Douglas railway station
Encyclopedia
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
. It was once the hub for now closed lines to Peel, Ramsey
and Foxdale.
This came about after the Peel and Ramsey lines closed in 1968 and it was not deemed necessary to retain the box and its two members of staff. Since that time the building has been relocated to make way for the new transport headquarters and Bus Vannin
garages in 1998, moving forward from its original site at the same time as the 1893 carriage shed was demolished. Today it remains out of use but is occasionally open to the public as part of annual transport festivals hosted by the railway. During these events the box is tended to and manned by members of the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association
a local voluntary organisation. The 'box houses a number of special train headboards, paraffin signal lamps, tri-colour torches and well as some ancillary locomotive parts.
and remained as such until the 1999 season when the premises closed and the space was let to the tenants of the station restaurant for storage purposes. When open the shop stocked a range of railway and transport-related publications, videos and magazines as well as a large range of postcards and souvenirs, which are now located at the Port Erin Railway Museum
. What now forms the ladies and gentlemen's' toilets next door was once entirely devoted to the gentlemans' facilities whilst the ladies waiting room was within the administrative structure. This setup was amended when rationalisation of the whole site was carried out in 1979 resulting in the facilities provided today. The toilets are also utilised by customers of the station restaurant and when closed are gated across. At the entrance to the platform there is a shall wooden chalet structure which is used by station staff when checking tickets, it also houses various signage and cleaning equipment. This structure was installed in 1991 replacing an earlier version which was time-expired; this structure was originally in a varnished finish but as part of minor refurbishments in 2009 was painted into the standard maroon and cream livery.
The existing platform was one of two installed in 1909 replacing the 1873 originals which were half the height. At this time also cast iron canopies were erected covering both the platforms for the majority of their length but these were demolished in 1979 as part of a rationalisation of the whole site. At this time too the other platform was lost to car parking, it being situated to the south of the extant one. The platforms had macadam surfacing with stone edging the far edge of which is picked out with whitewash. The platform is accessed by passengers via a gated walkway at the station end and can usually only be visited at the times of departing and arriving trains, being cordoned off for the remainder of the time. During the railway's annual transport festivals the platforms are occasionally open to the public for limited periods. The end of the platform features two semaphore signals, installed in 2005 themselves replacing two colour light signals that replaced original semaphores at the time of rationisation in 1979. These replacements originate from the Festiniog Railway in Wales. The platform also features cast iron lamp standards installed in 1991 when the station was refurbished, going on to win an Ian Allen Heritage Award. The original platforms prior to 1909 also featured similar lampposts though these were lit by gas rather than today's versions which are electrically lit. The sloped end of the platform was modified in more recent times so that one side now features a more gradual slope which leads to the signal box and workshop facilities by way of a concrete catwalk installed in 2001 for health and safety purposes, a further pathway being connected to the foot of the signal box steps.
The buildings to the rear of the locomotive sheds house the carpenters' shop and paint shop where all the in-house painting and signwriting is carried out by the railway's own staff. A smaller stone-built shed houses more storage facilities and atop this building are the two (now unused) water tanks for the shed complex which remain as a reminder of busier times. What once formed a gap between the sheds was covered over in 1999 to provide further secure accommodation for rolling stock and this has been constructed from corrugated metal and is used to house some of the railway's redundant items of rolling stock including one of two Empress Vans
and frames off out of use locomotives.
. When the interior of the booking hall was extensively redeveloped in 1991 (for which it won a prestigious Ian Allen Heritage Award for best preserved station in the British Isles) a mezzanine floor was added and a catering establishment known as Greens took up residence; this enterprise quickly establishing itself as the island's only dedicated vegetarian restaurant. In December 2010 it was announced that there would be new tenants be taking over the facility and by January 2011 it was announced that the facility was to rebranded as The Tickethall and following basic refurbishment it was opened that month. The new premises similarly cater for the vegetarian market at the same time as offering a number of fish dishes and breakfast items. They also work in conjunction with the railway's regular special events providing the catering for many of these throughout the year. The company that runs the facility also operates a similar restaurant and grill in the upper part of the town known as The Mailbox which is located in the former premises of the Isle of Man Post Office.
