Port St Mary railway station

The station is less than a mile away from the terminus and has no passing loop or run-round facilities, but a siding serving the goods shed was lifted in the 1979 but reinstated in 2002 at the same time as the whole of the permanent way was replaced along the line.

Today's impressive two-storey station building would lead the casual observer to think it to be the railway's terminus which is in fact just under a mile away at Port Erin; it was constructed by a local firm in 1898 to serve the large demand of tourists for whom the village was a popular resort.

When the usage change, the canopy structure that runs parallel to the platform was bricked in and remains so today, although latterly the station master is once again housed in the building itself, albeit in a smaller office using part of the original ladies' waiting room.

For filming purposes the interior of the shed was dressed to become a workshop where the engine Lady resided; at this time the fabric of the building was also restored, with new external doors and improved lighting.

Sequences for various other productions have used the station in more recent times, these include The Ginger Tree in 1988, The Brylcreem Boys in 1999, Legend Of The Tamworth Two in 2003 and various episodes of documentaries and travelogues featuring the island, notably Wish You Were Here...?

and a 1979 episode of the BBC show Seaside Special which used the platform and trains as part of a dance routine montage to Chatanooga Choo-Choo featuring the station prominently.

The station remains a popular drop off point for walkers who then use the coastal footpath beyond to reach Port Erin and return by rail in the summer months.

The entire site was leased to an outdoor pursuits company in 1982 who converted the upper storey into hostel accommodation, with railway staff relegated to a wooden shack on the platform during this time; the booking hall was fitted with a servery and a new fireplace installed as well as shower rooms.

In 2008 a local developer is understood to have received permission to convert the building into apartments, whilst retaining the frontage of the platform area, removing the bricked-up canopy added in 1979 and restoring much of the charm of the railway-oriented site.

A crossroads close to the station directs traffic either to the village, the coast at Gansey Bay or the folk museum at Cregneash and The Sound (latterly styled as Lands End Of Mann.

In the opposite direction the road leads to a roundabout which serves Port Erin, Gansey and Rushen, the local primary school being located nearby.

The remaining structure at Santon Station which is very similar to the original building at Port St. Mary which originally featured a "candystripe" corrugated roof according to limited photographic references; a central recessed shelter is flanked by two structures and an overall roof, one portion being staff accommodation, the other porters' facilities. The remaining sole example is believed to be larger than that which was provided at Port St. Mary
Looking north showing the imposing two-storey structure which replaced a much smaller timber affair; the toilet block is to the right and the line towards Four Roads in the distance
The replacement goods shed, similar to that which also remains at Castletown Station and is today used a volunteer base for the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association
No. 4 Loch calling at the station in 1988 when staff accommodation was in the hut on the right
No.4 Loch at the station in 1979 shortly after refurbishment and application of maroon livery
No.12 Hutchinson at the station in 1991 in the blue livery
The rear elevation of the former booking hall in 2012
The front elevation showing the former open shelter which was bricked in to provide a waiting room in 1979
The slipway at the picturesque lower harbour in the village which is approximately a ten-minute walk once the train is disembarked