Kirk Michael railway station
Encyclopedia
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 :...
, later owned and operated by 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...
; it served the village of Kirk Michael 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 an intermediate stopping place on a line that ran between St. John's and the northern town or 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...
.
Buildings
The station was opened on as part of the Manx Northern's line between St. John'sSt. John's railway station
St. John's Railway Station was a station on the Isle of Man Railway, later merging with a neaby station of the Manx Northern Railway; it served the village of St...
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...
.It was provided with quite substantial red sandstone, slate roofed buildings consisting of station master's office and waiting room, together with a goods shed, which was replaced by a stone built building by 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...
in 1923 in improve capacity owing to an increase in freight traffic. There was a water tank at the St. John's end of the facility which was used by steam 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 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. The goods shed however, being a later addition was constructed of local slate and stone. The water tower to the west of the station 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. 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 RailwayGroudle Glen Railway
The Groudle Glen Railway is a narrow gauge railway north of Douglas in the Isle of Man which is owned and operated by members of the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association and operates on summer Sundays; May to September and Wednesday evenings in July and August along with a number of...
. This facility, which was occasionally open to the public closed in 1984 and much of the exhibits were relocated both on and off island.
Naming
Much 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 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 nameboards always denoted the name in full, as did all tickets issued to/from the station.
Glen Wyllin
Glen Wyllin Pleasure Grounds
Owned by the Isle of Man Railway whose line crossed the valley by means of a viaduct, this area was once the site of much activity for the holidaymaker and Sunday School tripper. The grounds at Glen Wyllin were developed in the late 19th century upon the arrival of the railway and included a...
, 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
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...
to include a boating lake, pedellos, swings slides and many other childrens' 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
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. A set of mock-up level crossingLevel crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
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 trail which follows the former railway line.