Turnberry

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Turnberry (1906-1942)

Opened on the Maidens and Dunure Light Railway (Glasgow and South Western Railway).

Description

This was a single platform station. It was the largest station on the Maidens and Dunure Light Railway (Glasgow and South Western Railway) and its fortunes were entirely bound up with the Turnberry Hotel which was developed, along with its golf courses, by the railway company at a greenfield site.

The hotel occupies a high viewpoint looking over its golf courses west to the sea and Ailsa Craig. The station was built to the rear, aligned a little to the hotel building. A long covered way connected the station to the hotel.

The platform was on the west side of the line. The station building had a long canopy covering much of the platform. At the north end of the platform was the signal box. There was a long loop (much longer than the platform) on the east side, extending north. On its west side, north of the platform, was a siding.

Most of the line closed to passengers with the exception of Turnberry in 1930. Turnberry's signal box closed in 1935, replaced with a ground frame.

Turnberry Aerodrome was built north of the station in the Second World War. This had its own siding starting from near Shanter Farm. The siding was served from a siding and ran south and then west, dropping down to the aerodrome.

The station closed in 1942. The covered walkway was removed. The line closed in 1955.

The platform canopy was purchased and relocated to the Boghead Park football ground in Dumbarton after closure. (The football ground has since closed.)

The station site is now a car park at the of the hotel. The site of the building has various services for the hotel.

Tags

Station terminus hotel

External links

NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map




Chronology Dates

01/12/1930Maidens and Dunure Railway (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Turnberry to Ayr (Alloway Junction) closed to passengers.
02/03/1942Maidens and Dunure Railway (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Turnberry to Girvan closed to passengers.
28/02/1955Maidens and Dunure Railway (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Girvan to Turnberry to Heads of Ayr [2nd] (Butlins Camp) closed to freight.

News items

13/11/2020Trump Turnberry on 'last legs' with speculation former president might visit [Ayr Advertiser]
27/08/2020Appeal launched to save Ayr Station Hotel which inspired Trump's Turnberry [Scotsman]
27/10/2011New Book: Maidens and Dunure Light Railway Supplement [G&SWRA]

Books


A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Scotland - The Lowlands and the Borders v. 6 (Regional railway history series)

Locomotive Apprentice: At the North British Locomotive Company

Rails to Turnberry and Heads of Ayr: The Maidens & Dunure Light Railway & the Butlin's Branch (Oakwood Library of Railway History)

Tales of the Glasgow and South Western Railway