London, Midland & Scottish Railway

Opened: 1939

Closed: 1982

Location code: Sc17/23

In 1939, the London, Midland & Scottish railway renewed Coupar Angus South box, in a design to become unique. This was essentially a simplified version of the 1929 Scottish Division design illustrated at Longforgan, lacking the small bay window which was a trademark of that type. This design was intended for all subsequent renewals, but with the outbreak of war a switch was made to sturdier designs intended to resist enemy attack. An example of the latter type is illustrated at Thornhill.

Coupar Angus had been an important junction station in its time, with the Blairgowrie branch leaving the main line here. A thirty lever LMS frame controlled the layout at this end of the station.

After the Caledonian Railway's main route between Perth and Aberdeen closed in 1967, the section between Stanley Junction (Perth) and Forfar was retained for freight traffic. This portion of line was singled, and Coupar Angus South box was retained to control its level crossing.

Some signals were retained along the line to protect level crossings, and a few of these were decidedly vintage. This lower quadrant signal is the Up Distant for Coupar Angus South and dates back to Caledonian Railway times.

The signal was not operational and was "fixed at caution", serving more as a marker to trains approaching from Forfar than anything else. This explains the absence of a green spectacle glass. The weight bar on the post is thus unused and not connected to the signal box.

Coupar Angus South box survived until complete closure of the line in 1982.