Douglas Railway Station - Rationalisation

Rationalisation

Prior to 1979, the station had two island platforms and full length canopies and a four road goods yard, controlled by the signal box provided by Dutton in 1892. Behind (south) of the signal box stood a four road carriage shed that had been built in 1893 to replace a smaller shed of 1875. The northern island platform - usually called the Peel Platform - served trains to Peel and Ramsey. The inner and outer ends of the two Peel platform faces were separately numbered in an attempt to reduce the confusion caused by combining the Peel and Ramsey trains into a single working as far as St John's. The southern island platform was numbered 5 (arrival) and 6 (departure), and was usually referred to as the "Port Erin platform." It was usually used for South line trains, but trains to/from Peel and Ramsey could (and occasionally did) use it due to the existence of a crossover between the single tracks to Peel and Port Erin by the water tower. The drastic rationalisation of the station in 1979 resulted in the loss of the Port Erin platforms, the goods yard and the platform canopies. Part of the bus yard divided the 1893 carriage shed and the signal box from the running lines. At the same time, the Port Erin line was slewed northwards into the formation of the former Peel line, and a new connection made to the carriage shed headshunt. The 1893 carriage shed was demolished and replaced with a new shed on the opposite side of the line beyond the old paint shop. The familiar landmark of the grounded coach body in front of the works, which acted as a bothy and an oil store was removed in 1999.