The station today is a fraction of its original size but still retains one island platform protected by semaphore signals and domintated by a signal box which is unused and has been since 1970, though this was relocated when the area was redeveloped. The red brick station buildings are extant though these are now dwarfed by an office block to the rear which was constructed in 1988. The line's workshops and running sheds are also located here but public access to these is forbidden, and behind them are the carpenters' works, plant shop and paint shop (much work still being carried out in-house). Much of what was once railway property is now given over to bus storage and maintenance whilst the administrative offices for the line, the Manx Electric Railway
and Bus Vannin
lie at the end of the yard, incorporated into the bus garages. The carriage shed is at the mouth of the yard and only viewable from the passing trains, not the public areas of the station. Much of the adjacent car parking is contracted out to nearby offices, with a few spaces reserved for railway patrons. The vehicular entrance to the yard is also the bus stop for connecting services between the railway and the island's bus services. The eastern side of the station has been given over to a large supermarket chain, built on the site of a former timber yard. Only the Peel Line departure and arrival platforms remain in situ and these are now used by Port Erin-bound trains.
store, which also utilised the reclaimed timber yard site which also boasted its own internal railway, Quiggin's Tramway, at one time.
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...
and is located at the landward end of the quay in 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...
, the capital of 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...
. It was once the hub for now closed lines to Peel, 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.
Location
The station is located on the southern side of the island's capital, Douglas, and is at the far landward end of the North quay close to the old town and finance centre. It has car parking available for railway patrons on the site of the former goods yard and departure platforms and is served by nearby bus services from many locations on the island. The current station buildings in red Ruabon brick were constructed between 1887 and 1913 replacing timber constructions established upon the opening of the line in 1873. The site was reclaimed from marshland, the nearby Lake Road attesting this fact.Buildings
The main station building is late Victorian and is approached via a grand archway at the end of Athol Street with two gilt-topped turrets and station clock tower, between which a set of steps descending to the station. An entrance at the bottom of the hill avoids the steps and provides vehicular access. The booking hall (1901) now also houses a restaurant, installed during extensive interior works in 1991. Management offices in the remaining portion of the building were relocated following the completion of Transport Headquarters at the other end of the yard and named Banks Circus in 1999 and since this time fell into disrepair but in January 2011 a restoration scheme was announced which will see extensive renovation of the building, including major works on the roof and restoration of the interior. The adjacent office building (1889) is now home to the island's Customs & Revenue department but was originally built as the railway's administrative offices, station bar, and directors' offices. In the peak of the railway's activity the main station building was home to the station masters' and porters' offices (the latter of which is now the station masters' office) as well as storage space for many millions of card tickets and stored railway records. Upper floors were added to the office area in 1979 at which time some of the administrative staff were also relocated to this building.Signal Box
Built in 1892 and located at the end of the yard, the 36-lever frame signal box was built by Dutton & Co., of Worcester and supplied to the railway when the yard was further modified and at the same time as the workshops were extended. The 'box features a set of characteristic wooden external steps that must be climbed to access the levers, with storage space beneath the timber-built top section, this would have housed all the linkage and control gear. The top section also features a three-quarter glazed section and integral fireplace, from where the signalman on duty could command a view of the entire yard. Controlling every traffic movement from passenger trains to complex shunting procedures, the 'box remained in use until the summer of 1970 when the linkage was replaced with hand operated point levers in the yard.This came about after the Peel and Ramsey lines closed in 1968 and it was not deemed necessary to retain the box and its two members of staff. Since that time the building has been relocated to make way for the new transport headquarters and Bus Vannin
Bus Vannin
Bus Vannin is the title of the government owned and operated bus service on the Isle of Man. The name was adopted in June 2009 having previously been branded as Isle of Man Transport...
garages in 1998, moving forward from its original site at the same time as the 1893 carriage shed was demolished. Today it remains out of use but is occasionally open to the public as part of annual transport festivals hosted by the railway. During these events the box is tended to and manned by members of the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association
Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association
The Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association is a railway preservationist group dedicated to the continued operation of the Isle of Man Railway on the Isle of Man Since its inception in 1966 the group have provided volunteer workers and a watchdog role and commenced its own project in the...
a local voluntary organisation. The 'box houses a number of special train headboards, paraffin signal lamps, tri-colour torches and well as some ancillary locomotive parts.
