Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Railway
Encyclopedia
Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Railway was a railway in Dumfriesshire
, Scotland. It connected Dumfries
with Lockerbie
. It is now closed.
to give them access to Dumfries and the mineral fields beyond, as part of their trade rivalry with the Glasgow and South Western Railway
. The Caledonian also wanted a share of the lucrative ferry traffic going to Ireland via Stranraer. The company proposed to build a line from Lochmaben to Dinwoodie, on the West Coast Main Line several miles to the north of Lockerbie, to make a more direct connection from Dumfries to the north, but nothing came of it.
There were five return passenger journeys a day on the line, and trains stopped at all stations until passenger service ended. The line stagnated under the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
after the 1921 Grouping
. Passing on to the Scottish Region of British Railways
on nationalisation in 1948, it was then closed to regular passenger service by the British Railways Board
on 19 May 1952. A few special passenger trains used the line in the early 1960s, and the line was closed to all traffic on 18 April 1966.
The company's trainshed still stands at Lockerbie railway station, although it has lost its roof and the trackbed has been filled in. The goods terminus was known as Dumfries St Mary's and is now St Mary's Industrial Estate. The line from Dumfries to Locharbriggs is now a cycle path, and the trackbed is still visible near Amisfield and Lochmaben, where the Railway Inn survives near the site of the former station.
metals, crossed the Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway
north of Dumfries (where there was a branch to the goods shed), then passed through Locharbriggs
, Amisfield
, Shieldhill
and Lochmaben
before joining the Caledonian's main line just north of Lockerbie.
and fireman of the express. The guard
from the express ran down the line to warn another approaching train of the accident and prevented a further collision. There were 300 injuries. The driver of the first train, the Lockerbie station master and the local inspection regime were all criticised in the subsequent report on the crash.
Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries is a registration county of Scotland. The lieutenancy area of Dumfries has similar boundaries.Until 1975 it was a county. Its county town was Dumfries...
, Scotland. It connected Dumfries
Dumfries railway station
Dumfries railway station serves the town of Dumfries in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located on the Glasgow South Western Line and is managed by First ScotRail who provide all passenger train services...
with Lockerbie
Lockerbie railway station
Lockerbie railway station lies on the West Coast Main Line between Carlisle and Carstairs in Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.- 1883 crash :...
. It is now closed.
History
An act to establish the railway (as the Dumfries, Lochmaben & Lockerby Junction Railway) received royal assent in 1860, and the company started with £85,000 raised by selling 10/- shares, with the option to borrow an additional £28,300. B. & H. Blyth of Edinburgh designed and built the line, and services started on 1 September 1863. It was 14½ miles long, and there were turntables at Lockerbie and Dumfries. On 5 July 1865 the company was absorbed by the Caledonian RailwayCaledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
to give them access to Dumfries and the mineral fields beyond, as part of their trade rivalry with the Glasgow and South Western Railway
Glasgow and South Western Railway
The Glasgow and South Western Railway , one of the pre-grouping railway companies, served a triangular area of south-west Scotland, between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle...
. The Caledonian also wanted a share of the lucrative ferry traffic going to Ireland via Stranraer. The company proposed to build a line from Lochmaben to Dinwoodie, on the West Coast Main Line several miles to the north of Lockerbie, to make a more direct connection from Dumfries to the north, but nothing came of it.
There were five return passenger journeys a day on the line, and trains stopped at all stations until passenger service ended. The line stagnated under the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
after the 1921 Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
. Passing on to the Scottish Region of British Railways
Scottish Region of British Railways
The Scottish Region was one of the six regions created on British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway and ex-London and North Eastern Railway lines in Scotland...
on nationalisation in 1948, it was then closed to regular passenger service by the British Railways Board
British Railways Board
The British Railways Board was a nationalised industry in the United Kingdom that existed from 1962 to 2001. From its foundation until 1997, it was responsible for most railway services in Great Britain, trading under the brand names British Railways and, from 1965, British Rail...
on 19 May 1952. A few special passenger trains used the line in the early 1960s, and the line was closed to all traffic on 18 April 1966.
The company's trainshed still stands at Lockerbie railway station, although it has lost its roof and the trackbed has been filled in. The goods terminus was known as Dumfries St Mary's and is now St Mary's Industrial Estate. The line from Dumfries to Locharbriggs is now a cycle path, and the trackbed is still visible near Amisfield and Lochmaben, where the Railway Inn survives near the site of the former station.
Route
The line came off Castle Douglas and Dumfries RailwayCastle Douglas and Dumfries Railway
The Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway was a nominally independent railway in south west Scotland which linked Dumfries to Castle Douglas.-History:It was incorporated on 21 July 1856; the act was obtained by the Glasgow and South Western Railway....
metals, crossed the Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway
Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway
The Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway was a company in Scotland, which built and ran what is now known as the Glasgow South Western Line. The line was authorised on 13 August 1846 and was constructed between 1846 and 1850...
north of Dumfries (where there was a branch to the goods shed), then passed through Locharbriggs
Locharbriggs railway station
Locharbriggs railway station was a station which served Locharbriggs, in the Scottish county of Dumfries and Galloway. It was served by trains on a local line which ran between the Caledonian Main Line at and the Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway at .-History:Opened by the Dumfries, Lochmaben...
, Amisfield
Amisfield railway station
Amisfield railway station was a station which served Amisfield, in the Scottish county of Dumfries and Galloway. It was served by trains on a local line which ran between the Caledonian Main Line at and the Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway at...
, Shieldhill
Shieldhill railway station
Shieldhill railway station was a station which served Shieldhill, in the Scottish county of Dumfries and Galloway. It was served by trains on a local line which ran between the Caledonian Main Line at and the Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway at .-History:Opened by the Dumfries, Lochmaben and...
and Lochmaben
Lochmaben railway station
Lochmaben railway station was a station which served Lochmaben, in the Scottish county of Dumfries and Galloway. It was served by trains on a local line which ran between the Caledonian Main Line at and the Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway at .-History:Opened by the Dumfries, Lochmaben and...
before joining the Caledonian's main line just north of Lockerbie.
1883 crash
On 14 May 1883, at 11:35 pm, a train from Stranraer passed a signal and collided at low speed with an empty goods train on the main line north of Lockerbie. Some of the goods train's wagons derailed and a southbound mainline express collided with them, being derailed onto the station platform. Seven people were killed, including the driverRailroad engineer
A railroad engineer, locomotive engineer, train operator, train driver or engine driver is a person who drives a train on a railroad...
and fireman of the express. The guard
Brakeman
A brakeman is a rail transport worker whose original job it was to assist the braking of a train by applying brakes on individual wagons. The advent of through brakes on trains made this role redundant, although the name lives on in the United States where brakemen carry out a variety of functions...
from the express ran down the line to warn another approaching train of the accident and prevented a further collision. There were 300 injuries. The driver of the first train, the Lockerbie station master and the local inspection regime were all criticised in the subsequent report on the crash.
Connections to other railways
- Caledonian Main Line, north of Lockerbie
- Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle RailwayGlasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle RailwayThe Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway was a company in Scotland, which built and ran what is now known as the Glasgow South Western Line. The line was authorised on 13 August 1846 and was constructed between 1846 and 1850...
, north of Dumfries