in 1863 and Auchincruive Pits by the late 1860s. Associated infrastructure It is known that various sorts of sleepers were used, including stone blocks that were favoured on horse-worked lines, as they did not interfere with the centre of the track wooden sleepers do as they run right across the centre of the trackbed. 5 or 6 foot long wood sleepers made from beech with areas for the chairs have been found as have both wood pegs and wrought iron spikes. The waggonway gauge is not known, however from relics such as wooden railway sleepers estimates suggest 3 ft 6in, 4 ft 2in or 4 ft 8.5in. It is possible that the gauge was changed at some point during its long history. Most of the route was single track with numerous passing loops. No indication of formal signalling is recorded. It is not clear what sort of rails were used in the early days as sand would have accumulated on 'L' shaped rails however waggons without a flange may have been used. A wrought iron rail and a section of 'L' shaped cast iron rail have been recorded. Operation of the Waggonway In keeping with other such waggonways the line was probably worked by a combination of gravity, manually, by horses and eventually steam locomotives. Most of the coal carried to the North Quay from the pits at Whitletts and Auchincruive was transported in trains of four, two or three ton waggons hauled by horses. At the quay stood the wooden 'hurries' where the coal was tipped into the holds of the fleet of colliers and most transported to Ireland. In 1857 four hurries are shown on the OS map with double tracks leading to each. A horse would usually haul between 5 and 7 coal waggons carrying 26 cwt each. The use of steam locomotives is recorded and by 1860 they were used with the record of a death caused by an accident involving a locomotive returning from Annbank in 1865. The Oswald's Bridge to Annbank sections of the line involved substantial earthworks to create the cuttings and the embankments as well as the impressive Brockle Bridge that crossed the River Ayr below Tarholm, however it was only in use for around fifteen years from 1865 and was closed in the 1870s and lifted well before 1775. The waggons were tipped at the hurry on the harbour edge and