 The site of the Dalfarson terminus | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Dalmellington, East Ayrshire |
| Dates of operation | April 1917[1]–January 1918[2] |
| Successor | Abandoned and lifted |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | Standard[1] |
| Length | 1.25 miles (2.01 km) |
The Loch Doon Aerial Gunnery School Railway was a standard gauge military freight and passenger carrying line that ran the 1.4 miles (2 km) between a junction with the Ayr and Dalmellington Railway near Dalmellington to a terminus at Dalfarson on the Craigengillan Estate, East Ayrshire.[3]
History
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The line was built for the Royal Flying Corps to facilitate the movement of building materials, stores, workers, etc. to the Aerial Gunnery School site at Loch Doon and the airfield at Bogton (NS474059) near Dalmellington. Members of the Royal Defence Corps and the McAlpine's workers travelled in to Loch Doon daily from Ayr by train.[4]
The line had its terminus at Dalfarson near Craigengillan House below Loch Doon. The proposed 1,150 foot or 350 metre tunnel to take the railway to the lochside was never built and the plan for its construction led to an analysis that ultimately resulted in the cancellation of the entire gunnery school scheme.[1][5][6]
The terminus of the railway at Dalfarson was around 1km north of the shore of the loch and therefore materials and workers, etc. were therefore travelled the 1.2km distance to the loch by road or on foot.
On 1st October 1917, Prince Arthur, the Duke of Connaught, inspected the scheme. He was a son of Queen Victoria.[7]
Infrastructure
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The line was standard gauge and branched off the Dalmellington line about 200 metres northwest of Dalmellington railway station,[5] crossed Ayr Road, crossed the Muck Water by a bridge (NS474059) and then ran parallel to the Craigengillan driveway before turning south-east and running up to near Dalfarson (NS479025) where a 5 metre long platform was built,[6] together with a water tower and coaling dock for the steam locomotives.[8] The track was single with sidings serving the Bogton Airfield and its loading dock (NS474059)[8] and probably further sidings at Dalfarson. A photograph shows a 'Pug', probably a contractor's locomotive,working on the line at the Bogton siding.[8] The line was circa 1.4 miles or 2.01km in length.[6]
The Railway today
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It is not known when the railway was lifted, however it is on record that the scheme was simply abandoned until at a date well after the end of the war when it was discovered that the agreement with land owners was that the site should be returned to its original condition.[7]
The course of the railway is visible where it crossed over the Ayr Road and then crossed the Muck Water by a bridge that has been removed and the abutments adapted to carry a water main. A Loading dock remains at the Bogton Airfield site where a siding once existed. The trackbed is indistinct en route to Dalfarson however occasional culverts indicate the course of the old railway. At Dalfarson a short platform was still present in 2013 and the foundations of buildings were visible.[6]
The line does not seem to appear on any standard OS Map, partly because it was a military line and because of its short operational life.
References
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- ^ a b c Loch Doon Scandal in World War I. Doon Valley Family History Society. p. 5. ISBN 9780992798314.
- ^ Loch Doon Scandal in World War I. Doon Valley Family History Society. p. 11. ISBN 9780992798314.
- ^ Loch Doon Scandal in World War I. Doon Valley Family History Society. p. 1-11. ISBN 9780992798314.
- ^ Loch Doon Scandal in World War I. Doon Valley Family History Society. p. 3. ISBN 9780992798314.
- ^ a b Secret Scotland - Loch Doon Aerial Gunnery School
- ^ a b c d Canmore - Gunnery School Railway
- ^ a b Loch Doon Scandal in World War I. Doon Valley Family History Society. p. 12. ISBN 9780992798314.
- ^ a b c Loch Doon Scandal in World War I. Doon Valley Family History Society. p. 8. ISBN 9780992798314.
External links
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Category:Geography of East Ayrshire Category:Dalmellington Category:Closed railway lines in Scotland Category:Buildings and structures in East Ayrshire Category:Towns in East Ayrshire Royal Flying Corps