Other Structures
The smaller building that now houses the public and passenger toilet facilities and storage areas was once also used as the railway's own stabling facilities and incorporated porters' accommodation. In more recent times the stables have become garages which are leased out, there being three in total. The fourth old stable has been converted into accommodation and was once used by the night watchman and as storage space. The old porters' rooms were converted into the railway's souvenir shop in 1993 as part of the Year Of RailwaysYear of Railways
The Year of Railways was a series of special events held on the Isle of Man during 1993 to commemorate the centenary of the opening of the first section of the Manx Electric Railway from Douglas to Groudle in September 1893....
and remained as such until the 1999 season when the premises closed and the space was let to the tenants of the station restaurant for storage purposes. When open the shop stocked a range of railway and transport-related publications, videos and magazines as well as a large range of postcards and souvenirs, which are now located at the Port Erin Railway Museum
Port Erin railway museum
The Port Erin Railway Museum in the village of Port Erin in the Isle of Man is a small display that shows the history of the Isle of Man Railway through exhibits and visual displays which chart the history of the railway from its opening in 1873 until the present day, covering the now-closed lines...
. What now forms the ladies and gentlemen's' toilets next door was once entirely devoted to the gentlemans' facilities whilst the ladies waiting room was within the administrative structure. This setup was amended when rationalisation of the whole site was carried out in 1979 resulting in the facilities provided today. The toilets are also utilised by customers of the station restaurant and when closed are gated across. At the entrance to the platform there is a shall wooden chalet structure which is used by station staff when checking tickets, it also houses various signage and cleaning equipment. This structure was installed in 1991 replacing an earlier version which was time-expired; this structure was originally in a varnished finish but as part of minor refurbishments in 2009 was painted into the standard maroon and cream livery.
Platforms
Sheds
Beyond the platforms stand the locomotive shed, machine shop, paint and carpenters' shops in two rubble stone buildings built in the 1890s. Beyond them is the modern carriage shed which was erected in 1999 replacing the 1893 original which was demolished to make way for the railway headquarters administration block adjacent. The locomotive shed is capable of holding up to 18 locomotives in addition to which the single road workshop can store up to five locomotives at any one time. This facility features overhead lifting gear which is capable of lifting locomotive boilers from the frames to carry out maintenance; there is also a static beam engine and wheel lathes located in this shed, which also houses the blacksmith and plant room to the rear, the former being converted from a stores area in 2001.The buildings to the rear of the locomotive sheds house the carpenters' shop and paint shop where all the in-house painting and signwriting is carried out by the railway's own staff. A smaller stone-built shed houses more storage facilities and atop this building are the two (now unused) water tanks for the shed complex which remain as a reminder of busier times. What once formed a gap between the sheds was covered over in 1999 to provide further secure accommodation for rolling stock and this has been constructed from corrugated metal and is used to house some of the railway's redundant items of rolling stock including one of two Empress Vans
Isle of Man Railway rolling stock
The rolling stock used on the Isle of Man Railway today is entirely original but the serviceable passenger coaches number 14, out of an original total of 75 carriages...
and frames off out of use locomotives.
History
The original Douglas Station was a 60' by 30' wooden structure with a zinc roof approximately on the site of the present booking hall. Beyond this building two platform faces were provided with a loop and a siding between them. A freight platform, goods shed and sidings were provided to the south of the passenger station, and a locomotive shed and small carriage shed stood in front of where the present locomotive shed and machine shop are at the end of the surviving island platform. Two additional platform faces were added in 1874/5 for Port Erin line trains, and a three road corregated iron carriage shed was built in 1875, roughly where the Bus Vannin garage is today. The original station was replaced in stages between 1887 and 1909. After 1909 it was not significantly altered until 1979 when it was reduced to about half of its maximum size. In its heyday, Douglas Station sprawled across the sites of the present station, the local Tesco supermarket, and the Bus Vannin garage and offices. The south side of station site has undergone much redevelopment in recent years. Much of the former freight yard is now occupied by Tesco's supermarket, and the site of carriage shed and yard by the bus depot. The station is now consigned to the north side of the site reduced to one island platform with dedicated run round loops and one siding on the far north of the station, added during modifications in 1999 to create further outdoor storage for non-passenger vehicles..Rationalisation
