Tag Archives: 2ft 3in gauge

The Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway. …

Leave a reply

The featured image for this article shows ‘Argyll’ (a Barclay built 0-6-2T) taking its train Southeast out of Campbeltown before turning Southwest to run round the South side of the town. This image was shared on the Machrihanish Online Facebook Page on 26th July 2023. (c) Public Domain. [22]

The Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway was a 6-mile, 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) narrow-gauge railway in Kintyre, Scotland, operating between 1906 and 1934. It ran from Campbeltown’s New Quay to Machrihanish, primarily serving coal traffic while also transporting tourists and locals across the peninsula.

It replaced an earlier industrial tramway which was built in 1876 and used by the Argyll Coal and Canal Company, which before this had replaced a canal.

In 1876, the line followed the line of the old canal that used to be used to transport coal.

In 1905/6 the curves were improved and the steeper gradients eased.

Most of the output from the colliery was used locally – by residents and the 34 distilleries. The coal business was largely seasonal and the owners looked for a use during the summer months and in 1905/6 a light railway (2’3″ gauge/686mm)was built to replace the tramway and at the same time it was extended to Machrihanish and along the front in Campbeltown.

Opened in 1906, the Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway was Scotland’s only passenger-carrying narrow-gauge railway and operated as an isolated line with no connection to the national rail system.

Ultimately, the railway suffered from increased road competition from bus services, financial problems, and reduced coal quality in the early 1930s, closing in 1932 (officially 1933) and being dismantled in 1934.

Stenlake Publishing has recently published a new ‘Oakwood Press’ 3rd edition of a book first published by David & Charles in 1970. A second edition was published in 1993 by Plateway Press. The new edition has minor updates and some ‘new’ old photographs. The author, now in his 90s, visited Campbeltown in the early 1930s and again in 1941 thus sparking his interest in this operation. In the 1950s he decided to build a scale model and his new bride was only too happy to accompany him to Campbeltown on their honeymoon so he could take the necessary research photographs of what was left of this line built to move coal economically from pit to ship. The route was from the colliery near Machrihanish across the Kintyre Peninsula to the pierhead at Campbeltown. Coal strikes in the 1930s, competing services from buses, financial problems and the fact that Machrihanish coal wasn’t of especially high quality, all contributed to the inevitable demise in the mid 1930s, but traces of the line remain visible along the route today.

The Route of the Line – Campbeltown to Machrihanish

The route of the line is shown below on contemporary Ordnance Survey mapping which was revised in 1914/1915 and published in 1921. These map extracts are supported by Google Maps satellite imagery and Google Streetview images. Occasionally other images illustrate the particular section of the route. …

The Railway Harbour branch ran out onto New Quay and along Hall Street. Ordnance Survey mapping revised in 1915 and published in 1921. [4]
The same area in the 21st century. [Google Maps, May 2026]

The Harbour branch did not just see use by goods trains. Once steamer traffic began to bring tourists to Campbeltown, the train would take them across to Machrihanish, © Public Domain. [3]

