Black Craig

00 London Midland Scottish Railway and British Railways (Scottish Region) 12 @ 3 feet


Video
 

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.

 

Passenger train

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