Black Craig
00 London Midland Scottish Railway and British Railways (Scottish Region) 12 @ 3 feet
In the early 1840's the Ayrshire and
Galloway Railway (A&GR) planned to build a railway from Ayr to
Castle
Douglas but only got to Dalmellington. The opening in 1905 of the Cairn Valley
Light Railway (CVLR) lead to a proposal for an extension to Dalmellington.
Leaving Dalmellington the A&GR would have passed through Woodhead, Black Craig
and Carsphairn before turning south down the Ken Valley. The CVLR Extension
would initially have followed a similar route but at Carsphairn it would have
turned east and climbed over the moors to Moniaive. The goals of both railways
was to create a shorter route from England, Carlisle, and Dumfries to Ayr, the
south of the Ayrshire coal field, and Dalmellington [an important coal & steel
town]. They would have supported the local economy sheep farming [Carsphairn
sheep fair is in early June], quarrying and mining limestone, haematite &
lead/zinc/silver and after 1920 forestry - by 2003 the 67,000 ha Galloway Forest
Park was producing 200,000 tons of timber and was visited by 210,000. Both would
have been expensive to build [a Bridge over the Waters of Ken and lots of
cuttings & embankments to minimising grades] and operate [long climbs steeper
than 1:50] so the Glasgow and South Western Railway refused support and the
proposals died.
The Dalmellington Iron Company had an extensive private
railway - the company's success was in part because of its private railway
allowed the close integration of its mines and quarries producing iron ore, coal
and limestone with its iron, brick and cement works.
History has been twisted with one of the lines coming to
fruition, becoming part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923 and
British Railways Scottish Region in 1948. The layout can exhibited with late
30’s London Midland and Scottish Railway or 1950’s Scottish Region stock. A
detached portion of Dalmellington Iron Company's railway is also part of the layout.
The train includes a through coach from Carlisle - improbable post war
Goods train
Middle Quarry - hematite
New Quarry - Limestone
Black Craig Station
Tank wagons waiting to be delivered
Old Quarry - hematite
Goods Yard
C & G Ayres Ltd