Weekly meeing with Guest speaker David Wilson

“Lockerbie Railway Station and development of the railway in Dumfriesshire”

At the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Lockerbie & District, held at the Sure Hotel
Lockerbie on Monday 16 October Vice President Alan Collins welcomed as guest speaker
David Wilson who is well known in the Lockerbie area for his lifetime interest in trains.
David with the assistance of many magnificent slides spoke of the story and development of
the railways in Dumfriesshire to Central Scotland.

David began his talk with a slide of a 31 ft long exhibition model of Lockerbie Station, built
by the Glasgow based model railway club which is truly remarkable in detail. He stated. “It
was built 50 years ago in 1974, the same year as the Rotary Club of Lockerbie & District was
founded and also the year the railway line was electrified. Being an exhibition lay out
wouldn’t it be nice to bring it to Lockerbie next year to celebrate the 50 th anniversary of the
electrification of the railway line?”

After a parliamentary battle between supporters of the route through Annandale and
those who argued that the first railway from Carlisle to Glasgow should go via Nithsdale,
the Annandale lobby carried the day, and trains reached Lockerbie in 1847, though the line
to Glasgow wasn't completed until 1849. Before that, passengers had to get off at Beattock
and board horse - drawn carriages to take them over Beattock Summit.

At the time, Lockerbie was a major settlement on the route, and boasted a goods yard
(now occupied by a supermarket), a coal depot (occupied by the station car park), an
engine shed (complete with turntable) and a cattle dock adjacent to the auction mart.
Interestingly, the original station footbridge didn't just link the two station platforms, it
carried on across the goods lines to give access to the Sydney Place area. Retaining that
option might have saved a few arguments about access in later years!”

The Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Railway, which lasted from 1863 until 1963 was
used by many steam specials, at least one being hauled by the Flying Scotsman. (An old
train ticket from Shieldhill to Lockerbie recently sold on a well - known on-line auction site
for £15.00!).”

“The main station building at Lockerbie remains virtually as built. Most of the other
buildings, including the signal box which hid under the Bridge Street bridge on the Carlisle
side, have gone.”

“Fortunately, railways in particular have always attracted photographers, and a search on-
line will yield a substantial number of photos covering Lockerbie station and the trains
which stopped or, more frequently, passed through.”

David concluded his talk by answering questions from those present which for many was a
trip down memory lane.

On giving the vote of thanks Rotarian Frank Wight thanked David for a most interesting and
fascinating talk reflecting his enthusiasm and passion on the subject whereby those present
showed their appreciation in the usual manner.