Falkirk, Grangemouth, Larbert and Polmont

Class 27 - Grangemouth

Class 27 no. 102 passes the site of the former Grangemouth railway station with a short freight in the early 1980s. The train will shortly arrive at the railway yard, known locally as the Gridiron, in the Grangemouth Docks area.

Early 1980s

Signal Box - Grangemouth

Grangemouth No. 3 signal box was sited near the former entrance to Grangemouth Docks at Station Road.

In the late 1970s the box was manned by two signalmen each of whom worked a 12 hour shift. The box opened just before midnight on a Sunday and closed around lunchtime on a Saturday. The signal box controlled six lines leading to a railway yard known locally as the Gridiron, a line to the BP Oil Refinery and one to the BP Chemicals plant.

The signal box closed in the 1980s.

23 Oct 1982

Class 37 - Falkirk Grahamston

Class 37 no. 027 runs light engine through Falkirk Grahamston station heading west in 1983. The station buildings were demolished and replaced in the mid 1980s. The station canopies which had provided shelter from the rain were swept away in the process.

1983

Class 47 - Larbert

Class 47 no. 614 awaits departure from Larbert station with the 09.33 Glasgow Queen Street to Inverness service on a sunny day in the winter of 1989.

08 Feb 1989

DMU - Polmont

A DMU composed of 52018, 59803 and 51986, arrives at Polmont station with the 15.24 Dunblane to Edinburgh service. A plaque on the bridge states that Robert Melvin was the bridge engineer which was constructed in 1898.

13 Apr 1989

Class 37 - Falkirk Grahamston

A class 37 locomotive hauls a train of empty oil tanks through Falkirk Grahamston station on it's way to the nearby Grangemouth BP oil refinery in 1989.

18 Apr 1989

DMU - Falkirk Grahamston

The 14.29 Falkirk Grahamston to Glasgow Queen Street formed by DMU 51988, 59786 and 52012, awaits departure from platform 2.

18 Apr 1989

Class 47 - Falkirk Grahamston

Class 47 no. 303 has become derailed just to the east of Falkirk Grahamston station and awaits recovery. The 13.12 Edinburgh to Dunblane train DMU class 107 (right) approaches Falkirk Grahamston station while another DMU (left) heads east.

25 Jul 1989

Class 47 - Polmont

Class 47 no. 452 heads The Clansman 10.25 Inverness to London Euston service at Polmont Junction. The train is leaving the line from Falkirk Grahamston and joining the Glasgow to Edinburgh main line which runs via Falkirk High.

25 Jul 1989

Class 37 - Falkirk Grahamston

Class 37 no. 025 and class 37 no. 080 approach Falkirk Grahamston station with a train of loaded oil tanks from the BP Grangemouth Oil Refinery.

In the distance can be seen the former Grangemouth Junction signal box which controlled the freight only branch line to Grangemouth.

10 Aug 1989

Class 37 - Grangemouth

Class 37 no. 191 and class 37 no. 359 head a train of oil tanks from the Grangemouth BP Oil Refinery on the freight only Grangemouth to Falkirk branch line. The uplifted railway tracks on the left of the photograph led to the former Grangemouth railway station which closed in 1968.

12 Sep 1989

Class 37 - Greenhill Lower Junction

Class 37 no. 245 approaches Greenhill lower junction, near Falkirk, with a train of empty oil tanks for the Grangemouth BP oil refinery in September 1989.

14 Sep 1989

Class 107 - Greenhill Upper Junction

A class 107 DMU forming the 12.37 Glasgow Queen Street to Dunblane service approaches Greenhill upper junction, near Falkirk, in 1989.

14 Sep 1989

Class 47 - Larbert

The 10.03 Edinburgh to Inverness service is seen at Larbert station behind class 47 no. 641. The now closed Larbert North signal box can be seen on the right.

16 Sep 1989

HST - Larbert

The Highland Chieftain 08.00 Inverness to London King's Cross  train passes Larbert North signal box headed by HST power car 43121 in September 1989.

Larbert North signal box closed in 2017.

16 Sep 1989

Class 101 - Falkirk

Class 101 no. 364 DMU approaches Carmuirs East Junction, near Falkirk, with the 12.07 Glasgow Queen Street to Falkirk Grahamston service on 16 September 1989.

16 Sep 1989

Class 150 - Falkirk Grahamston

Class 150 no. 257 arrives at Falkirk Grahamston station with the 09.28 Dunblane to Edinburgh service in the autumn of 1989. Brockville park, the former home of Falkirk football club, can be seen in the background. Falkirk FC played their last game at Brockville in May 2003 before moving to a new stadium.

23 Sep 1989

HST - Falkirk Grahamston

The 07.50 Highland Chieftain Inverness to London King's Cross service arrives at Falkirk Grahamston with HST power car 43121 leading in July 1990.

06 Jul 1990

Class 37 - Grangemouth

Two class 37 locomotives, headed by no. 111 and no. 420, are seen shortly after departure from the Grangemouth BP Oil Refinery pulling a heavy train of oil tanks. A van waits at the rail crossing in Central Dock road near Grangemouth docks for the train to pass.

11 Jun 1992

Class 20 - Grangemouth

Class 20 no. 137 is seen with a mixed freight travelling between Fouldubs Junction, Grangemouth, and the goods yard (known locally as the Gridiron) in Grangemouth docks on 28 April 1981. The footbridge from which this photo was taken has now been demolished.

28 Apr 1981