St. John's railway station
Encyclopedia
Isle of Man Railway
The Isle of Man Railway is a narrow gauge steam-operated railway connecting Douglas with Castletown and Port Erin in the Isle of Man. The line is built to gauge and is long...
, later merging with a neaby station of the Manx Northern Railway
Manx Northern Railway
The Manx Northern Railway was the second common carrier railway built in the Isle of Man. It operated as an independent concern only from 1879 to 1905.- History :...
; it served the village of St. John's in the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
and was the junction of lines that ran between there and Foxdale
Foxdale railway station
-Route:...
, Peel
Peel railway station
Peel Station was a terminus on the Isle of Man Railway; it served the city of Peel in the Isle of Man and was the final stopping place on a line that ran between Douglas and the city. It was part of the island's first railway line.-Construction:...
and Ramsey
Ramsey railway station
Ramsey Station was a station on the Manx Northern Railway, later owned and operated by the Isle of Man Railway; it served the town of Ramsey in the Isle of Man and was final stopping place on a line that ran between St...
.
Origins
The station began life in 1873 as the penultimate intermediate stop on the Peel Line, the island's first passenger railway line; at this time it consisted of a simple wooden waiting shelter with accommodation for the station master and one passing loop. The citing of a station here to serve the village was supplemented by its use as a mart location, vital for goods traffic and, more importantly, its close proximity to Tynwald Hill where the island's parliament still assemble on the national day (5th July) to promulgate laws in an open air service.Significance
This station was the hub of the Isle of Man RailwayIsle of Man Railway
The Isle of Man Railway is a narrow gauge steam-operated railway connecting Douglas with Castletown and Port Erin in the Isle of Man. The line is built to gauge and is long...
's (IMR) operation, where the lines bound for Douglas
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
, Peel
Peel railway station
Peel Station was a terminus on the Isle of Man Railway; it served the city of Peel in the Isle of Man and was the final stopping place on a line that ran between Douglas and the city. It was part of the island's first railway line.-Construction:...
, Ramsey
Ramsey, Isle of Man
Ramsey is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census . It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of...
and Foxdale
Foxdale
Foxdale is a village located at the heart of the Isle of Man. The village falls within the sheading and constituency of Glenfaba and is currently represented in Tynwald and the House of Keys by David Anderson MHK who was elected in 2001 and again in 2006. The village is served by Patrick Parish...
all met. There have been three stations within the area (see below) but only the original IMR station remained in use until the closure of this part of the network, with the Foxdale Line station remaining in a derelict condition until the closure of the whole network. The station gained the name The Manx Crewe owing to the amount of traffic, being said to equal the hub of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
.
George Crellin
For many years the station master was George Crellin, a well known figure on the railway who latterly bought and lived in the original station house for the Foxdale Line which ceased to be used after the amalgamation. He features on many later photographs of the station and was a helpful figure who used to travel to the station's small signal cabin, or more accurately, point box, on his bicycle. He was the last station master here retiring in the final year, 1968, but in retirement he still had an active involvement in the railway until his death in 1976.Three Stations
The original station had a simple building to the same design as that built at Crosby Station, a passing loop, goods siding and water tower. In 1879 the Manx Northern Railway
Manx Northern Railway
The Manx Northern Railway was the second common carrier railway built in the Isle of Man. It operated as an independent concern only from 1879 to 1905.- History :...
(MNR) arrived, and the station was expanded. The MNR mainline ran parallel to the original Peel line for some distance west of the station before turning northwest.
St. John's - Ramsey
When the MNR line between Ramsey and St John's opened on , the MNR established a simple station to the west of the level crossing situated at the Peel end of the IMR station. The line was however joined to the IMR line and within a few years through running from Ramsey to Douglas was introduced, utilising the expanded IMR station. The site of this early station was cleared and eventually became the turntable road (see below). The IMR station expanded further, with the erection of a carriage shed, signal box and additional platforms.
St. John's - Foxdale
In 1886 the Foxdale Railway
Foxdale Railway
The Foxdale Railway was a branch line which ran from St. John's to Foxdale on the Isle of Man.-History:The line was officially opened by the Foxdale Railway Company Ltd. on allowing rail access to the lead mining workings around the village of Foxdale...
arrived in the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
. This line was operated by the MNR and they opened a new station close to the junction with the IMR. This was located a short distance north of IMR station on the west side of the road. It also catered for their Ramsey services with through carriages between Ramsey and Douglas being transferred between the two stations. From there the Foxdale line looped around the north side back of the IMR station and crossed the Peel
Peel
Peel or Peeling can refer to:* Peel , rind or skin-Places:* Peel Park * Peel Street Australia* Peel * Peel River * Peel Island, QueenslandCanada* Peel, New Brunswick...
line. The bridge that carried the Foxdale Railway over the IMR remains in place at the easterly end of the site.
