John Swift: British Railways (LM) Layout Plans of the 1950s

This substantial collection of Layout Drawings was assembled by John Swift in the course of a railway career spanning some 50 years. After early years as a relief signalman and in the Control Office at Rotherham, John was appointed a member of the Midland Division Shunting Analysis Committee based at Derby whose work involved the study of operating problems over the whole of the Division. Later he served in other offices at Euston and Crewe. He retired in 1982 as the Head of Section - Operating and Signalling, in the Chief Operating Manager’s Office at Crewe where he was responsible for preparing local and general operating instructions and the approval of new works and alterations.

The diagrams were originally prepared as an aide-memoire for use in discussions of local operating problems conducted away from the location. They are based on personal observations and on the official drawings prepared for operating purposes rather than those produced for lever frame construction and interlocking which are more often collected by signalling enthusiasts. As a result it will be found that there are sometimes locations for which lever number information is absent or only partially complete.

None of the information is based on conjecture. In view of the number and varying dates of the original sources small discrepancies will occasionally be found between adjacent diagrams. The locations are presented in line order with a consistent direction from one page to another. Some drawings are inverted compared with the conventional style in consequence.

In general, the drawings show the situation in the period about 1955-60 immediately prior to the many changes and track recoveries of the Beeching era. The layouts depicted are not necessarily those at the date of closure.

A combined index of all the locations in the series can be downloaded from our main web site entirely free of charge.


Chester, North Wales & Wirral

Chester, North Wales & Wirral

The tenth volume of John Swift’s layout plans of the 1950s stays with the London & North Western..

£6.95

Leeds & The Settle & Carlisle Line

Leeds & The Settle & Carlisle Line

The highlight of the twelfth volume of John Swift’s layout plans of the 1950s is undoubtedly the eve..

£6.95

LNWR Birmingham and West Midlands

LNWR Birmingham and West Midlands

The eleventh volume of John Swift’s layout plans of the 1950s also stays with the London & North..

£10.00

LNWR Branch Lines, London, Home Counties & East Midlands

LNWR Branch Lines, London, Home Counties & East Midlands

Volume seven of John Swift’s layout plans of the 1950s stays with the London & North Western Rai..

£6.95

Midland Main Line, London to Trent

Midland Main Line, London to Trent

For the second volume of John Swift’s layout plans of the 1950s we move ‘next door’ to follow the Mi..

£10.00

Midland Main Line, Trent to Manchester

Midland Main Line, Trent to Manchester

In volume eight of John Swift’s layout plans of the 1950s we re-join the Midland Railway at Trent an..

£6.95

Midland Railway, Derbyshire & Yorkshire

Midland Railway, Derbyshire & Yorkshire

The seventeenth volume of John Swift’s layout plans of the 1950s returns to the Midland Railway line..

£11.00

Midland Railway, South Westward

Midland Railway, South Westward

The eighteenth volume of John Swift’s layout plans of the 1950s looks at the south western end of th..

£6.95

West Coast Main Line & Cumbria

West Coast Main Line & Cumbria

Volume six of John Swift’s layout plans of the 1950s brings us back to the West Coast Main Line of t..

£6.95

West Coast Main Line, Cheshire & South Lancashire

West Coast Main Line, Cheshire & South Lancashire

For the ninth volume of John Swift’s layout plans of the 1950s we fill in the middle bit of the Lond..

£6.95

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