Location Garff, Isle Of Man Structure type Brick Station Owner Isle of Man Transport | Platforms Ground Level Opened 1895 Rebuilt 2001 | |
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Owned by Isle of Man Heritage Railways Line(s) Snaefell Mountain Railway Tracks Two Running Lines & Sidings Address Snaefell Mountain Railway, Isle of Man Similar Snaefell Summit railway st, The Bungalow - Isle of Man, Laxey railway station, Snaefell, Isle of Man Railway | ||
Bungalow Station (more commonly The Bungalow) is the only intermediate station on the Isle of Man's Snaefell Mountain Railway and is located where the main mountain road intersects the line.
Contents
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 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, 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 Station 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 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 Prix 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 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.