Dljr charles

Hello , I happened on this topic whilst googling for Lochmaben signal box . Over the years I have done quite a bit of research on the Lockerbie - Dumfries Line and wrote a thesis when doing a course at the IRS /York Uni . I am intrigued by the subject of signalling in the BR period , as the LMS had already started rationalization in the 1930s . The box was closed in the earlier 30s , and by the time of the cessation of passenger services in the early 1950s the loop had been removed. leaving a headshunt into the yard . Access to the yard was by means of the groundframe whilst the pick up goods was in the section between Shieldhill ( the mid point on the line and a crossing point with watering facilities) or from Lockerbie. pictures taken from a railtour in 1959 show no signals at the Dumfries end of the station ( where it passed between the row of houses ) , and from talking to old railway men in the early 90s it appears that the goods working ( between 1951 and 1963 ( when Lochmaben closed for goods ) was a very leisurely affair . The head shunt in the last days had been truncated , so wagons were "squeezed against the head shunt buffers with the hand brake applied and then when the brake was released they ran forward ( presumably to save double shunting and splitting rakes . In addition there were in the mid to late 50s a series of camping coaches ( only 1 at a time) which were stabled/parked at the far end of the siding that ran though the goods shed , so the coach was hard by the road embankment for the overbridge. Until the closure of the Port Road ( dumfries to Stranraer ) in 1965 there was a reasonable amount of goods , milk and parcels traffic that was worked to Lockerbie, for destinations i the North east nd East of Scotland , Freight from the West heading south went via the GSWR route via Annan , and that heading to Glasgow and the west when north on the same line . In short unless you are retaining the pre 1930s track layout , with Lochmaben as a passing loop , then the signalling by BR days was , I believe very basic . If you are retaining the pre 1930s set-up , then there was a single Caledonian box ( similar in size and design to the one at Boness station ) with signal posts as shown on 1920s OS maps. The line was worked up the end of the passenger services with Engines from Dumfries shed , the last being 57405 on the final train , and during the war and until 1948/9 a trio of elderly LNWR webb push pull 2-4-2 tanks (6635 and 6639 )were 2 of them ) were used . The ex Caledonian tank 419 ( at Boness is an ex Lockerbie shed loco ( again the shed closed in the 30s ) so it would have in all probably worked the line . Black fives were also seen on the through trains sometimes on heavier ones double heading to over come the gradient up into lockerbie after the line crossing the Annan. I trust this helps , I used to live in lochmaben , and still live only a couple of miles away .