Auchincruive Waggonway

Auchincruive Waggonway

The Little Eaton Waggonway in 1908
Locale	Ayr and Auchincruive, South Ayrshire
Dates of operation	1784 circa–1872 circa
Successor	Abandoned
Track gauge	Unknown
Length	10.5 miles (16.9 km)

The Auchincruive Waggonway or Whitletts Waggonway was a mineral railway or 'Bogey line' that transported mainly coal, eventually running from the north side of Ayr harbour at Newton to Blackhouse, Whitletts, Dalmilling, Gibbsyard, Auchincruive Holm, Annbank and Enterkine. Apart from carrying coal to the harbour, lime kilns, quarries and a salt works were also served.

Writing in 1811 Aiton records that "Richard Oswald of Auchincruive, Esq; formed, some years ago, an iron rail-way, from his coal-works to near the town of Ayr, but could not obtain liberty to carry it through the Burgh-acres, to the harbour." Aiton also notes that "Taylor Esq; has made a rail-way, of nearly the same length, from his coal-pits, in the lands of Newton, to the north harbour of Ayr."

By 1792 the waggonway had reached Ayr harbour and a report of 1807 indicates that the old waggonway had been completely replaced.

The waggonway was still in active use in 1838 when the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway was constructed with its terminus north of the river in Newton and this necessitated the construction of a level manned crossing with gates. The act authorising the construction of the line included an amendment that prevented the company from interfering with the waggonway's operation. The GPK&AR's successor was the Glasgow & South Western Railway and they also were prevented from disrupting the smooth running of the waggonway when they extend their line south of the river.

By 1837 the waggonway had been extended to Whitletts and by 1838 it had extended to Dalmilling, reaching the Thorneyflat area after 1838 and the Auchincruive pits by 1846. Annbank was in use by the 1860s and had closed by 1872.

In the 1840s Messrs. George Taylor and Company owned pits near the Old Bridge; the Allison Pit near Russell Street; Newton Head Pit near Tam's Brig; as well as Saltfield and Green Pits near Newton Lodge. Two pits that had closed by 1869 were Peelhill No. 1 just north of Oswald's Bridge and Peelhill No. 2 that lay between Mount Loudoun and Mount Stairs. The Holm Pit stood just downstream of Oswald's Bridge on the south side of the river and operated in the 1860s. By 1839 nearly 70,000 tons of coal per year were being carried by the waggonway and exported by ship. The Kerr Pit near Whitletts had closed by 1854, Blackhouse Pit closed in 1863 and Auchincruive Pits by the late 1860s.

It is known that various sorts of sleepers were used, including stone blocks that were favoured on horse-worked lines, as they did not interfere with the centre of the track wooden sleepers do as they run right across the centre of the trackbed. 5 or 6 foot long wood sleepers made from beech with areas for the chairs have been found as have both wood pegs and wrought iron spikes.