Newtongrange M.O.F.P Siding

[v3man]

On page 31 of David Cross's recent book 'Last years of the Waverley Route' there is a picture of a J37 with a loaded coal train 'near Newtongrange'. The train is passing the trailing entry to a siding on the down side of the line which curves off, over a catch point, and then runs parallel to another line just on the edge of the photo.

In the 1947 General Appendix under Newtongrange is listed 'M.O.F.P siding, connections to which were power operated from Lady Victoria signal box and protected by colour light and position light signals'. There were 5 sidings, 1 & 2 for empties and 3,4 & 5 for loaded wagons and arrivals in 1 & 2 were to run round via the adjacent empty road.

Does anyone know what M.O.F.P was and what would have been sent out in the loaded wagons?

[third-rail]

M.O.F.P.
stands for ministry of fuel and power.

see below
http://images.library.wisc.edu/FRUS/EFa ... .i0005.pdf

[52D]

As Third rail states fuel(coal) would be leaving the sidings as this was a sort of pre nationalisation NCB during the war years. There were sites all over the UK including opencast.