Prior to 1979, the station had two island platforms and full length canopies and a four road goods yard, controlled by the signal box provided by Dutton in 1892. Behind (south) of the signal box stood a four road carriage shed that had been built in 1893 to replace a smaller shed of 1875. The northern island platform - usually called the Peel Platform - served trains to Peel and Ramsey. The inner and outer ends of the two Peel platform faces were separately numbered in an attempt to reduce the confusion caused by combining the Peel and Ramsey trains into a single working as far as St John's. The southern island platform was numbered 5 (arrival) and 6 (departure), and was usually referred to as the "Port Erin platform." It was usually used for South line trains, but trains to/from Peel and Ramsey could (and occasionally did) use it due to the existence of a crossover between the single tracks to Peel and Port Erin by the water tower. The drastic rationalisation of the station in 1979 resulted in the loss of the Port Erin platforms, the goods yard and the platform canopies. Part of the bus yard divided the 1893 carriage shed and the signal box from the running lines. At the same time, the Port Erin line was slewed northwards into the formation of the former Peel line, and a new connection made to the carriage shed headshunt. The 1893 carriage shed was demolished and replaced with a new shed on the opposite side of the line beyond the old paint shop. The familiar landmark of the grounded coach body in front of the works, which acted as a bothy and an oil store was removed in 1999.Site
The station is sited on an area known as Lake Road (although technically this was lost during the more recent developments), so-called because the area was, until the arrival of the railway, swampland that was reclaimed to build the station other developments. The river now runs along the southerly side of the site. Where now stands the chain store was once a large timber yard operated for many years by Quiggin & Co., and this backed onto the railway's property. What now forms both car and bus parking areas was once the railway's large goods yard, and there was also another island platform which was removed in 1979 to make way for bus storage area.e Further up the yard towards its mouth are the sheds which are original. At the approach to the station is the junction of Bank Hill which runs alongside the station perimeter wall, now an office development dominates this site but it was until 1988 home to one of the island's smaller breweries. In recent times the north quay the adjoins the site has been partially pedestrianised and now has a number of restaurants and public houses as well as a selection of shops and boutiques. The large red brick office block that sits behind the station was erected in 1988 on the site of the former Clinch's Brewery, the tower of which was retained in the new development. The site is in the central part of the island's capital close to the financial district making it ideally suited for the commuter train services which since 2007 have been provided annually during the T.T. race period. Its location at the end of the inner harbour was ideal in the past when the railway carried cargo directly from ships that berthed nearby.Catering
In the past the railway boasted its own tea rooms and bar, located in the ground floor of the administrative block which stands next to the station building itself. This building now houses the island's Custom House and no longer houses any railway staff. In later years following the nationalisation of the railway a basic cafe was provided in the booking hall and this was also home to the station shop which was operated by the volunteers of the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' AssociationIsle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association
The Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association is a railway preservationist group dedicated to the continued operation of the Isle of Man Railway on the Isle of Man Since its inception in 1966 the group have provided volunteer workers and a watchdog role and commenced its own project in the...
. When the interior of the booking hall was extensively redeveloped in 1991 (for which it won a prestigious Ian Allen Heritage Award for best preserved station in the British Isles) a mezzanine floor was added and a catering establishment known as Greens took up residence; this enterprise quickly establishing itself as the island's only dedicated vegetarian restaurant. In December 2010 it was announced that there would be new tenants be taking over the facility and by January 2011 it was announced that the facility was to rebranded as The Tickethall and following basic refurbishment it was opened that month. The new premises similarly cater for the vegetarian market at the same time as offering a number of fish dishes and breakfast items. They also work in conjunction with the railway's regular special events providing the catering for many of these throughout the year. The company that runs the facility also operates a similar restaurant and grill in the upper part of the town known as The Mailbox which is located in the former premises of the Isle of Man Post Office.
Today
Manx Electric Railway
The Manx Electric Railway is an electric inter-urban tramway connecting Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey in the Isle of Man. It connects with the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway at its southern terminus at Derby Castle at the northern end of the promenade in Douglas, and with the Snaefell Mountain Railway at...
and Bus Vannin
Bus Vannin
Bus Vannin is the title of the government owned and operated bus service on the Isle of Man. The name was adopted in June 2009 having previously been branded as Isle of Man Transport...
lie at the end of the yard, incorporated into the bus garages. The carriage shed is at the mouth of the yard and only viewable from the passing trains, not the public areas of the station. Much of the adjacent car parking is contracted out to nearby offices, with a few spaces reserved for railway patrons. The vehicular entrance to the yard is also the bus stop for connecting services between the railway and the island's bus services. The eastern side of the station has been given over to a large supermarket chain, built on the site of a former timber yard. Only the Peel Line departure and arrival platforms remain in situ and these are now used by Port Erin-bound trains.
Redevelopments
The entire area has redeveloped in more recent times, and the "Banks Circus" headquarters were established here in 1999 providing the island's central bus garage and yard. A new carriage shed was also constructed at this time further up the yar and the signal box was relocated. The majority of the former goods yard is now given over to a TescoTesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
store, which also utilised the reclaimed timber yard site which also boasted its own internal railway, Quiggin's Tramway, at one time.