Ramsey Station ( Manx: ''Stashoon Raad Yiarn Rhumsaa'') serves the town of

Ramsey Ramsey may refer to: Companies *Ramsey (retailer), Turkish clothing retailer People * Ramsey (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Ramsey (surname), including a list of people with the surname * Baron de Ramsey, a title i ...

in the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

; it is the northern

terminus Terminus may refer to: Ancient Rome *Terminus (god), a Roman deity who protected boundary markers Transport *Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination *Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end des ...

of the

Manx Electric Railway The Manx Electric Railway ( Manx: ''Raad Yiarn Lectragh Vannin'') is an electric interurban tramway connecting Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey in the Isle of Man. It connects with the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway at its southern terminus at Derby Cas ...

. It was formerly known as Ramsey (Plaza) Station after the nearby Plaza cinema, now demolished and turned into a car park. Today it is often also known as Ramsey Tram Station and signage to this effect adorns the station, despite the line being described as a railway. It should not be confused with Ramsey's former station on the Isle of Man Railway.

Beginnings

The station is in the heart of the town, and originally consisted of a simple lean-to shelter incorporating a booking hall with nearby stalls similar to that seen today at Laxey Station; but the area has been subject to changes over many years. The site was mostly cleared and the station facilities were located within the Plaza Building for some time. Also on the site was a timber construction which located the town's

Citizens Advice Bureau Citizens AdviceCitizens Advice is the operating name of The National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, which is the umbrella charity for a wider network of local advice centres. The abbreviation CitA is sometimes used to refer to this natio ...

for a number of years.

Buildings

Today's terminus building was erected in 1964 and houses the station master's office, a waiting area and passenger toilets. Prior to this the station staff occupied various locations, most notably an office within the now-demolished cinema from which the station gains its name. Directly opposite the passenger area lies the former goods shed which has served a number of purposes in recent years. Used to house goods stock for many years, it was changed into a small museum housing the "Royal Trailer" No. 59 for some years, before being converted to its current use as "The Shed", a youth club. It remains rail connected. Unusually for M.E.R. stations, the traction poles are painted maroon to match the colour scheme of the station; elsewhere on the line they are all painted in the standard deep green colour. At the end of the yard lies the large car shed used to house service cars overnight. This shed was used for a period as another tramway museum and operated by the Isle Of Man Railway Society and housed three tramcars from the

Douglas Bay Horse Tramway The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway on the Isle of Man runs along the seafront promenades of Douglas for approximately , from the southern terminus at the Villa Marina, to Derby Castle station, the southern terminus of the Manx Electric Railway, whe ...

as well as several other unusual items of rolling stock such as the locomotive and carriage from the tramway that operated on Queen's Pier in the town. Upon closure the exhibits were relocated and the shed returned to its original use.

Operation

The track layout within the station does not allow for the usual method of running the motor car round the trailer ready for the return journey. Instead the trailer car is detached from the motor car, and the motor car crosses over to the opposing track. The trailer is then allowed to roll down under gravity to the end of the line, where the motor car will reverse back onto it and be coupled up again. In October 2016 a temporary station was opened on the opposite side of the road and the track in the old station was only used for occasional carriage storage. The existing ticket office remains in operation.

Route

Gallery

File:Ramsey station (geograph 3147217).jpg, The tram station from the track side File:Manx Electric Railway at Ramsey (geograph 5046163).jpg, Trailer car 41 in the station tracks File:A general view of the terminus at Ramsey (geograph 5046222).jpg, The track layout in the station, with the old goods shed (''The Shed'') Manx Electric Railway at Ramsey terminus (geograph 5075011).jpg, Preparing to run round the trailer using a gravity shunt File:Manx Electric Railway, Ramsey - geograph.org.uk - 1597884.jpg, Looking south from the station in 1982, showing car 2 and the car shed File:Manx Electric Railway, Ramsey. - geograph.org.uk - 1597891.jpg, View the other way, past the Plaza cinema to the station

References

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Sources

Manx Electric Railway Stopping Places
(2002) Manx Electric Railway Society

(2003) Jon Wornham
Official Tourist Department Page
(2009) Isle Of Man Heritage Railways {{Coord, 54.32063, -4.38177, display=title, region:IM_type:railwaystation Railway stations in the Isle of Man opened in 1899 Manx Electric Railway