List of waggonways in Scotland

Numerous horse-drawn waggonways were constructed in Scotland during the Industrial Revolution, mainly in connection with the iron and coal-mining industries of the Central Belt.

Laigh Milton Viaduct on the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway, opened in 1812

The earliest railways, beginning with the Tranent to Cockenzie Waggonway in 1722, had wooden rails, and several lines had been built by the time the first cast-iron rails were produced in 1767.

Many of the later waggonways were built to the Scotch gauge of 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm), and were subsequently converted to standard-gauge steam railways.

Name of Line Opened Route Notes
Alloa Waggonway 1768 Collyland & Alloa Pits to Alloa glassworks  
Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway 1831 Kilwinning collieries to Ardrossan Harbour Merged with the Glasgow and South Western Railway
Auchincruive Waggonway c.1784 Newton-on-Ayr to Annbank Abandoned
Bainsford waggonway 1810 Carron Works to the Forth & Clyde Canal at Burnhouse Basin[1]  
Ballochney Railway 1828 Arden Colliery, Ballochney to Kipps (connection with Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway) Merged into Monkland Railways
Brora colliery tramway 1770 Brora colliery to Brora Salt Works, Sutherland  
Calderbank c.1797 Calderbank Ironworks to Monkland Canal  
Carron Railway c.1766 Kinnaird & Carronhall collieries to Carron Works  
Craigie Waggonway c.1855 Craigie Pits to Ayr Lifted after 1865
Drumpeller Railway 1847 Bankhead collieries to Monkland Canal at Cuilhill Gullet  
Dundee and Newtyle Railway 1831 Newtyle to Dundee Taken over by the Dundee and Perth Railway
Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway 1831 Dalkeith to Edinburgh (St Leonards) & Fisherrow Harbour, Musselburgh Sold to the North British Railway
Edmonstone Railway (or Newton Railway) 1818 Newton Colliery to Little France, Edinburgh[2]  
Elgin Wagonway c.1773 Berrylaw pits (west of Dunfermline) to the coast at Limekilns and Charlestown, Fife Developed as the Dunfermline and Charlestown Railway
Fairlie Mains 1818 Peatland coalworks to Kilmarnock and Troon Railway at Drybridge  
Fordell Railway c.1752 Fordell Collieries to St Davids Harbour, Inverkeithing Bay  
Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway 1831 Gartsherrie (Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway junction) to Garnkirk and Glasgow Merged into Monkland Railways
Govan Railway 1775-78 Govan Colliery to Wherry Wharf, Windmillcroft Quay, Glasgow Extended as Polloc and Govan Railway
Halbeath Railway 1783 Halbeath Colliery to Inverkeithing Harbour  
Hurlet Waggonway 1820 Hurlet Coal & Limeworks to Glasgow, Paisley & Ardrossan Canal at Rosshall quay, Paisley  
Irvine Colliery c.1836 Irvine Colliery to Irvine Harbour  
Kilmarnock and Troon Railway 1812 Kilmarnock to Troon harbour  
Knightswood Waggonway c.1750 Woodside Colliery, Knightswood to River Clyde at Yoker  
Legbrannock Waggonway 1800 Legbrannock collieries to eastern end of Monkland Canal at Calderbank  
Marquis of Lothian's waggonway 1832 Coal pits at Arniston Engine to Dalhousie (connection with Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway ) Sold to North British Railway
Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway 1826 Palacecraig & Kipps collieries to the Forth and Clyde Canal at Kirkintilloch, plus branches  
Newbigging Limeworks c.1817 Newbigging Limestone Mine to Carron Harbour, Fife[3]  
Newton-upon-Ayr c.1775 Newton-upon-Ayr pits to Ayr harbour  
Newtyle and Coupar Angus Railway 1837 Newtyle (junction with Dundee and Newtyle Railway) to Coupar Angus Taken over by the Scottish Midland Junction Railway
Newtyle and Glammis Railway 1838 Newtyle (junction with Dundee and Newtyle Railway) to Glamis Taken over by the Scottish Midland Junction Railway
Omoa Waggonway 1813 Newarthill collieries to Omoa Ironworks, Cleland, North Lanarkshire  
Paisley and Renfrew Railway 1837 Paisley to Renfrew Wharf on the River Clyde Sold to the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway in 1847
Pinkie Railway (Hopes Railway) 1815 Pinkie Hill pits to Musselburgh & Fisherrow Harbour  
Polloc and Govan Railway 1840 Rutherglen to Broomielaw Harbour, Glasgow  
Ravenscraig and Jameston Railway ? Ravenscraig Quarry to Jameston Quarry, Dalry, North Ayrshire  
Sauchie by 1806 Devonside & Tillicoultry pits & ironworks to Clackmannan Pow  
Shotts Ironworks by 1813    
Stevenston Waggonway by 1812 Stevenston Canal Basin at Saltcoats to the harbour Closed by 1852
Townhill waggonway 1841 Townhill colliery to the Halbeath Railway at Guttergates  
Tranent to Cockenzie Waggonway 1722 Tranent coalpits to Cockenzie Salt Pans & Port Seton Harbour Re-routed to Cockenzie Harbour in 1815
Venture Fair waggonway (Symes' Railway) 1812 Venture Fair Colliery to Dunfermline  
Wemyss waggonway by 1795 Wemyss Coalpits to Methil Harbour  
Wilsontown c.1805 Climpy colliery to Wilsontown Ironworks, South Lanarkshire  
Wishaw and Coltness Railway 1833 Chapel Colliery, Newmains to the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway near Whifflet  

References

edit
  • Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals, Joseph Priestley 1831
  • National Library of Scotland: Map images
  • Baxter, Bertram (1966). Stone Blocks and Iron Rails. David & Charles
  • Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
  • Thomas & Turnock, John & Thomas (1971). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Volume 6 Scotland the Lowlands and the Borders. David & Charles