A similar view in the 21st century: Hall Street is a dual carriageway with a central verge. The light railway occupied the centre of the carriageway where there is now a grass verge. [Google Streetview, November 2021]
Another postcard view: this is a closer view of the passenger train sitting in the centre of Hall Street. This image was shared on the Disused Stations Facebook Group by Gordon Thomson on 15th February 2023, © Public Domain. [8]
A single-coach train sits on Hall Street: both locomotive and coach seem to be in a pristine condition. This photograph  could have been taken as early as 1906, © Public Domain. [9]
The route of the Harbour branch followed the shore before crossing Kilkerran Road. [4]
‘Argyll’ (a Barclay built 0-6-2T) takes its train Southeast out of Campbeltown before turning Southwest to run round the South side of the town. This image was shared on the Machrihanish Online Facebook Page on 26th July 2023. (c) Public Domain. [22]
The same area in the 21st century. There is a footpath visible through the park between Kilkerran Road and the foreshore. The old railway route approximates to the line of the footpath.  [Google Maps, May 2026]
This view looks Southeast along the line of the old railway. [Google Streetview, November 2021]
A closer satellite view of the point where the old railway route crosses Kilkerran Road. [Google Maps, May 2026]
Looking back from the location of the level crossing, through the park towards the harbour at Campbeltown, the centre line of the old railway runs through the first tree at the centre of this image and then follows the path back towards Hall Street. [Google Streetview, November 2021]
Looking forward from the location of the road crossing along the route of the old railway. The path at the centre of this image follows the line of the old railway. Ahead among the trees was a length of relatively deep cutting. [Google Streetview, November 2021]
Looking back towards Kilkerran Road from the line of the old railway, © James Emmans and authorised for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [11]
The Harbour branch ran in deep cutting towards the location of sidings on Stewart Street. These map extracts come from the Ordnance Survey mapping, revised in 1915 and published in 1921. The NLS provides these maps free and without copyright restrictions. [4]
The same area as it appears on Google’s satellite imagery in the 21st century. [Google Maps, May 2026]
The cutting mentioned and shown above. The photograph shows the footpath which now follows the line of the old railway, © Steve Partridge and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [10]
The deep cutting on the right side of this colourised postcard image suggests that the train shown has just left the seashore to the Southeast of Campbeltown and is heading Southwest along the South side of Campbeltown. AT that location there is a significant stand of trees much matching that shown behind the train in this image, but I would have expected there to be some signs of the yard which can be seen on the OS map extract below. This picture was shared on the Machrihanish Online Facebook Page on 15th May 2019, (c) Public Domain. [25]
The sidings which sat behind the Gaelic Church, off Stewart Street. The Harbour line enters this map extract in the bottom-right. The line to Machrihanish leaves in the bottom-left corner of the image: the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1914 published 1921. [4]
The same location on the 25″ Ordnance Survey revision of 1898, published in 1899. This shows the older ‘tramway’ which did not have access to the harbour and Hall Street, terminating instead at a ‘station’ with road access from Stewart Street. To the West of this location the old tramway formation became the light railway formation. [13]
A similar area on Google’s satellite imagery in the 21st century. The Gaelic Church sits approximately in the centre of this image. The area occupied by the old light railway which sat to the West of the church had now been redeveloped. The location of the triangular junction, coal depot and carriage shed remains undeveloped, with the exception of a helicopter landing pad for the hospital which sits on the old railway site. [Google Maps, May 2026]

The next few photographs show the site of the sidings as it is in the 21st century, beginning at the North end and wandering to the South. …

Looking South from Stewart Street, the buildings on the left straddle the top of the site. The ginnel behind the blank gates and the single-storey building to the right were present when the site was in use by the old light railway. [Google Streetview, December 2021]
Looking South through the site with the arch of the modern buildings behind the camera. [Google Streetview, October 2015]
Further South through the site, this view continues to look to the South. [Google Streetview, October 2015]
This view from the hospital access road looks North through the site of the old sidjngs towards Stewart Street. [Google Streetview, December 2021]
Turing through 180°, the view faces South from the same location as the image above. Hospital buildings sit directly over the old site. [Google Streetview, December 2021]
Further to the South, peering over the wall we can see the open grass area that was once the triangular railway junction in Campbeltown. [Google Streetview, December 2021]

The line to Machrihanish set off just to the South of West and immediately crossed what is now Ralston Road at an unmanned, ungated level crossing. ….

The road crossed by the railway is now known as Ralston Road. [4]
Approximately the same area as it appears on Google satellite imagery in the 21st century. The fence line on the right of this image on the North side of Limecraigs Road marks the approximate Centreline of the old railway. The line of the old railway now passes through the hosing estate on the West side of this image. [Google Maps, May 2026]
Looking East from Ralston Road, the fence line sits on the line of the old railway. [Google Streetview, November 2021]
Looking West from Ralston Road, the Centreline of the old light railway passed through the house at the centre of this image. [Google Streetview, November 2021]
The line continues West but on a West-southwest trajectory. [4]
A series of red dots give an approximation to the route of the old railway. A relatively modern housing estate sits over the old line. [Google Maps, May 2026]
The old line curved round to just North of West before crossing what is now Tomaig Road. [4]
Again, red dots show the approximate alignment of the old railway on this next extract from Google’s satellite imagery. The alignment becomes visible once the housing estate is left behind. [Google Maps, May 2026]
A closer view of the location of the level-crossing. The red dots indicate the line of the old railway. [Google Maps, May 2026]
Looking back along the line of the old railway towards Campbeltown. [Google Streetview, November 2021]
Looking West from the same crossing, along the route of the old railway, towards Machrihanish. [Google Streetview, November 2021]
The line ran on Northwest from the crossing at Tomaig Road. [4]
The same length of railway shown on the 21st century ESRI satellite imagery provided by the NLS. Its route is easy to see. [14]

