Wigtownshire Railway

Introduction

This line is closed. The line ran from Newton Stewart to Whithorn, with a branch to Garlieston Harbour from which steamers operated to the Isle of Man.






Dates

  /  /1872Wigtownshire Railway
Wigtownshire Railway authorised from Newton Stewart to Wigtown along with tramway to Garlieston.
  /  /1872Wigtownshire Railway
Garlieston [2nd] Tramway authorised.
  /  /1872Wigtownshire Railway
Line authorised.
03/04/1875Wigtownshire Railway
Opened from Newton Stewart (Portpatrick Railway) to Wigtown. (Alternative dates 03/05/1875, 02/08/1875.)
02/08/1875Wigtownshire Railway
Opened from Wigtown to Garlieston [1st].
03/04/1876Wigtownshire Railway
Garlieston [1st] renamed Millisle as tramway opened from Millisle to Garlieston [2nd].
  /  /1877Wigtownshire Railway
Authorisation to build railway to Garlieston Harbour.
09/07/1877Wigtownshire Railway
Opened from Millisle to Whithorn.
  /  /1885Portpatrick Railway Wigtownshire Railway
The Caledonian Railway's lease expires - the Portpatrick Railway and Wigtownshire Railway become jointly run as the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway - controlled by the Caledonian Railway, London and North Western Railway, Glasgow and South Western Railway and Midland Railway. The stock was owned by all four companies and operated by the two Scottish companies. The Joint company also owned 4/5 of the Larne and Stranraer Steamship Joint Committee, the remaining 1/5 owned by the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway.
01/08/1886Portpatrick and Wigtonshire Joint Railway
The Portpatrick Railway and Wigtownshire Railway comes under management of the joint committee.
  /  /1903Wigtownshire Railway
Garlieston Branch closed to passengers.
01/03/1903Wigtownshire Railway
Garlieston to Millisle closed to passengers.
25/09/1950Wigtownshire Railway
Whithorn to Newton Stewart closed to passengers.
  /  /1964Portpatrick Railway
Newton Stewart Shed closed and track lifted on closure of the Wigtownshire Railway.
05/10/1964Wigtownshire Railway
Whithorn to Wigtown closed to freight.
05/10/1964Wigtownshire Railway
Garlieston branch closed to freight.
14/06/1965Wigtownshire Railway
Whithorn to Newton Stewart officially closed, although the track was already lifted.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Newton Stewart to Millisle

Opened in 1875.

This was an important junction station on the Portpatrick Railway, to the south west of the town of Newton Stewart itself.
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See also
Portpatrick Railway
View from a Dumfries to Stranraer service arriving at Newton Stewart in June 1965. The pleasant appearance of the station belies the fact that it was ...
Brian Haslehust 05/06/1965
The locomotive shed at Newton Stewart, looking to the former junction ...
Ewan Crawford 17/10/2004
40623+45432 photographed shortly after leaving Newton Stewart on 16 July 1956 with a train for Dumfries. [Ref query 1660] ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 16/07/1956
Newton Stewart goods shed, looking east. ...
Ewan Crawford 17/10/2004
4 of 24 images. more










This was a station on the Wigtownshire Railway which continued south to the terminus at Whithorn and north to the junction at Newton Stewart.
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Little now remains of Wigtown station, situated at the south east corner of Scotland's Book Town. This old overbridge still spans the Whithorn ...
Mark Bartlett 26/05/2011
View south along the platform at Wigtown station. The track, goods loop and goods yard were to the left. Wigtown was the principal station and ...
Ewan Crawford //1997
'The next narrow boat from Newton Stewart...' the station site at Wigtown in March 2014. See image 27486 ...
Colin Miller 28/03/2014
Looking south at the former Wigtown station. ...
Ewan Crawford //
4 of 5 images. more


This siding was to the south of the Lower Bladnoch Viaduct. Nearby are Bladnoch Distillery and Bladnoch Creamery.
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This was a single platform station. The platform was on the east side of the line.
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Kirkinner ...
Ewan Crawford //
1 of 1 images.


