Bungalow railway station
Encyclopedia
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...
Snaefell Mountain Railway
Snaefell Mountain Railway
The Snaefell Mountain Railway is an electric mountain railway on the Isle of Man in Europe. It joins the town of Laxey with the summit of Snaefell, at above sea level the highest point on the island. It connects with the Manx Electric Railway in Laxey. The line is long, built to gauge and...
and is located where the main mountain road intersects the line.
Origins
The area was so called because until 1958 there was a large hotel here of that name, and after its destruction it was replaced by a much more modest waiting shelter. It wasn't until 2002 that this was in turn knocked down and replaced with a "proper" station building with station master facilities, booking hall and toilets. Prior to this the staff used a marshall's hut normally reserved for the T.T. races on the island.Museum
The BungalowBungalow, Isle of Man
The Bungalow is situated adjacent to the 31st Milestone roadside marker on the Snaefell Mountain Course on the road junction of the primary A18 Mountain Road, A14 Sulby Glen Road and the road-tramway crossing for the Snaefell Mountain Railway in the parish of Lezayre in the Isle of Man.The Bungalow...
despite its remote location, was also the home to Murray's Motorcycle Museum until recent years; this was housed in an ex-Ministry of Defence building and held a large number of static displays. After the death of Joey Dunlop
Joey Dunlop
William Joseph "Joey" Dunlop, OBE , was a world champion motorcyclist from Ballymoney in Northern Ireland, best known for road racing. Referred to throughout the sport as "Joey", in 2005 he was voted the fifth greatest motorcycling icon ever by Motorcycle News...
, a statue to his memory was erected in the grounds of the museum and it still remains there despite the closure of the museum.
Centenary
As part of the International Railway Festival to celebrate the line's centenary in 1995 a third rail was laid from here to the Summit StationSummit Station (Snaefell Mountain Railway)
Snaefell Summit Station is the upper terminus of the Snaefell Mountain Railway on the Isle of Man and is served by the tramway of the same name.-Origins:...
to facilitate the use of a steam locomotive on the line. The gauge of the mountain line is 3' 6" (to accommodate the "fell rail") whereas the majority of other island lines are 3' 0" so when Manx Northern Railway
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 :...
locomotive No. 4 Caledonia arrived, the extra rail was laid. This event took place to mark the centenary of the line, and because this locomotive had been loaned to the tramway during construction all those years ago. The remains of the interchange are still visible today.
T.T. Races
The station is a popular viewpoint to watch the world-famous T.T. motorbike races and the Manx Grand PrixManx Grand Prix
The Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races are held on the Isle of Man TT Course every year for a two-week period usually spanning the end of August and early September. The 'MGP' or 'Manx' is considered to be the amateur riders' alternative to the Isle of Man TT Races held in May and June...
races and as the tramway crosses the course, tramcars terminate on either side of the road during race periods, with cars being moved to the upper part of the line prior to road closure. To facilitate passenger access a footbridge is extant, and this was installed as a permanent feature in 1994, the previous incarnation having been a temporary structure that was removed each winter. The railway is extremely busy on race days carrying bikers from Laxey Station
Laxey station
Laxey Station is a station in the village of Laxey on the Isle of Man serving as an intermediate station on the Manx Electric Railway as well as being the lower terminus of the Snaefell Mountain Railway.-Location:...
to this point, and onwards for refreshements at the summit. In recent times boarded walkways have been installed to deliver passengers from the tramcar to the foot of the bridge for ease of access, the bridge itself often carries large advertisement hoardings for local businesses and events.
Route
External links
- Isle of Man Heritage Railways
- Manx Electric Railway Society
- Snaefell Mountain Railway
- Tram Travels/Sporvognsrejser: MERS - Manx Electric Railway Society
Sources
- Goodwyn, A.M. (1976) Is This Any Way To Run A Railway ? - The story of the Manx Electric Railway since 1956., Manx Electric Railway Society website, accessed 24 November 2006
- Goodwyn, M., (1993) Manx Electric, Platform 5 Publishing, ISBN 1-872524-52-4
- Hendry, R., (1993), Rails in the Isle of Man: A colour celebration, Midland Publishing Limited, ISBN 1-85780-009-5