course through the collieries, by Kerrylaw, and thence northward of the town of Saltcoats, to the harbour of Ardrossan, where, at an elevation of 9 feet 6 inches above high water mark, it terminates. The railway is twenty-two miles and three furlongs in length, and the canal eleven miles.
From the harbour above-mentioned, there is an inclined plane one mile and five chains in length, rising 11 feet 6 inches, and another one mile and a chain in length, which descends 8 feet. It is then level for the space of one mile, seven furlongs and four chains. Then another plane one mile, three furlongs and seven chains in length, rising 46 feet; then a further rise, to the summit level, of 45 feet, in one mile, five furlongs and nine chains. The next twelve miles, three furlongs and two chains are level; from the end of which it descends 20 feet in the next two miles, one furlong and two chains; and, in the remaining distance of five furlongs, there is a further fall of 44 feet to the level of the quay of the canal at Johnstone, which is 40 feet above the level of high water at Ardrossan. A branch of half a mile in length extends from the main line to Saltcoats Harbour, which descends 3 feet in that distance to a point 10 feet above high water mark.
It was originally intended by the proprietors of these works to have constructed an entire canal from near Glasgow to Ardrossan, and for which purpose their first act was obtained; but circumstances, which are explained below, prevented this. The estimate for making the whole canal was £140,000; but when it was found desirable to make the railway above described, instead of continuing the canal, a separate estimate for it was made by Mr.
| James Jardine, which, for the Main Line, amounted to, | £92,568 |
| And for the Saltcoats Branch | 1,525 |
| Making a total of | £94,093 |
The first act relating to this undertaking, is entitled, An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal from the Harbour of Ardrossan, in the county of Ayr, to Tradestown, near Glasgow, in the county of Lanark; and a collateral Cut from the said Canal to the Coal Works at Hurlet, in the county of Renfrew; by which the subscribers, two hundred and twenty-six in number, (amongst whom were the Earl of Eglinton, Lord Montgomerie,
