Brownhill Junction

Location type

Junction

Name and dates

Brownhill Junction (1905-1972)

Station code: XBA National Rail
Opened on the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway.
Opened on the Kilbarchan Loop (Glasgow and South Western Railway).

Description

This junction with a flyover opened in 1905, the south western end of the Kilbarchan Loop (Glasgow and South Western Railway), an important junction on the Glasgow and South Western Railway's quadrupling from Glasgow St Enoch to Dalry Junction.

The original double track route, the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway opened between Paisley and Irvine in 1840 (the portion south to Ayr [1st] opening in 1839).

Prior to 1905, there was a siding here serving a coke kiln and Brownhill Pit No 2 (Ironstone).

With the opening of the new Kilbarchan loop the line south had a northbound slow, fast, southbound fast, slow. The northbound of the Kilbarchan loop connected to the northbound slow before striking off to the north to Kilbirnie. The southbound line of the loop flew parted from the northbound line just north of River Garnock before flying over the older main line and joining the southbound slow line about half a mile to the south.

The box was on the west side of the junction. It was a brick built GSW Type 6 box.

The Kilbarchan loop closed to passengers in 1966. The line north from Kilbirnie closed in 1971/72, the southern part retained to approach the Glengarnock Steel Works.

The line from Kilbirnie closed in 1977. The line south was reduced to a double track, except for a short portion at Swinlees Junction.

The signal box closed in 1985, replaced by the Paisley Signalling Centre.

The formation of the flyover junction still exists. The double track main line remains open, now electrified.

Tags

Junction GSW Type 6




Chronology Dates

  /  /1905Kilbarchan Loop (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Opened from Elderslie (Cart Junction) to Dalry (Brownhill Junction) with stations at Johnstone North [2nd], Kilbarchan, Lochwinnoch [2nd] and Kilbirnie [2nd].
27/06/1966Kilbarchan Loop (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Elderslie (Cart Junction) to Dalry (Brownhill Junction) closed to passengers.
  /  /1977Kilbarchan Loop (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Kilbirnie (excluded) to Brownhill Junction closed to freight. Kilbirnie remained served by the network around the Glengarnock Steel Works for a short while.

News items

24/04/2022Largs and Ayrshire rail disruption to Glasgow [Largs and Millport News]