| THE SIGNAL BOX |
PHOTO GALLERY |
|
Caledonian Railway |
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|
Opened: 1906 |
Closed: 1985 |
Location code: Sc18/28 |
For a period of six years commencing
1902, the Northern Division of the Caledonian Railway built their boxes to a
rather more ornate design than previously. The most striking features, when
compared with earlier examples such as Larbert
North are the ridge tiles with curved pottery finials, and the slight flare
towards the edge of the roof. Decorative brackets supported the roof, which was
provided with the luxury of a gutter.
The glazed area was enhanced by larger panes of glass. The construction of these is with small panes above larger ones, although the precision locating of the outside handrail (for use when window-cleaning) makes the horizontal bar on the windows nearly invisible.
The arched locking-room windows are perpetuated in this design, and most have, unusually, not been bricked up here. Most boxes had a different design to the locking-room windows incorporating an arched arrangement in the glass itself - see Oban.
Boxes built after 1908 reverted to the previous design, illustrated at Larbert North.
Grangemouth was a remote (geographically, rather than rurally) outpost of the Caledonian Railway serving this industrialised part of Linlithgowshire. Access was only possible via the former North British metals at Grangemouth Junction, near Falkirk. At one time, five boxes controlled the area, but No3 was the only box to survive into recent years.
The box closed on 15th December 1985.
All photographs copyright © John Hinson unless otherwise stated