Garelochhead railway station
Encyclopedia
Garelochhead railway station is a railway station serving the village of Garelochhead
, on the Gare Loch
, in Scotland
. This station is on the West Highland Line
and is a boundary station for SPT
.
The station was laid out with a crossing loop and an island platform
. There were sidings
on both sides, and a turntable
on the west side of the line. The siding on the east side was removed in 1983.
On 15 February 1987, the crossing loop was altered to right-hand running. The original Down platform has thus become the Up platform, and vice versa. The change was made to simplify shunting at this station, by removing the need to hand-pump the train-operated loop points to access the siding.
Signalling
From the time of its opening in 1894, the West Highland Railway was worked throughout by the electric token system
. Garelochhead signal box
, which had 18 levers, was situated on the island platform
.
The semaphore signals were removed on 2 February 1986 in preparation for the introduction of Radio Electronic Token Block
(RETB). The RETB, which is controlled from a Signalling Centre at Banavie railway station
, was commissioned between and on 27 March 1988.
The Train Protection & Warning System was installed in 2003.
Garelochhead
Garelochhead is a small village on the Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is the nearest village to the HMNB Clyde naval base.Garelochhead lies at the head of the Gare Loch, 7 miles northwest of Helensburgh. Loch Lomond is a few miles to the east, and Loch Long to the west...
, on the Gare Loch
Gare Loch
The Gare Loch or Gareloch is a sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.-Geography:A sea loch aligned north-south, Gare Loch is 10 kilometres long with an average width of 1.5 kilometres. At its southern end it opens into the Firth of Clyde through the Rhu narrows...
, in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. This station is on the West Highland Line
West Highland Line
The West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
and is a boundary station for SPT
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is a public body which is responsible for planning and co-ordinating regional transport, and especially the public transport system, in the Strathclyde area of western Scotland...
.
History
This station opened to passengers on 7 August 1894.The station was laid out with a crossing loop and an island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
. There were sidings
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
on both sides, and a turntable
Turntable (railroad)
A railway turntable is a device for turning railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in many...
on the west side of the line. The siding on the east side was removed in 1983.
On 15 February 1987, the crossing loop was altered to right-hand running. The original Down platform has thus become the Up platform, and vice versa. The change was made to simplify shunting at this station, by removing the need to hand-pump the train-operated loop points to access the siding.
SignallingRailway signallingRailway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely, essentially to prevent trains from colliding. Being guided by fixed rails, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision; furthermore, trains cannot stop quickly, and frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop...
From the time of its opening in 1894, the West Highland Railway was worked throughout by the electric token systemToken (railway signalling)
In railway signalling, a token is a physical object which a locomotive driver is required to have or see before entering onto a particular section of single track. The token is clearly endorsed with the name of the section it belongs to...
. Garelochhead signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
, which had 18 levers, was situated on the island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
.
The semaphore signals were removed on 2 February 1986 in preparation for the introduction of Radio Electronic Token Block
Radio Electronic Token Block
Radio Electronic Token Block is a system of railway signalling used in the United Kingdom. It is a development of the physical token system for controlling traffic on single lines.- How it works :...
(RETB). The RETB, which is controlled from a Signalling Centre at Banavie railway station
Banavie railway station
Banavie railway station is a railway station on the West Highland Line serving the village of Banavie, although it is much closer to Caol. To continue on to the next station at , trains must pass over the Caledonian Canal at Neptune's Staircase, a popular tourist attraction.- History :Banavie...
, was commissioned between and on 27 March 1988.
The Train Protection & Warning System was installed in 2003.