Derby Castle terminus
Derby Castle Terminus Kione Stashoon Chashtal Derby | |||||||||||
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| Manx Electric Railway | |||||||||||
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| Location | Douglas, Isle Of Man | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | Pole No. 001-004 | ||||||||||
| Owned by | Isle Of Man Railways | ||||||||||
| Platforms | Ground Level | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 (Running) 1 (Siding) | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Structure type | Booking Office / Shelter | ||||||||||
| Parking | Roadside | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 1893 | ||||||||||
| Previous names | Manx Electric Railway Co. | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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Derby Castle is the southern terminus of the Manx Electric Railway, serving the northern end of Douglas, Isle of Man. It is located on the north side of Douglas; Douglas Station on the Isle of Man Railway is located on the south side of town, with the MER station being termed "Derby Castle" to differentiate between the two.
Beginnings
The site that now forms the station at Derby Castle is so called because the area to the north at that time housed the vast entertainment complex of the same name. The enterprising railway company owned the entire site, including the row of houses at Strathallan Crescent and the horse tram sheds and offices above. Behind this building lay the Calvary Glen which too was the property of the company until 1934. The houses of the crescent were sold off in 1978 when the entire railway network became government owned, and the railway's offices took up residence in the building atop the horse tram sheds at this time also. This office is now in the ownership of the local authority and renamed the "Strathallan Suite". This area has been the terminus of the line since it opened in 1893. At the northerly end of the site was the main entrance to the ballroom complex, and later the car park for the now-demolished Aquadrome Swimming Pool & Sauna which was part of the Summerland complex.
Booking Office
The station remarkably it retains the original station booking office dating from 1897 which is constructed in a distinctive "rustic" style with half-log cladding, and steep alpine roofing. For a major terminus of a once-busy line, the facilities remain basic and small the office measuring only 12' 6" by 8' and only providing accommodation for station master and crew; the station has never had its own toilets for instance, sharing facilities with the nearby Strathallan Hotel (latterly renamed "Terminus Tavern" owing to is proximity with both this and the horse tram terminus). Aside from the tarmacadam surfacing and modern shelter the site remains unchanged since opening.
Strathallan Hotel
The public house to the rear of the station, now called the "Terminus Tavern" was constructed in 1890 as the Strathallan Lodge, later becoming a hostelry and remained so until 1982 when it was given its current name. It was railway owned until nationalisation in 1957, having been taken over by the local brewery at that time. it still forms an integral part of the station, the walls being lined with numerous photographs of the line and other handbills, posters, etc., and it plays host to off-duty railway workers still today.
Canopy
In addition to the humble booking office, there was a large open roof known as the "Great Canopy" that survived until 1979 when it was deemed unsafe and removed. The stansions for this canopy are now used as flag poles and/or lampposts and it can clearly be seen where this once was. The canopy, although erected by the railway's owners, actually provided cover the tramcars of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway which also terminates here; the canopy originally featured detailed and intricate metalwork culminating in a central clock tower, distinctive on many early views, but latterly this was removed and a plain roof replaced it.
Other structures
In 1999 a long shelter was added with suitable signage so denote that it was for use in connection with both the electric railway and bus services. Prior to this a defunct tramcar purchased from Lisbon, Portugal was housed on the siding to the side of the station and this functioned as a waiting area until it was removed for off-site storage some time later, and now the station offers no cover for waiting passengers other than the incongruous modern shelter. For a short time, a horse car from the nearby bay tramway was used as a shelter in the 1980s but this did not last for long.
Features
The station is well known for its many and varied advertising signages, with many any varied styles in evidence denoting "The Highspot Of Your Holiday" in connection with a trip on the Snaefell Mountain Railway and "Shining By The Sea" for Royal Ramsey among the posters. The station is always covered with informative signage. A framed manually operated clock face attached to a traction pole shows the time of the next departure. For the line's centenary in 1993 large planters were added to the site.
Sources
Coordinates: 54°10′01″N 4°27′39″W / 54.16694°N 4.46083°W