Trivial - The stone signal box like structure in Carnforth

[a_c_skinner]

I've driven past this for years and wondered what it is. Just on the east side of the Carnforth to Bentham line, not far from the platforms, there is a tall thin building, in dressed stone, almost Gothic revival style with a big tall chimney. It looks like a mock Gothic signal box. Is it? If not what is it? I can't find a better place to ask this but it is now urgent as after driving past it for 30 years Mrs S has noticed it.

 

[simonw]

I've driven past this for years and wondered what it is. Just on the east side of the Carnforth to Bentham line, not far from the platforms, there is a tall thin building, in dressed stone, almost Gothic revival style with a big tall chimney. It looks like a mock Gothic signal box. Is it? If not what is it? I can't find a better place to ask this but it is now urgent as after driving past it for 30 years Mrs S has noticed it.

Yes it's a signal box

Mad as a Box of Tudor (Furness Railway signal box, Carnforth, Lancashire, UK)

We think we know what signal boxes look like. They are neatly rectangular and plain-walled, they have pitched or hipped roofs, fully glazed uppers, solid lowers and a neat little staircase down the…

thebeautyoftransport.com

 

[a_c_skinner]

Yes it's a signal box

Mad as a Box of Tudor (Furness Railway signal box, Carnforth, Lancashire, UK)

We think we know what signal boxes look like. They are neatly rectangular and plain-walled, they have pitched or hipped roofs, fully glazed uppers, solid lowers and a neat little staircase down the…

thebeautyoftransport.com

Thanks, I grew up at Trowell Junction, so I only know what Midland Railway ones look like. Did the FR have any more archtectural flourishes?

 

[randyrippley]

Austin & Paley

If you want Gothic, they were the local go-to team.
A lot of their work in Lancaster

 

[Pinus contorta]

There are one or two buildings similar in Carnforth. The old GPO building springs to mind. I suspect everything ' took off' at once when the town rapidly expanded with the iron works and the railway expansion.

 

[John Webb]

The Furness Railway was noted for the use of local stone for station buildings and signal boxes - there are a number of more usually shaped boxes along the Furness Railway's former route.

 

[thesignalman]

Thanks, I grew up at Trowell Junction, so I only know what Midland Railway ones look like. Did the FR have any more archtectural flourishes?

It was untypical of Furness Railway signal box architecture and was probably built in that grand style owing to its close proximity to public view - and perhaps also to impress the London & North Western Railway. The box opened on 30/1/1882 and closed 22/10/1903, when it was replaced by a standard brick FR box of the era to accommodate a much larger lever frame to control an enlarged layout. It is remarkable that it survived long enough to gain listed status.

John

 

[randyrippley]

Just been reading more about Austin & Paley and it seems they had a hand in many of the Furness Railways' buildings. They built these stations, maybe others

Kents Bank
Grange over Sands
Ulverston
Bootle (Cumbria)
Millom
Cark
Kirkby-in-Furness
Sandside
Askham
Seascale
Foxfield
Ramsden Dock
Barrow-in-Furness (Central station)
Ravenglass
Morecambe Northumberland St (for the little NWR, not Furness)

a couple of other oddball designs for the railway

St Bees signal box

File:St Bees signal box front aspect.jpg - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Seascale station water tower

File:Water Tower, Seascale - geograph.org.uk - 1348657.jpg - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

They were primarily known for an impressive array of churches, but also took on secular work such as hospitals, bridges, banks, offices, residential buildings (the Barrow tenement blocks for instance). They also rebuilt / refurbished a number of castles / stately homes. Quite wide ranging and quite important to the architecture of the northwest

 

[thesignalman]

Interesting.

Whilst Carnforth Station Junction box may be attributable to A&P, I don't think St Bees can be - this was a standard design of the Furness Railway for a period and also appeared at some non-station locations. Nevertheless, if you are just saying it was an unusual design in national terms, I certainly agree.

Best regards,

John

 

[randyrippley]

Interesting.

Whilst Carnforth Station Junction box may be attributable to A&P, I don't think St Bees can be - this was a standard design of the Furness Railway for a period and also appeared at some non-station locations. Nevertheless, if you are just saying it was an unusual design in national terms, I certainly agree.

Best regards,

John

That attribution was stated on wiki so just maybe it's in error - or maybe they had a hand in more of the boxes. That's something that may never be known as it seems all the records were destroyed when the last partner retired.
But in national terms it is an oddball with the tapering walls and steep roofline

 

[thesignalman]

Interesting - you prompted me to visit Wikipedia and I see it actually says "probably influenced by the stations that Austin & Paley were designing" (my emphasis) which could well be true.

Best regards,

John

 

[QueensCurve]

Just been reading more about Austin & Paley and it seems they had a hand in many of the Furness Railways' buildings. They built these stations, maybe others

Kents Bank
Grange over Sands
Ulverston
Bootle (Cumbria)
Millom
Cark
Kirkby-in-Furness
Sandside
Askham
Seascale
Foxfield
Ramsden Dock
Barrow-in-Furness (Central station)
Ravenglass
Morecambe Northumberland St (for the little NWR, not Furness)

a couple of other oddball designs for the railway

St Bees signal box
View attachment 156341

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:st_Bees_signal_box_front_aspect.jpg

Seascale station water tower

View attachment 156342

File:Water Tower, Seascale - geograph.org.uk - 1348657.jpg - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

They were primarily known for an impressive array of churches, but also took on secular work such as hospitals, bridges, banks, offices, residential buildings (the Barrow tenement blocks for instance). They also rebuilt / refurbished a number of castles / stately homes. Quite wide ranging and quite important to the architecture of the northwest

Seascale Station, sadly demolished about 1970 or 71, used to have beautiful quarry black and orange quarry tiled floors. Part of one still exists, or did until recently, on the Down side platform.

 

[Purple Train]

That really is quite something. Goes to show just how far the pendulum of railway architecture has swung, doesn't it (he says with a severe glare at Thanet Parkway)?

 

[zwk500]

That really is quite something. Goes to show just how far the pendulum of railway architecture has swung, doesn't it (he says with a severe glare at Thanet Parkway)?

You could equally point to Cambridge South station buidling https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...he-railway-in-anglia/cambridge-south-station/ currently being built and then compare it to Doleham, a halt of 1906 vintage (the platform and fencing was replaced in the 30s with concrete but otherwise it's just as grand as it ever was): https://www.kentrail.org.uk/doleham_halt.htm.

 

[Purple Train]

You could equally point to Cambridge South station buidling https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...he-railway-in-anglia/cambridge-south-station/ currently being built and then compare it to Doleham, a halt of 1906 vintage (the platform and fencing was replaced in the 30s with concrete but otherwise it's just as grand as it ever was): https://www.kentrail.org.uk/doleham_halt.htm.

Very true.