Disused Stations: Ramsey Station (original) (raw)

Notes: Ramsey Station opened on the 23.9.1879 as part of the Manx Northern Railways St John’s to Ramsey line. Being the northern terminus Ramsey Station was a substantial affair located just on the edge of the towns centre and close to the quay’s. The station building was a large brick rendered single story building that had one long platform which incorporated a bay on its south side giving two platform faces.

	The main building was used as the headquarters of the Manx Northern Railway. The station also had a carriage shed, locomotive shed and combined workshop, ore shed and substantial goods facilities including a cattle dock and two water towers. A line skirted around the north of the site and ran to the

harbour for goods services but this closed in the mid 1950's.

Initially train services operated to St John’s with some services going on to Douglas via the Isle of Man Railways Douglas to Peel line. Some shorter services operated from the station to Kirk Michael. On the 19.4.1905 the Manx Northern Railway was taken over by the Isle of Man Railway and from then on many more services went directly to Douglas.

The Manx Railway system was very busy well into the second half of the 20th century but by the 1950’s traffic levels began to decline as less holidaymakers visited the island and road transport competition started to make its presence felt. The St John’s to Ramsey line and all of its stations closed completely on the 13th

November 1965. The line and Ramsey Station re-opened to passenger services in 1967 but closed again on the 6th September 1968 this time for good. The line was lifted in 1974.

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 Ramsey by Tom Heavyside - Middleton Press 2004 - ISBN 978 1 904474 39 5
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 St. John's - Ramsey line click on the station name:
St. Johns, Peel Road, St. Germain's, Gob-y-Deigan, West Berk Level Crossing,
Kirkmichael, Bishop's Court, Ballaugh, Ballavolley Halt, Sulby Glen, Sulby Bridge,& Lezayre