QUICK LINKS

Stranraer Town

PHOTO GALLERY: PORTPATRICK & WIGTOWNSHIRE JOINT RAILWAY

Stranraer Town

OPENED: 1877     CLOSED: 1969

Click or tap the images for enlarged views

The area around Stranraer was once quite complex – the main station of Stranraer was not the Harbour station as it is now, but the Town station on the main line on towards Portpatrick. But the use of the term “main line” does not imply large facilities, for things here were fairly modest.

Stranraer Town SB
Dr J W F Scrimgeour, 22/7/38

The signal box, opened in 1876, is believed to have its origins with McKenzie & Holland, although the rendered base would have been applied later, in accordance with Caledonian Railway practice.

Here is a more general view, taken from a train waiting at the station some twenty years after the previous photograph:

Stranraer Town SB
Dr J W F Scrimgeour collection, 1958

Behind the photographer, the line to Portpatrick was single and had been worked by wooden train staff but was closed in February 1950.

The signal dominating the photograph is a fine example of Scottish signalling excess – there was never any real reason for a signal of this size to be provided for set-back movements from the Down platform. The top arm reads through the crossover to the Up line whilst the lower arm takes you wrong direction along the Down line into the carriage sidings. Both arms were worked by lever 10 and selected by the point detection; in addition the lower arm was slotted by the ground frame at the carriage sidings.

The station remained in use as a terminus until 1966, and the box survived a little longer managing the remaining freight traffic, finally closing on 9th November 1969.