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Description

This signal box was alongside Grangemouth station and controlled access to and from the dock lines, with three dock railway converging here.

The first line here dated from 1860. It bypassed the east side of Grangemouth station (1861) and going north it crossed Boness Road level crossing and approached Grangemouth Junction Dock and Grangemouth Old Dock. The line and docks came under Caledonian Railway ownership in 1867.

Carron Dock (originally New Dock) was authorised in 1876 and opened in 1883 by the Caledonian Railway to the south east of Grangemouth Old Dock. The existing line was realigned a little and served goods sheds and quaysides on the north side of the dock. In addition quayside lines were laid on the south/east side of the new dock and coal hoists provided at its east end. The level crossing was taken out, Station Road lifted onto a road bridge a little to the north. A signal box was built in the 'V' of the junction between the original line and new line north of the road bridge. The Caledonian Saw Mills were also served, these being south east of the dock. Grangemouth was very much associated with timber, having timber basins and saw mills.

The junction was rebuilt around 1906 with the construction of the lines for the Grange Dock. This also incorporated additional lines as far south west as Fouldubs Junction and beyond. The new dock lines joined the existing railway on the east side of the line at Grangemouth station. A replacement box was built in the 'V' of the junction and signal bridges erected over the now increased number of running lines. The new lines ran north east to Grangemouth No 3 Signal Box where there was a fan out to the various quaysides, coal hoists and depots (see no 3 for details). The Caledonian Saw Mills were relocated to allow expansion of the railway.

No 2 box closed in 1969, one year after the closure of Grangemouth station. In the subsequent rationalisation No 3 box took over the signalling of the docks junction.

There was considerable rationalisation in 1985 when No 3 box closed and Fouldubs Junction became the main yard for Grangemouth. The original dock line was taken out as were the sidings on the south/east side of the Carron Dock. The railway was reduced to two parallel single track lines running eastwards from of the site of No 3 box and south west to Fouldubs Junction.

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