Symington [2nd]

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Symington [2nd] (1863-1965)

Note: text in square brackets is added for clarity and was not part of the location's name.

Opened on the Caledonian Railway.
Opened on the Symington, Biggar and Broughton Railway.

Description

This was a three platform junction station opened in 1863 with the planned extension of the Symington, Biggar and Broughton Railway to Peebles [CR] in 1864. It replaced Symington [1st] around 1000 ft to the south. Between the two stations was the goods yard on the east side of the line.

Exactly what happened between the opening to Broughton [1st] in 1860 and the opening of new station in 1863 is not obvious. Perhaps the incomplete island platform was used or trains reversed into the existing station, or indeed goods yard, from the island platform.

There were two platforms on the main line, the southbound platform being an island the eastern face of which served the Broughton [1st] line.

The junction was laid out to allow a train from the branch to run north to Glasgow or Edinburgh.

The main station building was on the northbound (non island) platform and there was a signal box (this was a replacement of 1891) at the north end of the island platform. Departure could be made from the eastern face of the island to the south as well as to the branch. This platform was equipped with a loop and, at the south end, a turntable and water tank. On the west side were a two sidings.

Land was taken to allow doubling of the Broughton branch, but this was not carried out. The line laid would have been the eastbound had the route been doubled. This preparation for possible future doubling can be seen further east at the Coulter Viaduct where only the eastbound girders were erected but the piers, on the main section of the bridge which crosses the River Clyde, were built to allow double track girders.

The signal box was replaced in 1945 after a fire. The new box was on the eastern side of the station across the track from the island platform.

The line to Peebles [CR] closed in 1950. The line closed east of Broughton [2nd] in 1954.

Symington closed to passengers in 1965. The line to Broughton [2nd] closed in 1966.

The box closed in 1972, taken over by a temporary panel box at Carstairs.

Little remains of the station. However a ruined railway cottage remains to the north of the station on the east side of the line.

The main line remains open.

Tags

Station junction

External links

NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map
11/08/2019


Books


An Illustrated History of Carlisle's Railways

Bradshaw's Guides Scotlands Railways West Coast - Carlisle to Inverness: 5

Caledonian Dunalastairs and Associated Classes (Locomotive Monograph)

Caledonian in LMS Days (Railways in Retrospect)

Caledonian Railway

Caledonian Railway Carriages

Caledonian Railway Livery: The True Line Elegance and Style

Caledonian Railway Wagons & Non-Passenger Coaching Stock

Caledonian Routes 3: Stirling to Crianlarich - DVD - Oakwood Press

Caley to the Coast: Rothesay by Wemyss Bay (Oakwood Library of Railway History)

Callander & Oban Railway Through Time

Callander and Oban Railway (Library of Railway History)

Carlisle To Beattock: including the Dumfries Branch (Scottish Main Lines)

Carlisle to Hawick: The Waverley Route (Scml)

Peebles Railways

Signalling the Caledonian Railway

The Caledonian Railway 'jumbos' the 18in. X 26in. 0-6-0s

The Caledonian, Scotland's Imperial Railway: A History

The Railways of Peebles (Through Time)

The Vanished Railways of Old Western Dunbartonshire (Britains Railways/Old Photos)

Through Scotland with the Caledonian Railway

Vanished Railways of West Lothian