This next map extract shows the line as far West as the edge of the Ordnance Survey map sheet. [4]

A similar length of the line as it appears on the ESRI satellite imagery provided by the NLS. The resolution on this image is not as good as that on the satellite imagery provided by Google but none-the-less, the route of the old light railway can easily be made out. [15]
The line continued Northwest to another level crossing (top-left) over what in the 21st century is the B843. [5]
A similar length of the line is shown in this satellite image. The route of the line can be picked out, running from the bottom-right towards the top left, where it crosses the B843. [Google Maps, May 2026]
A closer view of the location of the level-crossing. The red dots approximate to the line of the old light railway. [Google Maps, May 2026]
Looking back along the line of the old railway from the level-crossing at the B843, the fence line beyond the tree in the middle fairground marks the line of the railway. [Google Streetview, November 2021]
Turning through 180° at the same location, the tree in the centre foreground sits on the line of the old light railway. [Google Streetview, November 2021]
From the level-crossing, the line ran on to the West. [5]
The field boundary running West from the location of the level-crossing marks the line of the old light railway. [Google Maps, May 2026]
Two relatively tight curves on this next map extract saw the line turning to the Northwest. [5]
The field boundaries running across the centre of this satellite image mark the line of the old railway. [Google Maps, May 2026]
A wide sweeping curve took the line on to the West. [5]
The red dots show the approximate line of the old railway. The two most westerly of these dots are perhaps a little too far to the North to actually sit over the old line. [Google Maps, May 2026]
The line continued West-southwest. [5]
Again, the line of red dots approximate the route of the old railway. By the 21st century, much of the formation has been ploughed into the fields surrounding it. [Google Maps, May 2026]
This next map extract shows the old railway as it continued heading West-southwest. [6]
A similar length of line is again shown on the 21st century satellite imagery provided by Google. The line of the old light railway is a little easier to identify running West-southwest from the top-right of the image towards the lower-left side. [Google Maps, May 2026]
The line continues heading West-southwest before beginning to curve round to the West. [6]
The route of the old railway follows the field boundaries which run from top-right to a little below centre-left on this Google satellite image. [Google Maps, May 2026]
The line crosses this map extract from right to left at the centre of the extract. [6]
Approximately the same area as it appears on Google’s satellite imagery. The line of the old railway runs East to West a little below the centre of the image. [Google Maps, May 2026]
Only at the left hand side of this extract does the line turn a little towards the Northwest. [6]
The route of the old railway is a little harder to make out on the satellite image. The string of red dots show it’s approximate alignment. [Google Maps, May 2026]
The turn to the Northwest is much more evident on this next extract from the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1914/15 published 1921. [6]
The line of red dots on this next extract from Google’s satellite imagery is the best that I can do to show the approximate line of the old railway. Much of this length of the line has been ploughed back into the landscape. [Google Maps, May 2026]
Now curving back towards the West, the line approaches the Machrihanish Water. [7]
The red dots on this image mark the approximate line of the old railway at each edge of the satellite image. The field boundary between marks the line of the railway. [Google Maps, May 2026]
Adjacent to West Machrihanish, Machrihanish Water ran alongside the railway. Just to the West of the access road to West Machrihanish the light railway branched to serve the colliery and the village of Machrihanish. The line to the colliery ran parallel to Machrihanish Water, that serving the village turned away to the Southwest. [7]

West Machrihanish farm in 2026, also showing the access road and Machrihanish Water. The line of the old railway turning away for Machrihanish village is marked in red. The line to the Colliery ran alongside Machrihanish Water. [Google Maps, June 2026]

The next map extract shows the site of Argyll Colliery which mined the Machrihanish Coalfield, the ‘Main Coal’ was the principal coal seam at this location and is some 3 to 4m thick. A further, higher seam known as the ‘Kilkivan Coal’ has also been worked by the colliery.

