Unit 1 Goods Yard at M/S Factory Dalbeattie (NGR NX851631):
Introduction...
The Unit 1 Goods Yard at the Southwick side of the Factory is one of its more interesting and best-preserved sections,
due to its being held by Stelrad for almost thirty years as a dumping ground. Whilst the yard and some adjacent marshland
is unfortunately choked with demolition rubble and scrap drums, the adjacent buildings survived to 2006 in surprisingly
good order. Raw materials such as acetone, glycerine, nitrocellulose (guncotton), sulphuric and nitric acids, coal and
vaseline, were unloaded here, some acid also being taken from here to Dumfries for re-processing.
In this page, the known structures are identified and links go to the more significant, such as the Acid Recovery Plant,
the Guncotton Unloading Rooms, the Canteen, the Fire Station, the Boiler House, the Acetone Plant and the Engine Shed. Not
all buildings were successfully identified; the two large structures between the Rail Yard and the main line, opposite the
presumed Boiler House, are completely unknown. Two large storage or workshop buildings have been described but their exact
function is unclear. As with so much else, there is scope for more research.
There are unfortunately several problems that risk the survival of this remarkable site. The Canteen block's first floor
partitions have been seriously damaged by either vandalism or Army training, the stairways being full of rubble, and as
a result are no longer safe for the unprepared visitor. The Acetone tower as originally built appears to have been
strengthened by structural steelwork now removed and needs to be demolished safely. The Army's Fighting in Built Up Areas
(FIBUA) training is set to continue and (unless done with due care) could easily cause terminal damage, both here and
elsewhere in Unit 1.
Major Structures at Unit 1 Goods Yard :
These form three parallel lines running southwest to northeast, alongside the dismantled main railway line from Dumfries
to Castle Douglas. They have been designated Railway Yard Group, Platform Group and Roadside Group. The old platform edge
divides the first and second, the road being the division between the second and third group. All are listed southwest to
northeast and have individual pages.
Railway Yard Group :
These stand between the three-track goods yard and the main line :-
Platform Group :
These stand back from the edge of the original goods platform :-
Roadside Group :
These stand between the road and a cutting behind the easternmost Cordite Milling buildings.
Some of the identification is provisional, based on position in relationship to known processes. Other buildings
are unclear as to fittings, let alone as to function.
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