hills of Arran to fill up the background, and Ailsa Craig visible in the far distance. On approaching Troon, the old line to Kilmarnock, already spoken of, is met, and a branch strikes off, or rather, the original Troon line, strengthened to suit later requirements, strikes off to the town and harbour. Approaching Ayr, the village of Prestwick is passed, the links round which have been rendered accessible by the railway, and have been adopted as a favourite golfing ground.

S of Ayr we encounter a very interesting chapter of railway history. In the great railway promotion of nearly forty years ago, when the through routes of the county were elaborately reported upon by the Board of Trade, and the merits of various routes were keenly canvassed, an Act was passed in 1846 for the formation of the Glasgow and Belfast Union railway. Although promoted with this comprehensive title, and originally intended as the nucleus of a short route to Ireland via Stranraer, the line was only 22¼ miles in length, reaching to Girvan with a branch to Maybole. The capital was £440, 000 in shares and loans. In 1847, an Act for the construction of the 'Ayrshire and Galloway' railway was obtained, this line reaching to Dalmellington, and being intended to inaugurate a southern route through the Glenkens into Galloway. Although last promoted the Dalmellington line was first constructed. An Act passed in 1853 authorised the formation of this line, 13 miles in length, 4 miles of this being available for the proposed line to Girvan and Maybole should the latter be proceeded with. In 1854 the Ayr and Maybole Junction was promoted, 5¼ miles in length, and the two lines were opened in 1856. In 1858 the Dalmellington railway was amalgamated with the parent line. The Ayr and Maybole Company to this day preserves its autonomy, being worked by the Glasgow and South-Western railway under a perpetual lease agreed to in 1871, at an annual rent of 7 per cent. on the capital, with a lien on the revenue (see Ayr and Maybole Railway). The extension to Girvan, 12½ miles was promoted by a company in 1856 : capital £90, 600, eventually (owing to the works proving more expensive than had been estimated) increased to £145, 600. The line was opened in 1860, and amalgamated with the parent line in 1865, the Maybole section, as already mentioned, standing as a separate property between the two parts of the line then amalgamated. In 1865 powers were obtained to construct several important junctions in Ayrshire, embracing a cross line from Mauchline to Ayr -to bring Ayr into nearer connection with the S-a cross line from the Dalmellington branch to Cumnock, and a transverse railway connecting these two lines through the parishes of Ochiltree and Coylton. Those connections were opened in 1872. For the more southerly connection of the company beyond Girvan see Girvan and Portpatrick Railway and Portpatrick Railway.

Returning to Dalry, the point of divergence noticed m an earlier paragraph, we proceed to Kilmarnock, an important centre. After many negotiations and struggles, the Glasgow, Barrhead, and Kilmarnock joint line was sanctioned, and it is held in equal shares by the Caledonian and the Glasgow and South-Western Railway Companies. This was a compromise, on the abandonment of the Kilmarnock direct, and comprised the Barrhead and Neilston railway, and the Crofthead and Kilmarnock, with junctions and extensions, making a through line, which was opened in 1873. The line from Dalry to Kilmarnock (still an important passenger route, although the expresses take the direct line) was opened in 1843. It was followed by the extensions to Mauchline and Auchinleck, opened in Aug. 1848, and to New Cumnock, opened in May 1850. Meantime, as part of the Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle railway, the line had been opened from Dumfries to Gretna, 24½ miles, in Aug. 1848, and from Dumfries to Closeburn, 11¾ miles, in Oct. 1849. The completing line between Closeburn and New Cumnock, 25¼ miles, was opened as already stated in Oct. 1850, and at the end of that month the original Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayr, and Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle companies were, under agreements previously made, amalgamated under the title at the head of this article. A branch from Auchinleck to Muirkirk, 10¼ miles, was opened in Aug. 1848, and a line from the neighbourhood of Kilmarnock to Galston and Newmilns was opened in May 1850. There are various mineral lines in this district that need not be particularised. By the Caledonian extension from Douglas to Muirkirk, authorised in 1865, a short route from Edinburgh to Ayr, viậ Carstairs and Lanark, was established, using the lines of the Glasgow and South-Western from Muirkirk by Cumnock. From Dumfries the Glasgow and South-Western company runs to Castle-Douglas and Kirkcudbright. To the former town a railway, 19½ miles in length, was sanctioned by an Act passed in 1856, and the Kirkcudbright railway, 10¼ miles in length, was sanctioned in 1861. Both were amalgamated with the Glasgow and South-Western in 1865.

While the engineering works on the system present no feature of world-wide fame, there is throughout an average amount of difficult and costly works in tunnels, bridges, etc. There is a long tunnel at Drumlanrig, rendered necessary by the line being carried along the side of the hill so as to preserve the amenity of Drumlanrig Castle. Between Dumfries and Annan the unstable character of the Lochar Moss gave considerable trouble. But as a rule the line was comparatively easy to construct, its gradients being generally moderate, while its course, laid out in the earlier days of railway construction, formed detours rather than short cuts. The reason given for omitting Kilmarnock in the route of the railway has already been quoted, and in the prospectus it was stated that the summit-level of the line between Glasgow and Ayr, at Kilbirnie Loch, is only 95 feet above sea-level.

