Cairn Valley Light Railway
Encyclopedia
The Cairn Valley Light Railway was built under the regulations of the Light Railways Act 1896
and was opened on 1 March 1905. It connected the market town of Dumfries
in south-west Scotland
to the village of Moniaive
in Dumfriesshire at the end of the Cairn Valley.
, and Kirkland. It was built by the Glasgow and South Western Railway
as a subsidiary company. The line was single throughout with passing loops and some goods sidings. Plans had involved developing Moniaive into a resort, the countryside being very scenic and peaceful, but apart from the construction of a few outlying hotels little progress was made.
Trains travelled on the Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway
for the last mile into .
The line was operated by a series of elderly express locomotives, often pulling a single coach; and also steam railmotors,which were not very successful,being noisy and poorly sprung. Eventually the railcar steam engine and the coach were separated,but this was a failure as well in service on this line. Traffic was never heavy, with between two and four trains per day in each direction. There was some goods traffic, mainly livestock and timber from Moniaive and also some road gravel stones from the quarry at Morrinton, near Stepford. Bus competition hit the revenues of the line hard and passenger services were suspended as a wartime economy on 3 May 1943 and to all traffic on 4 August 1947.
There was a little left of the railway in 2011. The wood and brick Moniaive station survives in use as a farm shed but is slowly disntegrating. Most of the other stations are intact as private houses. The graceful brick built three arch Dunscore Viaduct survives but is partly hidden by trees. Part of the old trackbed is used as a farmtrack in places though much has been ploughed up. Near Dunscore a deep cutting has been filled in with stone waste. Suggestions have been mooted that part of the line might make a good preserved heritage railway,but efforts in this respect at the Moniaive end,where the station is still extant,have come to nothing.
Light Railways Act 1896
The Light Railways Act 1896 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . Before the Act each new railway line built in the country required a specific Act of Parliament to be obtained by the company that wished to construct it, which greatly added to the cost...
and was opened on 1 March 1905. It connected the market town of Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
in south-west Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to the village of Moniaive
Moniaive
Moniaive is a village in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, near Thornhill, on the A702 road and B729 road. Population 520 . The name is from Gaelic monadh-abh and means "Hill of Streams". It is situated at the northern end of the very scenic and tranquil Cairn Valley...
in Dumfriesshire at the end of the Cairn Valley.
History
The line was 17.5 miles (28.2 km) long and had stations at Irongray, Newtonairds, Stepford, DunscoreDunscore
Dunscore is a small village which lies northwest of Dumfries, in Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland. It has a population of about 150 people....
, and Kirkland. It was built by the Glasgow and South Western Railway
Glasgow and South Western Railway
The Glasgow and South Western Railway , one of the pre-grouping railway companies, served a triangular area of south-west Scotland, between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle...
as a subsidiary company. The line was single throughout with passing loops and some goods sidings. Plans had involved developing Moniaive into a resort, the countryside being very scenic and peaceful, but apart from the construction of a few outlying hotels little progress was made.
Trains travelled on the Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway
Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway
The Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway was a company in Scotland, which built and ran what is now known as the Glasgow South Western Line. The line was authorised on 13 August 1846 and was constructed between 1846 and 1850...
for the last mile into .
The line was operated by a series of elderly express locomotives, often pulling a single coach; and also steam railmotors,which were not very successful,being noisy and poorly sprung. Eventually the railcar steam engine and the coach were separated,but this was a failure as well in service on this line. Traffic was never heavy, with between two and four trains per day in each direction. There was some goods traffic, mainly livestock and timber from Moniaive and also some road gravel stones from the quarry at Morrinton, near Stepford. Bus competition hit the revenues of the line hard and passenger services were suspended as a wartime economy on 3 May 1943 and to all traffic on 4 August 1947.
Connections to other lines
- Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle RailwayGlasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle RailwayThe Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway was a company in Scotland, which built and ran what is now known as the Glasgow South Western Line. The line was authorised on 13 August 1846 and was constructed between 1846 and 1850...
at Cairn Valley Junction
Current operations
The line is closed and lifted.There was a little left of the railway in 2011. The wood and brick Moniaive station survives in use as a farm shed but is slowly disntegrating. Most of the other stations are intact as private houses. The graceful brick built three arch Dunscore Viaduct survives but is partly hidden by trees. Part of the old trackbed is used as a farmtrack in places though much has been ploughed up. Near Dunscore a deep cutting has been filled in with stone waste. Suggestions have been mooted that part of the line might make a good preserved heritage railway,but efforts in this respect at the Moniaive end,where the station is still extant,have come to nothing.