Mossgiel Tunnel Platform railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mossgiel Tunnel Platform
|
|
|---|---|
Mossgiel Tunnel north portal, site of the old station and the mineral siding to Mauchline Colliery.
|
|
| Location | Near Mauchline, Ayrshire Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°31′58″N 4°24′32″W / 55.5329°N 4.4089°W |
| Platforms | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Pre-grouping | G&SWR |
| Post-grouping | LMS |
| Key dates | |
| After 1896 | Opened |
| After July 1926 | Closed |
Mossgiel Tunnel Platform railway station was a special train stop, not built for regular passengers. It was located near the northern entrance of the 680-yard-long Mossgiel Tunnel. This tunnel goes under Mossgiel Ridge and Skeoch Hill, north of Mauchline, East Ayrshire, Scotland.
This platform likely helped transport workers. These workers were involved in keeping the Mossgiel Tunnel in good shape. They also worked on a big project to rebuild the tunnel between 1925 and 1927. The station was not listed in train schedules from 1896. It closed sometime after July 1926.
Nearby, the Garrochburn Goods Depot once stood on the B744 road. It was about 6.82 miles from Kilmarnock and 2.72 miles from Mauchline. A railway line to Mauchline Colliery branched off close to where the station was. This colliery line opened in 1925. It closed to all trains in February 1974. For about five years after the mine closed in 1969, it was used as a coal washing plant.
What Was the Station Like?
The OS maps from 1895 show only the Garrochburn signal box and its signals nearby. There was a water reservoir on the west side of the railway line. A small building was opposite it on the east side, right where the station would be.
By the 1920s, there wasn't much railway equipment left. There was the main double track and one side track. This side track led to a loading area on the west. Several tall signal posts and track switches were present. There were also special "runaway points" on the uphill track. These were about 400 yards towards Hurlford from the signal box.
The side track at Garrochburn was also used for coal trains. These trains carried coal to or from the nearby Mauchline Colliery. The railway line from Kilmarnock became flatter at Garrochburn Goods depot. Then, it gently sloped down into Mauchline after passing through Mossgiel Tunnel.
A Brief History of the Station
The goods depot at Garrochburn was opened by the Glasgow and South-Western Railway in the 1920s. It closed on October 4, 1965. This depot might have been built to help with the rebuilding of Mossgiel Tunnel in the mid-1920s.
Besides farm goods, the side track at Garrochburn was also used for coal. This coal traffic was linked to the Mauchline Colliery line.
As mentioned, Mossgiel Tunnel Platform was very close by, to the south. It closed sometime after July 1926. This was after the LMS finished rebuilding Mossgiel Tunnel. The station had only one platform. This was because the railway line itself became a single track during the tunnel work. A temporary signal box was set up. It helped control trains entering the south side of the tunnel during the rebuilding.
What Does the Site Look Like Today?
The railway line that went to Mauchline Colliery has been removed. Much of the old track area is now covered in grass. You can't see any parts of the old station anymore. However, the likely spot where it stood looks like a wide area next to the railway line.
