The
150th Anniversary of the extension of the railway from
Maybole to Girvan was marked on Monday May 24, 2010 when
South Ayrshire Council Provost Winifred Sloan and
Community Councillor Alec Clark, Girvan and District
Community Council, unveiled a commemorative plaque at
Girvan’s distinctive art deco station.
The celebrations, exactly
to the day, were organised by the Stranraer to Ayr Line
Support Association (SAYLSA), included a swap of
commemorative plaques between Alec Clark and David
Kiltie, chair of Maybole Community Council. Photo shows
them with Richard Carr of SAYLSA.
The 150th anniversary of
the railway line coming to Maybole was marked in
September 2006. (Rich, you could perhaps refer people to
the news in Sept 2006 when we marked the railway’s 150th
anniversary for Maybole?)
James T Gray says in his
book “Maybole, Carrick's Capital Facts, Fiction &
Folks”:
“In April, 1853 the question of extending the
Ayr-Dalmellington Railway line to Maybole and Girvan was
the subject of discussion between the councillors and
promoters of the railway. Lengthy meetings were held and
finally in October 1853 it was decided the railway line
should stop at Maybole and not be continued on to Girvan
as originally proposed. The Secretary to the Railway
Company reported that from traffic tables he had
prepared he estimated shareholders in the company could
expect at least 10% return on money invested. The
Council agreed to recommend the project to the
inhabitants of the town and urge them to give support by
taking shares. Many townspeople did this and, as
foretold by the Company Secretary, the railway prospered
and the shareholders did exceedingly well from their
investments. The railway station was first formed at
Redbrae and later the line was formed to where the old
Coal Lye was sited and where the Carrick Cooperative
garages are now built. A little later the railway was
taken on to Girvan and the present railway station was
built, thus completing the Ayr-Maybole-Girvan railway
line first mooted in 1853.”
The line was opened for
goods traffic on 15th September 1856 and for passengers
on 13th October 1857.