After Amalgamation
At one time there was a footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
but photographs of the period show passengers still crossing the running lines (the platforms were very shallow) and by 1944 the bridge had been removed. The lines for Peel and Ramsey
Ramsey, Isle of Man
Ramsey is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census . It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of...
ran alongside each other as they left the station and trains often "raced" out of the station even though timetables dictated they should not do so. The MNR station saw less use after the Isle of Man Railway
Isle of Man Railway
The Isle of Man Railway is a narrow gauge steam-operated railway connecting Douglas with Castletown and Port Erin in the Isle of Man. The line is built to gauge and is long...
took over operation of the other two lines in 1905 and was used only for Foxdale services until 1927. The station building became the St John's station master's house after 1906. After 1927, all Foxdale services passed through and then reversed into the IMR station. These services were never very profitable and eventually ended during 1943. The former Foxdale Railway station closed completely in 1960 at the same time as the Foxdale line. Latterly coaching stock was stored in the station. The station building survives as a private dwelling.
Peak Use
Douglas railway station
Douglas Railway Station is the main terminus of the Isle of Man Railway and is located at the landward end of the quay in Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man...
. Services from Douglas to Ramsey and Peel often arrived as a single train, which was then divided at the eastern end of the station prior to entering the station for passengers to embark and alight. Two locomotives would often double head this far, the first (or "pilot" locomotive) drawing forward into the platform whilst the second would draw its portion forward onto the relevant platform, whilst the pilot would then draw back to collect its coaches. Likewise, Douglas services from Peel and Ramsey were often scheduled to join at the station. Thus it was that all three platform faces could be occupied at the same time. Prior to 1940 trains also served Foxdale but the station that served this line was at a separate location. The busiest period for the station was Tynwald Day
Tynwald Day
Tynwald Day is the National Day of the Isle of Man, usually occurring on 5 July.On this day the Isle's legislature, Tynwald, meets at St John's, instead of its usual meeting place, Douglas. The session is held partly in the Royal Chapel of St John the Baptist and partly in the open air on the...
when it was common to see the majority of the railway's rolling stock in service bringing passengers to the large scale outdoor parliament ceremony which took place a short walk from the station. For this occasion the railway operated a unique one-day timetable which was heavily advertised locally and trains often ran on this day from dawn until well after midnight to cope with demand, and train movements were frequent throughout the day. It was common for all carriages to see use for this day and not unheard of for passengers to travel in open cattle vans and wagons in order to reach the ceremony as well as carriages that otherwise had been retired from traffic. After the closure of the railway the station site became used for car parking for the ceremony and it retains this role today.
Features
Turntable (railroad)
A railway turntable is a device for turning railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in many...
on the network. It was purchased from the West Clare Railway
West Clare Railway
The West Clare Railway originally operated in County Clare, Ireland between 1887 and 1961, and has partially re-opened. This gauge narrow gauge railway ran from the county town of Ennis, via numerous stopping-points along the West Clare coast to two termini, at Kilrush and Kilkee...
in Ireland, after the company had been unable to accept delivery of it from the manufacturers Ransomes & Rapier Ltd. of Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
. It was used to turn passenger rolling stock to attempt to equalise weathering and wheel wear and tear, although its use for turning of locomotives was not documented, usually they ran "bunker first" towards the terminus (Douglas) although in the earliest years of the railway locomotives were turned to be chimney first towards Douglas if outstationed at Peel, Port Erin or Ramsey - this practice was abandoned in the early years of the twentieth century. The turntable was removed in 1961 and then stored at Douglas with the intention of using it to turn the recently acquired diesel railcars. This scheme never came to fruition and the turntable was moved to Ballasalla Station in 1974 and scrapped shortly thereafter. When the Marquess of Ailsa
Marquess of Ailsa
Marquess of Ailsa, of the Isle of Ailsa in the County of Ayr, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 10 September 1831 for Archibald Kennedy, 12th Earl of Cassillis. The title Earl of Cassillis had been created in 1509 for the 3rd Lord Kennedy. This title had been...
took over the line in 1967 a display of disused locomotives was created at the station. After services ceased in 1968 the carriage shed was used to store surplus rolling stock which was retrieved back to Douglas
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
for continuing services on the south line as required. However, in 1975 there were two disastrous fires in the shed, and much historic stock was lost forever. The site was used for storing of rails as they were ripped up after this, and cleared by the late 1970s to become a car park. There was also a gravel siding
St. John's Gravel Line
The St. John's Gravel Line was a very short section of two foot gauge line laid with "jubilee" type temporary rails and sleepers to the easterly side of the Isle of Man Railway station at St. John's and was served by a specially laid siding off the main Douglas-Peel line. Only manual power was...
at one time at the eastern end of the station beyond the Foxdale Line overbridge, and this utilised temporary Jubliee rail and operated on 2' 0" gauge independently of the railway, although a siding to access this was installed.