The site of Argyll Colliery. [7]

A similar area in the 21st century. The lines drawn are only approximate. [Google Maps, June 2026]

Mining was taking place at the site of the colliery “before the 16th century, largely in connection with a local sea-salt industry. Similar but very small scale activity also took place on the northeast coast of the nearby Isle of Arran. It continued at a low level through to the late 18th century when a new pit was sunk at the Argyll Colliery, ushering in the coalfield’s busiest period which lasted until the closure of the mine in 1929, following a fire in 1925. Much of the coal was used to fuel the area’s numerous distilleries. The coalfield was linked to Campbeltown by a canal from the late 18th century and by a tramway/narrow-gauge railway at the end of the 19th century.” [16]

After closure in 1929, plans were in the 1930s “to distil oil from Machrihanish coal, but they were never put into practice. The mine was reopened in 1946, … with two drift mines … serviced by modern machinery.” [17]  The mine, however, closed permanently in 1967.

A colourised postcard image of the pit head at the Argyll Colliery. This image was shared on the Machrihanish Online Facebook Page on 11th August 2019, (c) Public Domain. [2]

For more about Argyll Colliery, please click here, [18] here. [19]

We continue to follow the main line through to Machrihanish Station. …

Having turned to the Southwest away from the branch into the colliery the main line then crossed the road from Campbeltown to Machrihanish. The crossing can be seen at the right side of this map extract. [7]
Approximately the same area as shown on the map extract above. The red line gives the approximate route of the old railway. It is difficult to finally fix the location of the crossing as no historic features remain at the location and the caravan park post dates the line by some time. The exact location of the crossing may be as much as 50 metres to the West of the point that the red line crosses the road, perhaps not as much to the East. [Google Maps, June 2026]

Looking West along the B843 at the approximate location of the railway crossing. [Google Streetview, November 2021]

Looking East along the B843 at the approximate location of the railway crossing. [Google Streetview, November 2021]

About 50 metres to the South of the B843, the line ran parallel to the road. [7]
Approximately the same area as shown on the map extract above, as it appears in satellite imagery in the 21st century. [Google Maps, June 2026]
The line to the South of the relatively large homes which fronted onto the B843 in Machrihanish. [7]
Roughly the same area in the 21st century. The line ran behind the properties which still face out onto the B843. [Google Maps June 2026]
A coluorised postcard image showing ‘Argyll’ arriving at Mchrihanish Railway Station sometime in the 1920s. This image was share on the Machrihanish Online Facebook Page on 26th July 2019, (c) Public Domain. [25]
Machrihanish Railway Station sat behind (to the South of) the village. It was a simple two road station with passing loop. [7]
Again, approximately the same area as covered by the map extract above. The red lines approximate to the railway – with a simple passing loop in the old station. As can be seen a modern estate has been built over the site of the old railway station. [Google Maps, June 2026]
Machrihanish: the railway sat behind the buildings shown here, (c) Public Domain. This old postcard image was shared on the Machrihanish Online Facebook Page on 8th September 2019. [

The backs of the buildings at Machrihanish in 1905, before the railway arrived in the village, (c) Public Domain. [20]

A view of Machrihanish village from the Northeast soon after the turn of the 20th century (c) Public Domain. [21]

Machrihanish railway station with ‘Argyll’ a Barclay built 0-6-2T which can be seen more easily in the image below. (c) Public Domain. [1]
‘Argyll’, Andrew Barclay & Sons 0-6-2T Works No. 1049 of 1906, is in charge of a rake of what appears to be 4 of the 6 coaches owned by the Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway. The six coaches built for the line all came from R. Y. Pickering. The location is probably Machrihanish Railway Station. This image was included in The Railway Magazine of February 1920, © E. A Gurney-Smith, Public Domain. This image can be found in various places online, it was shared by Dan Quine on the Narrow Gauge Enthusiasts Facebook Group on 5th April 2021. [12]

