Dreghorn 1960

[Ian R. Weeks]

Dear All,

                I wonder if some of you more knowledgeable people could add flesh to the bones of a childhood memory .In 1965 we were staying in Dreghorn Ayrshire and I have vague momories as a eight year old of watching trains flash by. The strongest memory is of a powerful black 2-6-0 at the head of a long train of bright red combine harvesters. I believe these were from Massey Fergusson at crosshouse.However I fear I have perhaps added several memories together?. Was the Massey factory rail served? What would the wagons have been carrying the red machines? All these questions are in the hope of creating this in model form. Also I seem to remember playing with my pals in old coaches parked at dreghorn,could this be right? Thanks in anticipation, Ian

[JinglingGeordie]

Hi Ian,

 

The Massey Ferguson factory is shown as being in built in Troon Road Kilmarnock, which in Old-maps.co.uk looks like it was near the site of the Hillhouse Quarry between Barassie and Drybridge - no evidence of a siding on the OS 1958 map.  Another source puts the factory at Moorfield between Gatehead and Kilmarnock and no sign of a private siding there in 1958. There were plenty of sidings though where a train could have been loaded.  Given the proximity to the Barassie to Kilmarnock line the route through Dreghorn would suggest an interesting route for transporting equipment, but if the facory was at Crosshouse then a more likely reason for shipping over the Dreghorn line.  Shipping them north or south would have been over the Sou'west main line, so heading west would suggest Ireland or perhaps Galloway?  

 

Re-creating in model form sounds good though and I'd love to see photos when you have managed to do this.

 

 

 

 

[pH]

I'm surprised at how difficult it is to get definite information about where the Massey Ferguson factory actually was. But it does seem to have been on the south side of Kilmarnock. I think it was in the area now bounded by the A71, B7064 and the A759. Part of the factory is now a DHL warehouse.

 

I think this 1958 OS map shows the factory, definitely with a rail connection:

https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/241005/636926/10/101324

 

and the picture on this Facebook page shows a line, with a level crossing over the road:

 https://www.facebook.com/475344285963552/photos/a.517882798376367/759837760847535/?type=3&theater 

 

As far as a train of harvesters going west through Dreghorn, I'd say that's possible. It could have gone from the factory into Kilmarnock, reversed there and gone out through Dreghorn to Irvine. That line would still have been open in 1965, though it closed in October that year. I think, given the choice, goods trains were not worked north over the Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Line. Instead, they went by the original Glasgow and South Western Railway route via Dalry and Paisley (the 'Long Road') which was much flatter that the Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock. Going through Dreghorn  and Irvine could be a variation on that route, or the train could have been going to Ardrossan for shipping, as Jingling Geordie suggests. I don't think it would be going to Galloway - it would have been much easier to just go from the factory to Barassie and south if that was the destination.

 

As far as wagons used - no idea. Though I have a vague memory of a picture of a train of combines in a childhood railway book that I still have somewhere. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[pH]

I found the book. Unfortunately, it was no help. The picture is of a trainload of agricultural machinery, and there are a couple of combines, but they are in pieces - not yet completely assembled.

[Jamie]

On 18/05/2019 at 21:12, pH said:

I'm surprised at how difficult it is to get definite information about where the Massey Ferguson factory actually was. But it does seem to have been on the south side of Kilmarnock. I think it was in the area now bounded by the A71, B7064 and the A759. Part of the factory is now a DHL warehouse.

 

 

Before my time, but family have always referred to this site (Moorfield Industrial Estate) as 'the old Massey Ferguson' works, and I dare say @45156 could probably confirm.  NLS mapping website has the area covered in detail in the OS 1:1250-1-2500 1944-1967 map series.  Interesting track layout.

 

 

[45156]

12 hours ago, Jamie said:

 

Before my time, but family have always referred to this site (Moorfield Industrial Estate) as 'the old Massey Ferguson' works, and I dare say @45156 could probably confirm.  NLS mapping website has the area covered in detail in the OS 1:1250-1-2500 1944-1967 map series.  Interesting track layout.

 

 

It was indeed on the South side of Kilmarnock on the right hand side of the Troon road, just after leaving the town.   The road crossed the Troon line on an overbridge, then took a left hand bend, and the factory was on the right with the line now on the left - hence the need for a level crossing.