Answer 3

Thank you to Dr Francis A Dalrymple-Hamilton, Peebles, Peeblesshire, Scotland who wrote:

Thornton, Fife?

"I have the impression that signal box in the background is one of the Thornton boxes in Fife.

I will look into this and let you know.

I have made a lifelong study of the signal boxes in Scotland,  so hopefully I will be able to identify it for you."

Dr Francis A Dalrymple-Hamilton:  February 19, 2008

Answer 4

Thank you to Dr Francis A Dalrymple-Hamilton, Peebles, Peeblesshire, Scotland who wrote again, after looking into the subject further:

Thornton South, Fife

"I am now fairly certain that the Signal box in question is Thornton South.  

When I first saw the picture my gut reaction is that this is where it was.   I have now checked this with a colleague who feels, like me, that it is Thornton South."

Dr Francis A Dalrymple-Hamilton:  March 5, 2008

Answer 5

Thank you to David Briggs, now living in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, formerly Thornton, who wrote

It's not Thornton South

"I just noticed this photo and can say for certain that this is not Thornton South.  There was never a bing on the DN line facing south, and never any trees on the UP line either.  I know a man who will sort this out though.

The real clue here is the position of the sun, ie, the way the "driver's" shadow is cast on the sleeper wall/ fence and the lack of  shadow from the "B1" anywhere on the wall.  The sun is definitely at a fairly high position.  This indicates some time either side of noon.

This means the track is running east/west. ie, we are looking due  east.  There is also a person or persons in the field on the LHS  which is either a park or more likely a golf course.

My money is on something south of the Forth as nothing in Fife is  ringing a bell.  Hope this helps!"

David Briggs, Newcastle upon Tyne (Formerly Thornton):  June 15, 2008

Thanks David: 

Most of the other photos that were found with this one were taken around Edinburgh and Midlothian, so your comment 'south of the Forth' seems to me to be likely to be true.

Peter Stubbs:  June 16, 2008

Answer 6

Thank you to Grahame Hood, Bromley, Kent who wrote:

Addiewell

"As you think the photo was taken south of the Forth, may I suggest it was possibly on the ex Caledonian line from Edinburgh to Glasgow via Shotts.

A possible location is between West Calder and Addiewell, the signal box controlling the entrance to the Addiewell Oil Works.

The locomotive is an ex LNER B1, but Dalry Road engine shed usually had a few of those allocated from the mid 1950s onwards."

Grahame Hood, Bromley, Kent, England:  September 2, 2008

 Answer 7

Shotts

Thank you to Walter Anderson who wrote:

©

"I think I might have finally solved this puzzle - the clue was in the comments in answer 6.  After looking at aerial pictures and old maps I think this was taken on the Caledonian line at the bing and sidings to the north east of Shotts ironworks.

As suspected the picture was taken looking west to east and the open space and trees to the left are Shotts golf course."

 Walter also found:

a)  a map showing the Caledonian railway line passing to the north of Shotts, with the old signal box and sidings marked close to the bing beside the line, to the east of where the line passes under the B717. 

b)  a recent aerial photo of the area, on the Flashearth web site.  The photo, supplied by NATVEC, shows the remains of the old signal box beside the track, still in place in 2008.

I don't know the copyright rules for Flashearth images, so I have not reproduced this photo on the web site.  However the image provided by Richard Neal (11 below) is very similar.

Update:  Please see 'Recollections 12' below for a link to a site with map a)

 Walter added:

"It would need a visit to finally put this to bed!"

Walter Anderson, Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland:  January 7, 2009

 Answer 8

Questions

Thank you to Fergus Moffat, Australia, who wrote:

©

"I can't help you with the location, but I'm wondering about some of the detail in the photo itself.

1.  If the locomotive has stopped, then it has stopped beyond the home signal.  Would this be permitted?

2.  Did engineman dress in this fashion at that time? I would have expected to see bib-and-brace overalls and jacket.  (Is his cap-badge that of an engineman?)

