Letters intended for publication should ideally add extra detail to our articles (or offer corrections of course!) and not be too long, consistent with the detail they offer. As always, we are sorry that space and time prevent us from printing them all or sending personal replies. ED.
Chronicles of John Boyd's siding
Due to a proofing error, the map showing Railways to Annan (June issue), misnamed Solway Junction as ‘Annan Junction’. Also, whatever diesel shunter was noticed atop the Shawhill scrapheap in 1987, it was not the former Cochran locomotive, as Mr. John Scholes informs us that Blinkin’ Bess is still ‘blinkin’, at the Doon Valley Railway in Ayrshire.
A.. J. Mullay, Edinburgh
To improve capacity for the (short-lived) increase in trains of coal — dug in Ayrshire or imported through Hunterston – to Yorkshire power stations, the Gretna-Annan section was redoubled in 2008. Gretna Green gained a second platform and control of the redoubled line passed to Dumfries signal box. Annan signal box remains and controls between about one mile east and one mile west of the station; the only pointwork is a lead from a down engineers siding plus a facing crossover. Thus Annan box, dating from 1876 but with a reconditioned lever frame installed in 1973, is in the unusual situation of working to the same box – Dumfries – in both directions!
Stephen G. Abbott, Skipton
Sunday excursions
The author Mr. Nisbet has notified us that the photograph on p336 lower (June) is at Woking (not Surbiton) and that on p339 upper is at Weybridge..