This was a single platform station with a goods yard at the north end, on the west side of the line. There was a single storey wooden station building and a stone goods shed. The station had a goods loop. It was at a rural location, Whauphill is a very small settlement, although connecting coaches ran to Port William.
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Whauphill. ...
Ewan Crawford //
1 of 1 images.


This was a single platform station. The platform was on the west side.
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Looking north at the former Sorbie station. ...
Ewan Crawford //
1 of 1 images.


This island platform sat between the Garlieston branch and the Newton Stewart to Whithorn 'mainline'.
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This combined goods shed and locomotive shed was for the locomotive which operated the Garlieston 2nd] branch. ...

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This station was the southern terminus of the line in 1875. Note that at the time of opening the town name was 'Garliestown', it has since been abbreviated to 'Garlieston'. The official railway spelling was Garliestown.
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Caley Jumbo 0-6-0 No 57375 heading south along the Whithorn branch approaching Millisle distant signal on 15 April 1963 with Scottish Rambler ...
John Robin 15/04/1963
The closed Millisle station viewed from the south. ...
Ewan Crawford //
2 of 2 images.





Millisle to Garlieston

Extended to Garlieston in 1876.

This island platform sat between the Garlieston branch and the Newton Stewart to Whithorn 'mainline'.
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This was a single platform station with a passing loop and siding continuing through to Garlieston Mill and Garlieston Harbour. The platform and station building were on the north side. The platform was in timber. The station was on the extension of the Wigtownshire Railway from the original Garliestown [1st] station, renamed Millisle.
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Garliestown station in the south of Garlieston. The original, and official railway, spelling was Garlistown, it has since become Garlieston. ...
Ewan Crawford //
Passengers on Scottish Rambler No 2 transported in trucks down to Garlieston behind Caley Jumbo 57375 on 15 April 1963. The train is seen here ...
John Robin 15/04/1963
2 of 2 images.


A former corn mill, now demolished. Rail served. Close to the steamer pier and granary. ...

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Garlieston Mill was served by the Millisle-Garlieston line which continued beyond the passenger terminus at Garlieston to the mill and pier. The track ...
Ewan Crawford //2002
The formerly rail served mill at Garlieston. ...
Ewan Crawford //
2 of 2 images.


The steamer pier at Garlieston was served by a siding, accessed by a turnplate, at the base of the pier. A further siding ran from the turnplate alongside a quay beside Garlieston Mill.
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Millisle to Whithorn

Extended south to Whithorn and Millisle station rebuilt in 1877.

This station was the southern terminus of the line in 1875. Note that at the time of opening the town name was 'Garliestown', it has since been abbreviated to 'Garlieston'. The official railway spelling was Garliestown.
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More details
Caley Jumbo 0-6-0 No 57375 heading south along the Whithorn branch approaching Millisle distant signal on 15 April 1963 with Scottish Rambler ...
John Robin 15/04/1963
The closed Millisle station viewed from the south. ...
Ewan Crawford //
2 of 2 images.


The former station at Broughton Skeog, closed at an early date. View looks north to the level crossing from the former platform. ...
Ewan Crawford //
1 of 1 images.


This was the terminus of a branch from Newton Stewart. The station was at the north end of Whithorn itself. There was a platform on the east side of a loop. The station building was a single storey and built in stone. It had a canopy running the length of the building.
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Looking south at the former Whithorn terminus. ...
Ewan Crawford //
A colourful reminder of times past at Whithorn. Photographed in April 2009, some 59 years after the local station closed to passengers. ...
Colin Miller 05/04/2009
Site of the former Whithorn station in May 2011. The picture is taken from the location of the old platform looking north away from the terminus. The ...
Mark Bartlett 26/05/2011
57375 at Whithorn on 15 April 1963 after arrival from Wigtown and Garlieston. ...
John Robin 15/04/1963
4 of 4 images.