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Barrhill

PHOTO GALLERY: LONDON, MIDLAND & SCOTTISH RAILWAY

Barrhill

OPENED: 1935, CLOSED: —-

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The remote station of Barrhill, on the Glasgow to Stranraer line, has been served by three signal boxes during its lifetime. The first dated from 1877, and was renewed in 1907, but the second box was destroyed by a fire in 1935.

By this date, the Glasgow & South Western Railway had been absorbed into the London, Midland & Scottish Railway, but the replacement cabin was most certainly not of LMS origin. Conveniently, a small Glasgow & South Western cabin at Portpatrick had become redundant in 1934, and this was transported to Barrhill and re-erected there.

Barrhill SB, 3/82
Martin Shaw

Portpatrick box had opened in 1908, and the box is thus an example of the GSW’s post-1901 design and compares interestingly with Elderslie No.1. Barrhill demonstrates one of the alternative glazing arrangements used on cabins during that period.

The diminutive box houses the original 18-lever frame from the earlier, destroyed signal box, although it was substantially renovated during the 1940s.

The line here is single, and the box remains in operation to control a passing loop. The single lines are controlled by Tyer & Co Electric Tablet (like that illustrated at Dingwall South), although the instruments are housed in the booking office to allow the signalman to also carry out other duties.

At the time of writing (2020) the box is still in use and is one of the last bastions of Tyer tablet operation.