A superb painting of ‘Argyll’ by Jonathan Clay can be found here. [23]

Looking South along the short station approach road, now named ‘Bayview’. [My photograph, May 2026]
Looking North on the same length of road. [My photograph, May 2026]
At the same location as the last image but facing South. [My photograph, May 2026]
Turning to face East into what was once the site of the Railway Station and is now ‘Bay View’. [My photograph, May 2026]
Looking East along what was the line of the old railway from the location of Machrihanish Railway Station. [Google Streetview, November 2021]
‘Argyll’ or ‘Atlantic’ awaiting a next duty on the line. This image was shared on the Disused Stations Facebook Group by Gordon Thomson on 15th February 2023, © Public Domain. [8]

The railway owned two large tank engines built by Barclays of Kilmarnock named the “Argyll” and “Atlantic” together with three smaller engines inherited from the colliery. Its six unique large coaches handled the passenger business and there were 150 colliery owned coal wagons.

Links to other sites, blogs, articles

References

  1. https://www.facebook.com/groups/169965873834335/posts/1720525862111654, accessed on 30th June 2026.
  2. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2350515415035270&set=pb.100063155654203.-2207520000&type=3, accessed on 1st July 2026.
  3. https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/1333351742651568177?_set_bev_on_new_domain=1779435972_EANDk3YzNmMTIyZG&set_everest_cookie_on_new_domain=1779435972.EAOTg3NDhlNmVkMDlkOW.nzC8ycC2pcO-Eo_DbSM_xowJUhqVWkKW93L_Y-WO6NI&source_impression_id=p3_1779435973_P3gs1P0wiIMMOgVk&modal=PHOTO_TOUR_SCROLLABLE&modalItem=2067524742, accessed on 22nd May 2026.
  4. https://maps.nls.uk/view/82866012, accessed on 13th May 2026.
  5. https://maps.nls.uk/view/82866006, accessed on 13th May 2026.
  6. https://maps.nls.uk/view/82866000, accessed on 13th May 2026.
  7. https://maps.nls.uk/view/82865994, accessed on 21st May 2026.
  8. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1H6s5J2QDR, accessed on 22nd May 2026.
  9. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Campbeltown_and_Machrihanish_Light_Railway_-_Argyll_-_0-6-2T_built_1906_by_Andrew_Barclay_-_2ft_3inch_light_railway_built_in_1905_and_closed_in_1933.png, accessed on 22nd May 2026.
  10. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/618505, accessed on 22nd May 2026.
  11. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5154005, accessed on 22nd May 2026.
  12. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17YGPh2uQz, accessed on 22nd May 2026.
  13. https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.8&lat=55.42136&lon=-5.60560&layers=168&b=ESRIWorld&o=100, accessed on 23rd May 2026.
  14. https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.7&lat=55.41981&lon=-5.62128&layers=168&b=ESRIWorld&o=0, accessed on 23rd May 2026.
  15. https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.7&lat=55.42049&lon=-5.62441&layers=168&b=ESRIWorld&o=0, accessed on 23rd May 2026.
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machrihanish_Coalfield, accessed on 9th June 2026.
  17. https://www.machrihanish.net/mining-at-machrihanish/nggallery/slideshow, accessed on 9th June 2026.
  18. https://theroadtodrumleman.wordpress.com/2017/02/08/argyll-colliery-the-pit-baths, accessed on 30th June 2026.
  19. https://www.facebook.com/groups/411524423288996/posts/1531038634670897, accessed on 30th June 2026.
  20. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/358620977945, accessed on 30th June 2026.
  21. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/396540988984, accessed on 30th June 2026.
  22. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=618175316964318&set=pb.100063155654203.-2207520000&type=3&locale=en_GB, accessed on 1st July 2026.
  23. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3840078236082171&set=p.3840078236082171&type=3, accessed on 1st July 2026.
  24. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2399835046769973&set=pb.100063155654203.-2207520000&type=3, accessed on 1st July 2026.
  25. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2323275297759282&set=pb.100063155654203.-2207520000&type=3, accessed on 1st July 2026.

