a vesting date of 1 August 1885. The Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Railways (Sale and Transfer) Act was actually passed on 6 August 1885. 3½% guaranteed stock was issued, one for one to Portpatrick Railway shareholders, and one for two to Wigtownshire Railway shareholders. The sale value was £491,980, which included £10,000 of stock in the Larne and Stranraer Steamboat Company. The four owning railways: LNWR, MR, CR and G&SWR were to form a Joint Committee to manage the line, and the Portpatrick Railway Company and the Wigtownshire Railway Company were to be dissolved on 1 January 1886. The LNWR was granted running powers over the G&SWR between Dumfries and Castle Douglas, and the MR acquired running powers between Carlisle and Gretna Junction. The "Stranraer Section" Joint Committee would continue to administer the section between Challoch Junction and Stranraer, accessed by trains from the Girvan line, although these were worked entirely by the G&SWR. The two Scottish companies were to share the operational control between them, although Joint Committee meetings seem to have taken place in London. Wheatley's rolling stock fleet was purchased at valuation (£6,400). P&WJR operation Domestic operation did not change much at first; but the London trains ran from Dumfries to Carlisle via Annan rather than via Lockerbie, with a significant time saving. The MR put on a six-wheel Pullman sleeping car. The G&SWR now got a share of the working; their train crews had no familiarity with the route at first, and the Caledonian Railway refused to provide conductors. Smith recounts an early trip: Shankland and McGill were coming from Dumfries to Stranraer with the evening train. It was dark when they left Creetown—an' Jock says t'me, "Well, that's Newton Stewart noo". But as they descended the long bank, doubts assailed McGill. "Canny on, man, Jock" says I. Is there no a station aboot here?" "Whitna station?" says he. "Dod," says I, "I think they ca' it Palnyowr or something". So we stoppit, an gor, we were half a mile by it! So we backit up. There were nae signals, only a caun'le in the winda. Naebody gaed oot or got in, so we just gaed on tae Newton Stewart again." It emerged that the Wigtownshire line was in a very run-down state and engine power was frequently inadequate. The permanent way needed to be completely renewed (except on the Garliestown branch) in 1886. Signalling was upgraded