Although consideration was soon afterwards given to building a line southwards into Galloway, the daunting topography of any such route delayed any action on the matter.

However the frenzied promotion of railway schemes, not all of them practicable, came to an end and in 1846. the British and Irish Union announced on 21 April 1846 that it was discontinuing its attempts to raise money for its line.

The A&GR itself found raising money difficult, and this loss of connectivity at Castle Douglas (for Dumfries) was a blow.

The preamble to the bill was found to be "not proved"[note 1] and the scheme was reduced by Parliament, to run between Smithston (near Patna) and Dalmellington only, a small fraction of its intended course.

c. clxxxiv) gave the company running powers over the Glasgow and Belfast Union line (under consideration at the same time) between Ayr and Smithston.

The Glasgow and Belfast Union Railway too was in financial difficulties, although partly funded by the profitable GPK&AR, and after consideration, it pressed forward with its bill, now cutting back the scheme to reach Girvan only.

However the reality of the shortage of money for such a difficult proposition became unavoidable, and the powers were allowed to lapse without any actual construction.

[2][3] The 1846 authorisation was hardly practicable, and in the 1847 parliamentary session a further bill was presented, after consideration with Houldsworth (as the dominant potential customer) as to the way forward.

With the Glasgow and Belfast Union Railway scheme abandoned, the A&GR now needed to build from Ayr instead of Smithston.

[4] The shareholders met on 22 November 1847 but too few attended to form a quorum, and the vote on sale to the GPK&AR could not be put to the meeting.

The GPK&AR was in no hurry to finalise the matter, although it had purchased a large block of shares, and the delay in completion of the line led to heavy criticism by shareholders.

The severe money shortage took its toll: in 1850 it was noted that the A&GR had made no effort toward constructing the remainder of its line, and that a lack of maintenance on the open section was showing itself.

The G&SWR evidently saw no benefit in completing the line to Ayr, until negotiations with the Dalmellington Iron Company resulted in a commitment from them to guarantee a 4% return on capital (of £150,000) for ten years.

The G&SWR was working the line and had paid most of the cost of construction; it was only a matter of time until they took over the company, and they did so on 1 August 1858, by the Ayr and Dalmellington Railway Transfer Act 1858 (21 & 22 Vict.

[1][4] The Ayr and Maybole Junction Railway had been authorised in 1854, and opened to goods traffic on 15 September 1856, and to passengers on 13 October 1856.