This is the oldest known photograph of Carnforth,  Furness and LNWR joint station. It is taken from a local paper, and is credited as being taken around 1870. 
A clock can be seen in the facing wall, above a ladder. Nothing more is known about this clock.

In 1880, the LNWR  with the Furness and the Midland Railways, enlarged and built a new station at Carnforth. This new enlarged station was managed jointly by all three companies, as "Carnforth Joint Station"

At the northern end of the Furness platform is a signalbox (still standing), where the space for a clock can be seen on the south facing wall. This signalbox was built circa 1880 for the new station. and carries the Furness Railway crest on its northern wall.

At the southern end of the station, another clock was built into the pillar that supported the roof over the Furness / LNWR platform. This clock  had a stone face built into the brickwork, and above the clock was the crest of the LNWR.

Carnforth's most famous clock is the "Brief Encounter" clock.

Of the earlier clocks, little is known. W.Potts of Leeds, who supplied clocks to the Midland Railway have a mention in their records of attending to a clock at Carnforth (Midland) station. They also include "Carnforth Station, Midland Railway"  in their 1879 catalogue, as being amongst their list of customers. This entry then appears in subsequent catalogues, up to the turn of the century.

Around 1880,  Bell of Lancaster had the LNWR contract for all clocks between Lancaster and Carlisle, all Midland clocks were by Potts, and Hird of Barrow-in-Furness did all the southern section of the Furness.

Although it would seem likely that the clock on the south facing wall of the Furness signal box, should have been a Hird, it must be a possibility that the Midland Railway bought and maintained the clock, as part of their financial contribution towards the joint station.

The date of installation of the "Brief Encounter"  clock is not known.
The clock is marked "Joyce Whitchurch", who were probably the suppliers of the clock. Joyce of Whitchurch suffered from a fire in 1963 which destroyed many of their records, including any potential records about Carnforth.
Expert opinion, looking at the mechanism of the clock would indicate a build date in the 1890's, although the 1880's would be possible, and so the clock could have been bought for the reopening of the joint station on 2nd August 1880.  An almost identical mechanism was supplied to the LNWR for a clock which was on a north Wales coast station.
Local "word of mouth" gossip suggests that the clock mechanism case, may have been made by Waring and Gillow in Lancaster.

The clock became famous in the film "Brief Encounter", a significant amount of which was shot on Carnforth station. It is likely that during the filming, the clock was given false faces to prevent "continuity errors" with the clock showing the wrong time.

When Carnforth station became "unstaffed" in the 1970's, the clock faces, and mechanism were removed, and replaced by new faces, and a new electrical mechanism.

Circa 1985 tenders were put out, asking clock manufacturers for quotes to replace the electrical mechanism. It looks like this replacement was never done, and so when the clock ceased working, around this time, it stopped, and has remained stopped.

The original clock faces and mechanism were in the possession of a private collector, but have now been bought by the Carnforth Station and Railway Trust Co. Ltd., and have been moved back to Carnforth, and restored..

The Brief Encounter clock drum, and faces, have now been fully renovated, and the clock and mechanism have been reinstated onto their rightful place at Carnforth Station..

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