Water Troughs, Major Works, Campbeltown & Machrihanish Light Railway, Welsh Highland Railway and other snippets from The Railway Magazine, January 1934

1 Reply

Water Pick-Up Troughs

Some superb diagrams showing the operation of water troughs were included on page 4 of the January 1934 edition of The Railway Magazine.

The effective operation of water troughs. [1: p4]

The Railway Magazine commented: “Long non-stop runs necessitate either the use of large tenders, such as are used in America … or the provision of track water troughs from which the tender can be replenished while the train is travelling. As long ago as 1859, … locomotive engineer, John Ramsbottom, … designed the type then and ever since used, with but minor modifications, such as the substitution of metal for wood in their structure.” [1: p5]

Figure 1 shows a typical cross-section. The length was been 0.25 and 0.5 miles and had to be on a completely level  length of track.

Figure 2 “shows diagrammatically the arrangements made for rapidly refilling a trough after a locomotive has taken water from it. The familiar ball-valve control is used to regulate the flow from a tank alongside the track to the trough. When the water in the trough reaches the correct level, the ball valve, in a small tank at rail level, rises and cuts off the supply. Steam heating has to be used to prevent freezing in frosty weather where traffic is infrequent and the troughs are in exposed positions.” [1: p5]

Figure 5: Section through a LNER eight-wheel tender which shows the arrangement of the water pick-up gear. [1: p6]

I love some of the diagrams in these early editions of The Railway Magazine. The one above is no exception, Figure 5 illustrates a typical form of water pick-up apparatus on a LNER eight-wheel tender. “The inclined delivery shoot will be seen to have a hinged foot-like scoop, curved to face the direction of travel and capable of being held clear of, or depressed into the troughs – which are centrally placed between the rails – by means of the system of rods, cranks and levers shown, these being under the control of the fireman. Warning boards are erected to enable him to be prepared to lower the scoop as the trough is approached, speed seldom being appreciably reduced over the troughs. The scoop is usually lowered before the trough is reached, a slight gradient being arranged in the track, by which the scoop drops below the water level, and is similarly raised at the far end of the trough, should the crew not have lifted it out earlier. To aid in raising the scoop when the tender gauge shows the tank in it to be full, steam or compressed air is often used.” [1: p5]

A speed through the toughs of 25 mph was sufficient to ensure the take-up of water, although higher speeds were more effective. But express speeds tended to waste water and could result in damage to the permanent way. Maintenance costs with the amount of flooding which occurred were high.

The LMS made use of a tender which had an observer’s compartment to study what happened at water troughs and, as a result, designed a simple device which significantly reduced the spilling of water. “Briefly, the passage of the scoop through the trough causes the water in it to pile up and overflow at each side, and to neutralise this a pair of slightly converging deflector vanes are fixed 1 ft. 4 in. in advance of the scoop, which force the water towards the centre of the trough and make it pile up there instead of at the sides (Figures 3 and 4). Some 400 gallons are saved every time these deflector vanes are used, and the quantity of water required is reduced by about 20 per cent.” [1: p5]

Figure 6: Water Pick-up Troughs on the East Coast Main Line (LNER) [1: p7]

Figure 6 is a map showing the distribution of water troughs along the main LNER. route to Scotland, and Figure 7, those on the LMS, both on the LNWR (West Coast) and the Midland routes.

Figure 7:The Water Troughs on the two LMS routes to Scotland. [1: p7]

The water troughs on these long distance routes obviated the need for larger tenders and the need for time-wasting water stops. 3,500 to 5,000-gallon tenders were more than adequate.  It also appears to have been true that the use of water troughs generally meant that water purity was higher which minimised boiler maintenance and also reduced the need for water-softening plants. [1: p5]

The GWR Capital Programme

The Railway Magazine noted, “A special programme of extensions and improvements, involving a cost of over £8,000,000, was put in hand by the GWR under the Development (Loan Guarantees and Grants) Act, 1929, in anticipation of its future requirements, for the purpose of assisting in the relief of unemployment. … The Railway Gazette, issued on [8th December 1933] a profusely illustrated Special Supplement dealing comprehensively with these works. A notable feature of this supplement is the wealth of drawings, including a double-page map of the G.W.R. system, with inset detail plans of the new works.” [1: p74]

Earlier in the January 1934 edition, The Railway Magazine carried an advert over two pages from The Railway Gazette for the supplement to their magazine (which, when bought separately, cost the princely sum of 1s).

