| THE SIGNAL BOX |
PHOTO GALLERY |
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Caledonian Railway |
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Opened: 1903 |
Closed: 1985 |
Location code: Sc41/12 |
A non-standard design of
signal box believed to have been erected by the Caledonian Railway existed at
Camperdown Junction on the north side of Dundee. The lines here were jointly
owned and operated by the North British Railway, so it is possible they had
input to the design too.
The box opened in 1903, during a period when the Caledonian Railway were building quite ornate boxes on their Northern Division (see Oban), but it does bear some similarity with Ferryhill Junction at Aberdeen where, interestingly, the North British were also involved.
A 52-lever frame originally controlled the complex layout of the approaches to the Dundee East terminal station as well as connections to the though lines to Glasgow and Edinburgh via Dundee Tay Bridge station.
What is most striking about the box is the partially cantilevered operating floor. Only part of this is built in timber - the back wall is in brick continuing up from the base.
Close examination of the brickwork suggest that the box was extended an additional 50% at the left-hand end at some time in its life; this would make the odd pair of windows in the front wall centred on the original size. This extension would have been in connection with the provision of a new 95-lever frame at some stage in the box's life.
Camperdown Junction closed on 17th March 1985 when operation was taken
over by a new panel box at Dundee.
All photographs copyright © John Hinson unless otherwise stated