Taynuilt railway station
Encyclopedia
Taynuilt railway station is a railway station serving the village of Taynuilt
in western Scotland
. This station is on the Oban
branch of the West Highland Line
, originally part of the Callander and Oban Railway
.
to Oban.
The station was laid out with two platforms, one on either side of a crossing loop. There are two sidings
on the south side of the station.
On 11 January 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 in order to simplify shunting at this station, by removing the need to hand-pump the train-operated loop points to access the sidings.
Signalling
From the time of its opening in 1880, the single line
between Dalmally and Oban was worked by the electric token system
, this being the first ever application of that system in everyday service.
Taynuilt signal box
, which replaced the original box on 24 March 1921, was located at the west end of the station, on the south side of the line. It had 16 levers
.
Taynuilt lost all its semaphore signals
on 16 February 1986, in preparation for Radio Electronic Token Block
(RETB) signalling. RETB was commissioned between Crianlarich
and Taynuilt on 27 March 1988. Taynuilt signal box did not close until 24 April of that year, when the RETB spread west to Oban. The redundant signal box was later relocated to the opposite end of the station, where it is currently in a semi-derelict state.
The Train Protection & Warning System was installed in 2003.
Taynuilt
Taynuilt is a large village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland located at the western entrance to the narrow Pass of Brander.-Location:The village is situated on the River Nant about a kilometre before the river flows into Loch Etive at Airds Bay. This is just to the west of a narrowing of the loch down...
in western 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 Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
branch of 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...
, originally part of the Callander and Oban Railway
Callander and Oban Railway
The Callander and Oban Railway company was formed in 1864 with the objective of linking Callander, Scotland to the west coast port of Oban over challenging terrain, particularly at Glen Ogle and the Pass of Brander at Loch Awe. Callander had been reached in 1858 by the Dunblane, Doune and Callander...
.
History
Taynuilt station opened on 1 July 1880, when the Callander and Oban Railway was extended from DalmallyDalmally
Dalmally is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is located near the A85 road and is served by Dalmally railway station....
to Oban.
The station was laid out with two platforms, one on either side of a crossing loop. There are two 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 the south side of the station.
On 11 January 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 in order to simplify shunting at this station, by removing the need to hand-pump the train-operated loop points to access the sidings.
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 1880, the single lineSingle track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
between Dalmally and Oban was worked by the electric token system
Token (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...
, this being the first ever application of that system in everyday service.
Taynuilt 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 replaced the original box on 24 March 1921, was located at the west end of the station, on the south side of the line. It had 16 levers
Lever frame
Mechanical railway signalling installations rely on lever frames for their operation to interlock the signals and points to allow the safe operation of trains in the area the signals control...
.
Taynuilt lost all its semaphore signals
Railway semaphore signal
One of the earliest forms of fixed railway signal is the semaphore. These signals display their different indications to train drivers by changing the angle of inclination of a pivoted 'arm'. Semaphore signals were patented in the early 1840s by Joseph James Stevens, and soon became the most...
on 16 February 1986, in preparation for 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) signalling. RETB was commissioned between Crianlarich
Crianlarich
Crianlarich is a village in the Stirling district and registration county of Perthshire, Scotland, about six miles north-east of the head of Loch Lomond...
and Taynuilt on 27 March 1988. Taynuilt signal box did not close until 24 April of that year, when the RETB spread west to Oban. The redundant signal box was later relocated to the opposite end of the station, where it is currently in a semi-derelict state.
The Train Protection & Warning System was installed in 2003.