West Highland Termini: Fact and Fiction

[luckymucklebackit]

Just a thought - why a West Highland terminus, if you have a look elsewhere there were excellent examples of terminus stations on the East coast, such as Fraserburgh and Peterhead

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16&lat=57.6897&lon=-2.0015&layers=170&right=BingHyb

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=17&lat=57.5098&lon=-1.7890&layers=170&right=BingHyb

 

Jim

[DCB]

Just wondering if anyone has a map showing Ft William Loco depot etc in the days of the old station, and or signal box dagrams.  This talk of trains travelling down to the box to exchange tokens is intriguing 

[Pacific231G]

I hope you don’t mind a mild thread hijack! I was interested in the operation of the old FW station - especially the bit about all trains having to come into the station first - including goods trains. Did they just back as far as the signal box or would they have gone right into a platform to wait for departure? Also how did they back into the station? Where they propelled by the train engine or did a pilot pull them in? Thanks

According to John A McGregor in  "All stations to Mallaig!- the West Highland line since Nationalisation" They backed under their own power as far as the signal box, presumably cleared by shunting signals as a shunting move, where they picked up the token to proceed as a train to Malaig junction box where they exchanged that for the token for the first block on either the Mallaig or Glasgow lines. It would have been the opposite move for arriving goods trains. According to McGregor, there were occasions where the driver got the token in advance and could then depart directly from the yard. 

[Pacific231G]

Just wondering if anyone has a map showing Ft William Loco depot etc in the days of the old station, and or signal box dagrams.  This talk of trains travelling down to the box to exchange tokens is intriguing 

Hi David

If you go to the National Library of Scotland site you'll find that the map in the 1944-1967 1:1,250/1:2,500 series will give you  a very detailed plan of all the railway faclities in Ft. William.

This link should take you there but I must warn you that once you've discovered the NLS map collection you'll find it very difficult to leave!!

 

 https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=56.8170&lon=-5.1120&layers=170&b=1

 

The Signalling Record Society does have a signalling diagram for Ft. William (P159) that can be ordered from them (£12 or so inc postage). It may be of the pre-grouping North British Railway situation but I can't tell that from the tiny GIF that appears on the SRS website.

Edited August 16, 2018 by Pacific231G

[Karan Warner]

Just a thought - why a West Highland terminus, if you have a look elsewhere there were excellent examples of terminus stations on the East coast, such as Fraserburgh and Peterhead

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16&lat=57.6897&lon=-2.0015&layers=170&right=BingHyb

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=17&lat=57.5098&lon=-1.7890&layers=170&right=BingHyb

 

Jim

Thanks for these, I especially like the first

[TomJ]

It just occurred to me - is Fort William the only prototype where the modern diesel terminus actually has more pointwork than the steam era one it replaced?

[luckymucklebackit]

It just occurred to me - is Fort William the only prototype where the modern diesel terminus actually has more pointwork than the steam era one it replaced?

 

...a modern diesel depot that sees more steam locomotives than diesel!  There are three Black FIves shedded there!!!

[danstercivicman]

Hello,

 

I’m considering building a layout along the Fort William lines. So just to clarify a goods train in BR days would work into the station then back to the goods yard?

 

I take it the token would then be picked up at the outgoing box or as you have said in advance?

 

Makes for some interesting workings!

[Pacific231G]

Hello,

 

I’m considering building a layout along the Fort William lines. So just to clarify a goods train in BR days would work into the station then back to the goods yard?

 

I take it the token would then be picked up at the outgoing box or as you have said in advance?

 

Makes for some interesting workings!

Hi Dan

Not normally quite as far as the station.

 

My understanding is that an incoming goods train would come as far as the Fort William signal box to relinquish its final token (issued by Mallaig Junction box) and could then back into the goods siding as a shunting move after which the train could be handled in the goods sidings and the train loco could go to the MPD..

 

An outbound goods train would back up to the signal box but AFAIK would no go beyond the "trident" of stop signals protecting the platforms.

 

There was an intermediate key token instrument at the far end of the goods sidings so, having obtained the token, a driver could proceed to the sidings and, once locked in clear, of the main line could "park" it in the intermediate instrument so allowing the instruments at Fort William and Mallaig Jct. boxes to release a token for another train. The goods train driver could continue shunting the yard, leaving the main line clear for other trains. When ready to depart he could, if no other tokens were "out", recover the token and that would allow the points leading onto the main line to be cleared. When there were no trains working between Fort William and the junction, the main line as far as the station throat  was used as the headshunt for the loading bank and cattle dock as well as for the goods sidings. I did see this in action in the mid-late 1960s when the old station was still there. When nothing much else was going on, a diesel shunter was going back and forth with a bunch of oil trank wagons. 

 

I've PMd you some sheets that may be useful.

Edited December 26, 2018 by Pacific231G

[danstercivicman]

Hi Dan

Not normally quite as far as the station.

 

My understanding is that an incoming goods train would come as far as the Fort William signal box to relinquish its final token (issued by Mallaig Junction box) and could then back into the goods siding as a shunting move after which the train could be handled in the goods sidings and the train loco could go to the MPD..

 

An outbound goods train would back up to the signal box but AFAIK would no go beyond the "trident" of stop signals protecting the platforms.

 

There was an intermediate key token instrument at the far end of the goods sidings so, having obtained the token, a driver could proceed to the sidings and, once locked in clear, of the main line could "park" it in the intermediate instrument so allowing the instruments at Fort William and Mallaig Jct. boxes to release a token for another train. The goods train driver could continue shunting the yard, leaving the main line clear for other trains. When ready to depart he could, if no other tokens were "out", recover the token and that would allow the points leading onto the main line to be cleared. When there were no trains working between Fort William and the junction, the main line as far as the station throat was used as the headshunt for the loading bank and cattle dock as well as for the goods sidings. I did see this in action in the mid-late 1960s when the old station was still there. When nothing much else was going on, a diesel shunter was going back and forth with a bunch of oil trank wagons.

 

I've PMd you some sheets that may be useful.

Cheers, very helpful . I’ve decided on a Stranraer themed approach