The first page of the advert about the GWR Capital works programme and the Railway Gazette supplement. [1: pXIV]
The second page of the advert about the GWR Capital works programme and the Railway Gazette supplement. [1: pXV]

The Campbeltown & Machrihanish Light Railway

The Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway was one of only four 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) narrow gauge railways in the UK. The other three were/are in Wales: the Corris Railway, the short-lived Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway and the Talyllyn Railway. [3]

In its January 1934 edition, the Railway Magazine reported that “an Order dated [7th November 1933], by the Minister of Transport, appeared in The London Gazette of 7th November, declaring that the Campbeltown & Machrihanish Light Railway Company shall be wound up.” [1: p74] The line, which was closed about eighteen months earlier was 6 miles 29 chains in length and of 2ft 3in gauge. The rolling-stock comprised three locomotives, six passenger and and two goods vehicles. “The company was incorporated on 8th May 1905, and the line opened on [17th August 1906] of the following year. This isolated railway, in the Mull of Kintyre, suffered particularly severely from road motor competition,” [1: p74] and, a few years previously, an attempt was made to meet road competition with its own bus service, but that failed.

‘Atlantic’ was the last locomotive built for the Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway. It was an Andrew Barclay 0-6-2T, built in 1907. Seen here in charge of a train of four coaches leaving Campbeltown for Machrihanish. [2]

A canal was first constructed to bring coal from pits close to Machrihanish to Campbeltown. It was in use from 1794. There were no locks as the canal traversed relatively flat terrain. It was three miles in length, running from Mill Dam in the West to Campbeltown. Only two barges plied its length which carried around 40 cartloads of coal each day to Campbeltown. However, “the extent to which the canal was used or cared for seems doubtful. … It had fallen into disuse and been virtually abandoned by 1856 and when, about 1875 the colliery changed hands, the new owners … found it choked with weeds and difficult to clear. … In the Company’s prospectus of 1875 it was stated that a railway was to be built.” [4: p7-8]

The new railway was a little over 4 miles in length at first, running between the pits and a coal depot on Argyll Street, Campbeltown. In 1881 the length was extended to 4.7 miles. “There were a number of level crossings, all originally gated but subsequently left open, protected only by cross trenches to keep cattle and sheep off the line.” [4: p8]

At first, only a single loco worked the line, an Andrew Barclay 0-4-0T engine named ‘Pioneer’. After the line was extended to a new colliery business “became so brisk that in 1885 a second locomotive was bought from Barclays, an [0-4-0ST initially, later altered to an 0-4-2ST] named ‘Chevalier’.” [4: p9]

In 1901 and 1902, two high-speed turbine steamers brought “increasing numbers of day trippers to Campbeltown where … many of them were conveyed to Machrihanish … by horse-drawn carriages.” [4: p11]

The railway saw significant changes as a result. Both to carry passengers and to enhance the delivery of coal to boats at the New Quay in Campbeltown, the line was extended East to New Quay and West to the Golf links at Machrihanish. A new company, the ‘Argyll Railway Company’, was formed to manage the line.

