Kirk Michael railway station
Kirk Michael Station Stashoon Skyll Mayl | |
|---|---|
|
Manx Northern Railway Isle of Man Railway | |
 | |
| Location | Station Road, Kirk Michael |
| Coordinates | 54.284°N 4.587°W |
| Owned by | Isle of Man Railway Co. |
| Line(s) | North Line |
| Platforms | Two (Ground Level) |
| Tracks | Running Lines & Sidings |
| Construction | |
| Structure type | Station & Goods Shed |
| Parking | None Provided |
| History | |
| Opened | 23 September 1879 |
| Closed | 6 September 1968 |
| Previous names | Manx Northern Railway Co. |
| Traffic | |
| Passengers / Livestock / Freight | |
| Services | |
|
Booking Facilities / Waiting Room / Toilets | |
Kirk Michael Railway Station was an original stopping place on the Manx Northern Railway, later owned and operated by the Isle of Man Railway; it served the village of Kirk Michael in the Isle of Man and was an intermediate stop on the line that ran between St. John's and the northern town or Ramsey.
Origins
This area formed the approximate mid-way point between Ramsey and St. John's and was always considered to be a passing place for trains when the line was first surveyed in 1877, being one of the largest areas of populus between the two termini. Its position made it ideal and the fledgling Manx Northern Railway always considered it to be developed as a main intermediate station.
Buildings
Station Building
The station was opened on 23 September 1879 as part of the Manx Northern's line between St. John's and Ramsey.It was provided with quite substantial sandstone, slate roofed buildings consisting of station master's office and waiting room The main station building was constructed, as many stations on this line were, from local red sandstone and is in a style to those elsewhere on the route, a similar one still also remain at St. Germain's.
Goods Shed
A small goods shed was provided upon opening, later being rebuilt into the edifice that remains on site today. This is stone-built and was provided by the Isle of Man Railway in 1923 in improve capacity owing to an increase in freight traffic. Being a later addition it is not in the distinctive red sandstone of the station and has a more utilitarian appearance.
Water Tower
There was a water tank at the St. John's end of the facility which was used by locomotives travelling in either direction, though most commonly trains that were travelling in a southern direction towards St. John's would uncouple from its train to take water here in order to not block the level crossing, the long run from Ramsey with longer trains sometimes necessitating a watering stop on route. The tower was a simple brick-built construction and was demolished in 1975 at the same time as the rails and sleepers through the station were lifted.
Locale
The station was situated at a convenient location for the village it served, being a short distance from the centre, and beyond it the road leads only to the coast. At the top of Station Road the follows spreads out, and within close proximity are the local branch of the Isle of Man Bank (closed in 2014 after over 100 years of service), the Mitre Hotel, the local primary school, village stores, local blacksmith, village butchers and the imposing Kirk Michael church with its oak-carved lychgate. Beyond the village in a northerly direction lies Michael Car Centre. The main artery road that runs through the village forms part of the famous T.T. mountain circuit. After the railway closed a Steam Centre was established not far from the station and this became home to a number of related items, most notably the locomotive Sea Lion from the Groudle Glen Railway. This facility, which was occasionally open to the public closed in 1984 and much of the exhibits were relocated both on and off island. Several of them may be found today at the Jurby Transport Museum forming part of the John Walton Collection.
Naming
The station, and indeed the village it served, took its name from the church which forms a prominent landmark for miles around. Much of the Isle of Man Railway's marketing stated the station name as either ’Michael or simply Michael, the apostrophe one assumes acknowledging the potential "Kirk" prefix, but in later times the station was given its full title. On much of the railway's marketing and advertising material the single name title is given consistently, however the distinctive station running-in boards always denoted the name in full, as did all tickets issued to/from the station right up until the closure (it remained as a manned station for the passing of trains until the final year of services). The station as also marketed heavily in conjunction with Glen Wyllin which later became a railway owned and operated concern (see below). The station featured several indicators advising passengers to alight here for the pleasure grounds.
Glen Wyllin
In addition to the village, the station also served the nearby Glen Wyllin Pleasure Grounds, an area in a nearby valley which was developed in the 1890s as a private undertaking upon the arrival of the railway. The line passed over the wide valley by means of a lattice girder bridge which was replaced in 1922 by a plate girder construction. The glen runs down to the sea where there is a long sandy beach that stretches along the island's north-westerly coast. The glen itself was later purchased and further developed by the ever enterprising Isle of Man Railway Company to include a boating lake, pedalos, swings slides and many other children's attractions. It is for this reason that the glen is fondly remembered by generations of local children whose annual Sunday School outing was often a trip on the train to visit the glen. The railway line between the station and the glen were wider than usual, as a demarked pathway parallel to the running line gave access to the park, once one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island and a large source of income for the railway who often provided special services to this station to cope with the demand of the resort. Today the glen is popular with campers and has its own shop and showering facilities though the attractions have long since disappeared. The distinctive viaduct was demolished in 1975 although the stone-built stanchions remain today as a lasting reminder to the railway's popularity and development of the glen.
Today
A set of mock-up level crossing gates have been installed to show the railway's existence here, and sections of rail remain in the macadam of the road. The pathway that leads to Glen Wyllin still remains although the water tower was demolished in 1975 at the same time as the rails were lifted. The station site forms part of a heritage Rail Trail which follows the former railway line and was established along all former trackbeds between Douglas, Peel and Ramsey in 1993 which was designated as the Year Of Railways on the island.
Fire Station
The station buildings still survive today and now house the local fire brigade offices whilst the goods shed has been converted to house the fire engine. This has been in place since 1981 although some modifications have been made to the structures, notably adoption of the goods shed doors to accommodate the fire engine., though the station building retains its unique appearance.
Route
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Berk towards St. John's |
Manx Northern Railway later Isle of Man Railway |
Bishop's Court towards Ramsey | ||
See also
References
- "Kirk Michael station at Subterranea Britannica".
- Heavyside, Tom (August 2004). Narrow Gauge Branch Lines Douglas to Ramsey. Middleton Press. ISBN 1-904474-39-X.
Sources
Coordinates: 54°17′02″N 4°35′13″W / 54.284°N 4.587°W