User:Edgepedia/WHRLB

There are a number of buildings and structures on the West Highland Line that are on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. The West Highland Line runs from a junction at Craigendoran, 23 mi west of Glasgow Queen Street on the electrified line to Helensburgh, to Crianlarich, where it divides into two branches, one to Fort William and Mallaig and another to Oban. It is marketed to tourists, who come for scenery that includes views of mountains, moorland, glens and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Callander & Oban Railway (C&OR) was the first railway in the area when this opened through to Tyndrum in 1877. It reached Oban in 1880; in 1901 a branch line opened from Connel Ferry to Ballachulish; services were operated by the Caledonian Railway. The West Highland Railway (WHR) built the line from Craigendoran to Fort William in 1894, and this was extended to Mallaig in 1901. A short curve opened in 1897 connecting the C&OR and WHR where they crossed at Crianlarich. Services over the WHR were operated by the North British Railway, who absorbed the railway in 1908. In the 1923 grouping the WHR became part of the London and North Eastern Railway, and the C&OR part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. The former C&OR line east and south of Crianlarich closed in 1966, following which trains to Oban ran via Craigendoran.

Stations were built on the line to Fort William with an island platform with buildings in a Swiss-Chalet style to complement the scenic route, and style of the North British Railway signal boxes was modified to match. The design of the stations has been attributed to James Miller, although they may be the work of Robert Wemyss working with John James Burnett. A similar style of station, matched with signal boxes built by the Railway Signal Company, was used on the railway extension to Mallaig. The extension used concrete viaducts build by Robert McAlpine & Sons, headed by Robert "Concrete Bob" McAlpine; concrete was used as it was 10 – 30 per cent cheaper than masonry. Listed buildings are placed in one of three categories: Category A for buildings of national or international importance, Category B for particularly important buildings of regional or more than local importance and Category C for buildings that local importance, or lesser examples of any period, style, or building type.