3.  The train in the distance appears to be moving onto the line upon which the locomotive sits.  If I can assume double-line, then it's a train departing ahead of the stopped locomotive.  This might explain why it's stopped."

Fergus Moffat, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia:  November 6, 2009

 Answer 9

Niddrie Area?

Thank you to David Bain who wrote:

©

"I'm relying on my - increasingly dodgy - memory, but couldn't this be in the Niddrie area looking towards Millerhill?  More than anything I'm going by the bing on the right, the look of the fields and trees on the left and the height of the railway above them."

David Bain, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England:  November 7, 2009

 Answer 10

Thank you to Mick Sullivan who wrote:

The Worker beside the Railway

    ©

"I don't know if anybody has noticed, but the worker in this photo is the same man as in the 'Loco and Shunter' photo below."

     ©

Mick Sullivan:  July 25, 2010

 Answer 11

Thank you to Richard Neal who wrote:

The Worker beside the Railway

    ©

Richard Neal wrote:

"With Google aerial photos now available to all, I have to agree with Walter Anderson (7 above).  The photograph above was taken, beside Shotts Golf Course in North Lanarkshire.

©

As the line passes the golf course, the remains of the signal cabin are visible on this Google photo.  The trees are still there as is the green where the golfers are standing in the photo.  The bing to the right of the photo ties in with the moonscape visible on google.

The shadows confirm this is looking east.  There are two small trees now where the bush is behind the railwayman."

Richard Neal: August 9, 2010

 Answer 12

Thank you to Walter Anderson (who sent 7 above) for emailing me again.

Walter wrote:

Shotts

"I'm now surer than ever that this photo was taken at Shotts."

©

Walter also sent me:

-  a Google Earth screenshot of the site. showing the track bed of the old Caledonian Railway line and the position of the signal box.

-  a link to this page on the Industrial Railway Society web site.  It includes a map showing the Caledonian Railway line and signal box to the north of Shotts Iron Works.

Walter Anderson, Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland:  August 18, 2010

 Answer 13

Thank you to Robert Fleming who wrote:

©

"The field on the left hand side of the picture is that of Shotts Golf Course.  The signal box controlled traffic between the sidings (Benhar Junction) which transported coal from Shotts Collieries to the Caley line where the engine is sitting pointing towards Fauldhouse and eventually onward to Edinburgh.

The large hill on the right hand side of the picture is slag from Shotts Iron Works and was nicknamed locally as the ‘crusher’."

Robert Fleming, Shotts, North Lanarkshire, Scotland:  May 31, 2011

Accident at Shotts

Thank you to Robert Fleming for also sending me a report of an accident, involving three engines, that happened near this signal box on a foggy day in January 1887.

 Answer 14

Thank you to Alan Brown who wrote, confirming that this photo was indeed taken beside the golf course at Shotts.

Already identified
 as being Shotts
    ©

Shotts

"The location is certainly Shotts.  The golfers are on the second green.  I think the box was called 'Shotts Iron Works' and that it controlled traffic out of the Iron Works.

Benhar Junction was nearer Fauldhouse where a single track went up to Greenrigg and Polkemett collieries."

My Work

"I worked at Shotts station from 1954 to 1956.  I also found the photo of Lothian Road Goods Station interesting as I worked there in 1951"

Lothian Road

    ©

Alan M Brown, Chapelhall, Lanarkshire, Scotland

 Answer 15

Thank you to Ian Brown who added:

Shotts
    ©

Shotts

"Just to add that all the information in the later contributions is correct except for the name of the signal box. It's 'Shotts Iron Works' box which closed in the early 1960s.

The box lay between Shotts station and Benhar Junction boxes and controlled the connections between the main lines and the Iron Works sidings. It is also clearly identified as Shotts Iron Works box in the Report on the Accident there that was caused by the 'runaway' Works pug.

Ian Brown, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland:  August 31, 2012