Groudle Glen Railway stations

Lhen Coan

The main terminus of the Groudle Glen Railway is located in the heart of the glen and named in the local Manx Gaelic which literally translated means "Lonely Valley" but is variously credited as meaning "Lovely, Valley", Lonely Glen", etc. The station sits on a shelf on the northerly side of the valley and was originally served by a run-round loop, covered overall by a Swiss-Style canopy, with single-road locomotive shed and siding. There was also a souvenir shop which took hexagonal form in a style similar to those seen on the nearby Manx Electric Railway. This was the setup of the station for its entire existence, the locomotive shed being destroyed by a fallen tree in 1967 and the unsafe canopy being destroyed in 1979 leaving the site empty. When the restoration of the line by the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association began in 1982 the site was merely a footpath and took considerable effort to reach with the new railhead. By 1986 however a new metal framed, three-road locomotive and carriage shed was opened, just forward of the site of the original, serving as the line's only covered area for stock. By 1993 a replica of the distinctive station canopy was completed, and in the intervening years a number of small temporary huts had been erected beginning with a booking office (later moved and used as a store), a souvenir shop (now located under the canopy and at one time used as a tea room until the installation of facilities at the outer terminus), booking office, larger replacement souvenir shop and store room which double's as a grotto for the festive services. A further siding was added the locomotive yard in 2005 and a lean-to building created to store permanent way vehicles. In 2007 the railway erected a two-road, purpose built locomotive shed in a similar style to the original, which necessitated the removal of the station siding and widening of the area; this shed is now in use, and a further siding is being laid in front of what is now the carriage shed for further permanent way stock storage. The station site is now considerably larger than it was in the days of the original line but the volunteers have been careful to not lose the feeling of the original station. It is planned to have a new and suitably old-fashion styled souvenir shop installed for by the end of 2008.

Lime Kiln Halt

The only intermediate station on the line gains its name from the nearby lime kiln and was the starting point for restoration in 1982 being the only section of the line with access to a public road (albeit via a bridleway). Until this point, it had never been used as a station but it is now the main terminus when the railway operates the busy Santa Trains in December each year. The land end of the station was once the starting point of a long passing loop which was installed in the line's heyday to allow trains to pass without stopping, hence the wide shelf the station sits on. The halt features a "sentry box" style shelter, the third such incarnation on the site. The first shelter was nicknamed "Myrtle" as it was formerly the front porch of a dwelling named "Myrtle Cottage"!, the second, erected in 1992 became, rather predictably, "Myrtle II" and the current one, twice the length was installed in 1999. It was joined in 2003 by a more traditional shelter, once used as a rural bus stop on the island, which is located at the sea-end of the platform. When delivered it was badly vandalised and is currently without its roof. The appearance of the halt is defined by white "picket" style fences. Ultimately, the "new" shelter will be slightly relocated, and the third sentry box removed all together. As an intermediate halt, usual summer services are by request only, and passengers wishing to board the train are requested to give a clear hand signal to the driver

Headland Station

This station, abandoned after the 1991 season, was the terminus of the line from the end of World War Two until closure in 1962 and again (albeit slightly further along the line) from [1983 until the "extension" to Sea Lion Rocks opened in 1992. The closure of the rest of the line was attributed to a landslip which occurred at some point during the war, so the line never re-opened past the headland when reopened in 1950, hence this point becoming the terminus. The passing loop (mentioned above) was shortened considerably to make a run-round loop for the locomotive, and steps installed to serve the headland cafe which overlooked the picturesque beach below. It wasn't until the "new" station arrived in 1983 that a nameboard was ever in place to state the station name however, the original line did not name the stations in this way. Once the line was reinstated to its full length in 1992 a smaller (three coach length) passing loop was installed on the site of the original (later) terminus to enable the restored line to operate two or three train operations. A siding, for the loading and unloading of locomotives and stock, spurs off the loop line and has been dubbed the "ski jump" owing to its steep gradient. This was last used as a station proper in 2003 when special services in conjunction with motorbike trials ran to this point.

ea Lion Rocks

The outer terminus of the line was opened in 1896 at which point the building was erected including tea rooms, bake house, fish store and seasonal living quarters for the staff. The zoo, created in the adjacent cove had been a feature from 1893 and was the sole reason for the building of the line. Over the years, there were several additions to the buildings and structures, and very few photographs of any quality are in existence; those that do exist show a main building with several smaller and somewhat ramshackle huts surrounding it. The final year that the railway operated to this terminus was 1939 after which the line closed for the duration of the war. When the railway reopened in 1950 a landslip had occurred in the intervening years and the line was shortened (as above) as a result of this. It is unclear when the station building was demolished but it is understood to have still been in situ in the early 1960s. By the time the line was resurrected in 1982 it had vanished completely. In the winter of 1991 major earthworks were carried out so that the line could once more terminate at Sea Lion Rocks and on 23rd July 1992 the line was fully reopened. It was another eight years before any form of building was erected, leading to the volunteers nicknaming the area "Soil & Rocks" as opposed to "Sea Lion Rocks"! The building that now stands on the site of the original was built directly on top of foundations discovered at the time and is largely faithful to the original, based on postcard views of the time. The station area has, in the time since the building was erected, been fenced and landscaped in a sympathetic way to blend with the environs and this is an ongoing task by the volunteers who operate the railway. Since 2002 a tea room and souvenir outlet has operated in the station, which also houses historical displays and an indoor seating area.

ee also

*Groudle Glen Railway
*Groudle Glen Railway fleet
*Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association