Station Name: ST. JOHN'S (IOMR STATION)

 

[Source: Paul Wright]



Date opened: 1.7.1873
Location: East side of the A40
Company on opening: Isle of Man Railway
Date closed to passengers: 7.9.1968
Date closed completely: 7.9.1968
Company on closing: Isle of Man Railway
Present state: Demolished - the site has been cleared and is used as a car park
County: Isle of Man
OS Grid Ref: SC278816
Date of visit: 22.7.2006

Notes: St Johns Station was one of the original stations on the Isle of Man Railway’s Douglas to Peel line. The station was opened with the line on the 1.7.1873 to serve the nearby village of St Johns. It was situated on the east side of a level crossing.

It is likely that when the station opened in 1873 it was a fairly simple affair that was served by trains running between Douglas and Peel. However the station was to develop over the years. The first major change came when the Manx Northern Railway opened its St Johns to Ramsey line on the 23.9.1879. At first the Manx Northern Railway had its own simple facilities on the west side of the level crossing. Passengers would walk a short distance across the road to join Isle of Man Railway Service trains to Douglas or Peel. The two systems where however connected and it appears that within a few years some through services did run.
 

On the 17.8.1886 a further line was opened from St Johns to Foxdale. It was build by the Foxdale Railway Company and made an end on connection with the Manx Northern Railway to the north of the Isle of Man Railway station and on the west side of the road. To cater for this line the Manx Northern Railway, who quickly took over the operating responsibility for the Foxdale line, opened a new station of their own a short distance to the north of the Isle of Man Railway Station.

On the 24.5.1905 the Manx Northern Railway was taken over by the Isle of Man Railway. It is probably around this time that St Johns Station had evolved into a two platform facility with three platform faces as one was an island platform. The station also had a footbridge linking the platforms and was provided with carriage
sheds. A substantial building was provided on the westbound (Peel) platform. A turntable was also provided on the west side of the A40 road crossing adjacent to a small goods shed.

The island platform served at its northern face trains travelling from Ramsey to Douglas and Douglas to Ramsey. At its southern face it catered for trains travelling from Peel to Douglas. The southernmost platform catered for Douglas to Peel services. The station became an important interchange point for passengers travelling on the Isle of Man Railway system.

The Isle of Man Railway remained very busy throughout the first part of the 20th Century especially during the summer months when the island became one big holiday camp. Only the Foxdale Line which was never a success as a passenger carrying concern closed early in 1943.

In 1945 the footbridge at St Johns was deemed to be unsafe and it was removed. This hardly caused any inconvenience as the station was located right next to a level crossing.

After the Second World War traffic on the Isle of Man Railway system began to decline due to increased road traffic competition. On the 13.11.1965 all of the lines on the Isle of Man Railway system closed due to the condition of the track which had received only minimum maintenance for many years.

A rescue package was put together which saw St Johns station re-open with the line on the 3.6.1967. However financial problems continued to plague the Isle of Man Railway. The St Johns to Ramsey line closed on the 6.9.1968 and the Douglas to Peel line closed one day later.

Various attempts where made to re-open the Douglas to Peel and Ramsey lines but eventually they were sold for scrap and lifted between 1974-5. Today the trackbed through Crosby forms part of a long distance footpath and cycleway.

Further reading: Isle of Man Classic Steam by Robert Robotham published by Colourpoint 1998. Old colour photographs of the Isle of Man Railways - ISBN 1 898392 43 9
Douglas to Peel by Tom Heavyside - Middleton Press 2002 - ISBN 978 1 901706 88 8
Isle of Man Railways Vol. 1 Pre 1873 - 1904, Vol 2 1905 - 1994 & Vol. 3 by J I C Boyd - the definitive history of the Isle of Man railways - Oakwood Press.

Click here for a comprehensive list of books, magazines and videos about the Isle of Man railways.

Other web sites: Narrow Gauge Heaven - includes old colour photographs

Click here for a brief history of the Isle of Man Railways

To see other stations on the Douglas - Peel line click on the station name: Quarter Bridge, Braddan Halt, Union Mills, Crosby, Ballacraine Halt & Peel.

To see other stations on the St. Johns - Ramsey line click on the station name:
Peel Road, St. Germain's, Gob-y-Deigan, West Berk Level Crossing,
Kirkmichael, Bishops Court, Ballaugh, Ballavolley Halt, Sulby Glen, Sulby Bridge, Lezayre & Ramsey

See also Knockaloe and the Foxdale branch with stations at St. Johns (MGN), Waterfall & Foxdale


A Douglas to Ramsey train at St. Johns Station in 1906








No. 5 Mona arrives at St. Johns Station with a train for Peel in August 1960
Photo copyright Colour-Rail

St. Johns Station looking west in June 1974, shortly before the track was lifted.
P
hoto by Tim Stevens



The site of St. Johns Station looking west in July 2006
P
hoto by Paul Wright


Click here for more pictures of St. Johns Station



 

 

 

[Source: Paul Wright]


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