The new railway was to be close to 6.4 miles in length and was opened to passenger traffic in 1906. By “August 1913 there were seven trains each way daily. … The war naturally led to a curtailment of services, … until the early months of 1917 saw the line’s minimum service of one daily train in each direction. … After the war … the tourist trade soon picked up again and before long the summer months saw eight regular trains a day in each direction. … Although the 20s saw increasing competition from buses, the time tables continued to show eight trains daily in each direction right up until the withdrawal of services in 1931.” [4: p23]

Commenting on the closure of the line, A.D. Farr says: “When the railway finally closed the prime reason was the loss of revenue following the closure of the colliery in 1929, but a major factor was also the bus competition. To meet this second-hand buses had been bought by the railway, but the experiment was to no avail and they were soon sold to the competing road transport concern.” [4: p23]

The line owned a total of five locomotives at different times: ‘Pioneer’, a Barclay 0-4-0T; ‘Chevalier’, a Barclay 0-4-0ST which may have been converted to an 0-4-2ST; ‘Princess’, a Kerr-Stuart 0-4-2T; ‘Argyll’, a Barclay 0-6-2T; and ‘Atlantic’, another Barclay 0-6-2T. [4: p41]

Six passenger coaches were employed on the line, all built by R.Y  Pickering & Co., of Wishaw, Lanarkshire. All were bogie ‘cars’ and “were externally very attractive models of the tramways type, 43 ft 6 in long and with two 4-wheel bogies, 30 ft centre to centre carrying 1ft 11in diameter wheels. At each end was a covered platform, guarded by a wrought-iron balcony and ‘telescopic gates’, and with steps on either side to within a foot or so of the ground.” [4: p43]

The coal company owned a series of wagons which carried the ‘C.C.C’ lettering. But it seems as though the railway company owned only a heavy goods brake van and one other wagon, although little is known about that vehicle. [4: p45]

The Welsh Highland Railway

The Railway Magazine reported that the “Joint Committee representing the local authorities with investments in the Welsh Highland Railway has decided to ask the debenture-holders to close down the line. Carnarvonshire County Council has £15,000 in the venture, Portmadoc Urban District Council £5,000, and the Gwyrfai, Glaslyn and Deudraeth Rural District Councils £3,000 each. At a recent meeting of the Portmadoc Council, Mr. Oswald Thomas said it was important that if the railway were closed, the rails should not be taken up, particularly between Portmadoc and Croesor Bridge, as it was hoped before long to see quarries in the district working again. Captain Richard Jones said it might be arranged for the Portmadoc Council to take over that part of the railway.” [1: p74]

West Monkseaton Railway Station Waiting Shelter

The Railway Magazine picked a rather modest platform building at West Monkseaton for praise.

West Monkseaton Railway Station, LNER – a new waiting shelter – January 1934. [1: p75]

“Here is precise repetition used rhythmically; the units are a nine-light window and a half-glazed door; the rhythm is 2-door-2-door-2-door-2. The designer is to be congratulated in that he has been careful to keep the horizontal glazing bars of doors in line with those of the windows; the horizontal effect of the windows; therefore unbroken. The portions of the window panes are The proportion good, being about 5 to 3. The key-note of the design is the restful cornice band running round the structure; unpretentiously it ties in the whole composition; its horizontality is repeated by the edges of the weather-boarding under the windows, and is balanced by the white base upon which the building stands; this cornice band also sets off, and is set off, by Mr. Eric Gill’s standard LNER lettering. Thought has evidently been expended upon the design of this shelter, and it gives us pleasure to illustrate such a satisfactory and pleasing little piece of station architecture, especially when we consider what the perpetuation of railway custom might have produced.” [1: p75]

Check Rails and Ramps

By 1934, it was common practice “to provide safety devices at viaducts and other important bridges to reduce to a minimum the risk of vehicles, which may have become derailed, falling over the edge. Special guard rails, fixed either inside or outside the running rails and usually at a slightly higher level, are laid across the viaduct, with some splayed arrangement at both ends to direct derailed vehicles from the edge toward the rails. An ingenious elaboration of this is shown in the accompanying illustration. It consists of converging rails with a steel ramp between them rising to rail level. Any derailed wheels would run up this and should automatically become re-railed at the top.” [1: p74]

The steel-ramp approach to a short viaduct at Midfield. [1: p74]

References

  1. The Railway Magazine; Westminster, London, January 1934
  2. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353145047017?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=VG76xMQ6St6&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=afQhrar7TGK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY, accessed on 6th August 2024.
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbeltown_and_Machrihanish_Light_Railway, accessed on 7th August 2024.
  4. A.D. Farr; The Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway; (First Reprint) Oakwood Press, Headington, Oxford, 1987.