Bollo Lane Junction, South Acton

The Signalbox at Bollo Lane Junction opened in 1878, when the Acton Curve was added to turn the junction at Gunnersbury into a triangle. When first opened the box was about 200 yards from the point of the junction as it had sensibly been located by a level crossing. Controlling of junction points at so great a distance was then frowned upon, so instead the tracks were interlaced with the the facing points located outside the box something that had to be changed for a more conventional arrangement when the line was electrified in 1916. Photographed on 20th June 2009. photograph by Gregory Beecroft

When the Acton Curve closed the box's functions were reduced to just one stop signal in each direction, protecting the level crossing. In 1970 the box took over the working of South Acton Junction and a second level crossing as well, with an extension added to the box to view the second level crossing. In 1983 this became redundant when CCTV was installed and the extension was eventually demolished in 2007. This box is the sole surviving example of this LSWR 1877 design.

All photographs are copyright

This page was created 15 February 2010

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