The principal station of the railway, at St Enoch's Square in Glasgow, was opened by the Prince of Wales in Oct. 1876, but the works of the station, and the hotel fronting it, were not completed till 1879, when the hotel was opened. Previous to the erection of the new station, the company had its headquarters and principal terminus in Bridge Street, at the S end of Glasgow Bridge. This station, in which the Caledonian holds running powers and partial ownership, has been completely recast, and at present (1883) is of little importance ; its principal terminal traffic being the trains to Wemyss Bay (See Wemyss Bay Railway) and to Johnstone, with the numerous through trains passing to the central station of the Caledonian. The Bridge Street station, although little used, is held by the Glasgow and South-Western in anticipation of any change in traffic that may render it busier, and the company has successfully resisted the endeavours of the Caledonian to obtain a larger share in the property.

The hotel and station at St Enoch's Square take rank with the largest works of the kind in the kingdom. The hotel front to the square presents a splendid façade in Early English Gothic, 240 feet long, with a total height from the street level of 130 feet. The plat form level is approached by a sloping carriage-way, and is 20 feet above street level, the lower front of the terrace thus formed being used as shops. At the NW corner, under a lofty tower, is the entrance to the hotel, and in the centre, under an iron and glass roof, are the entrances to the booking-hall, a fine apartment 90 by 60 feet. The usual luggage-rooms, waiting-rooms, etc., are on this floor, and bounding the N side of the station is a wing 600 feet long, occupied as the headquarters of the company. In the angle subtended by the hotel and this wing is found the station, covered in a one-arched span of iron and glass, presenting a vast airy aspect, and fully accommodating the large traffic brought into the station. The main ribs of this splendid roof, built up in eleven sections, weigh 54 tons each. The hotel, the business of which is retained in the hands of the company, is only exceeded in size by two hotels in the kingdom. In the basement is a spacious kitchen, 85 by 32 feet in size, and with a roof 20 feet high, and the remaining appointments of the hotel are in keeping with this enlarged view of the needs of a first-class modern hotel. Electric-bells, speaking-tubes, and a hoist to carry visitors to the higher floors, are amongst the facilities offered by this finely equipped hotel.

The goods station of the company in College Street, adjoining the College (passenger) station of the North British railway, takes its name from having been built on the site of Glasgow University, of which building part of the front to High Street still remains, being used as railway offices. This district, once crowded with mean streets and narrow closes running down to Molendinar Burn, was levelled up for railway purposes at great expense. The College and St Enoch stations and the lines connecting them were constructed by, and are the property of, the City of Glasgow Union railway, a company incorporated in 1864, and the shares of which are held in equal proportions by the Glasgow and South-Western and -the North British railway companies. The works of this quasi company, extending to little more than 6 miles, have entailed a capital expenditure of two and a half millions of money. In the half-year last reported upon, the Glasgow and South-Western Company paid £28,743 for the rent of the two stations, and received £6500 as dividend upon its shares in the City of Glasgow Union. At Kilmarnock, Ayr, and Dumfries the company has excellent station buildings, and commodious goods yards, engine sheds, etc. The locomotive works at Kilmarnock are extensive, employing 1500 persons, and performing all work necessary in building and repairing engines, carriages, waggons, etc. At Irvine the company maintains an establishment connected with the maintenance of permanent way. Here signal posts and all the apparatus for the conduct and protection of the traffic are cared for, as well as the rails, sleepers, fish-plates, bolts, etc., required for the line itself.

It remains to notice that one of the features of the Glasgow and South-Western railway is, that it holds complete possession, so to speak, of the 'land of Burns.' To Ayr, his birthplace, to Dumfries, where he died, to Kilmarnock, Mauchline, Tarbolton (near which is Lochlee), Dalrymple (where the poet attended school), to Ellisland, to Lugar, to nearly every place that can be named in association with Burns, the railway forms the access, and in consequence it presents many attractions to the tourist and to the pilgrim to Burns' shrines. The line presents besides many other points of interest, affording access to such places of historic interest as Caerlaverock Castle, Sweet Heart and Lincluden Abbeys, St Mary's Isle at Kirkcudbright - the 'Selcraig Ha' of Paul Jones' well-known exploit - Drumlanrig Castle and the valley of the Nith, the many fine castles on the Ayrshire coast, many places associated with Wallace and Bruce, the island of Arran by steamer from Ardrossan, etc. , etc. See Glasgow and South-Western Railway, its History, Progress, and Present Position, by William M'llwraith (Glasg. 1880), and Guide to Glasgow and South-Western Railway.

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer