The Goods Yard
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The station retains its two goods sidings, accessed via facing points by southbound trains; the siding served the cattle dock at its rear, this shortened in 1994, having originally extended to approximately the site of the rear door to the booking office which is now the souvenir shop.
It was shortened in 1980 as far as the goods shed and was used until 1991 to display the railway's breakdown crane prior to its removal from the site and relocation to the site of Union Mills Station on the long-closed line serving Peel and the west for display purposes.
The siding was lifted for drainage work in 2020 and has yet to be reinstated, it is presently stored in panels in the yard. The front siding provides rail access to the goods shed and extends beyond the shed towards the station building and is in its original configuration
The spur was added for ease of vehicular access. Today an occupation crossing serving Poulsom Park bisects the yard, but is gated at the end of the car park; this are was gravelled to rail height until the installation of a long lawn in 1980, otherwise remaining original.
A selection of freight stock stowed in the goods yard, once a common sight; “M” two variants of the “G” series vans are seen with one of the drop-side “M” wagons sheeted over with its cargo, the cattle dock just glimpsed to the right.
The goods yard in 1968 with one of the Empress Vans on the front siding and sleepers stored beside the loading platform. Save for the later addition of half-height platforms this view remains largely unchanged today, the advertisement hoarding just seen on the far right has since been replicated by the Friends Of... volunteer group with generous sponsorship from Bushy's Brewery who took a long-term advertising contract.
Photographic charter train with No.8 Fenella, the Foxdale Coach and van Gr.12 using the front siding in 2019 also showing the rear siding which has since been “temporarily” lifted to allow for drainage works as part of a nearby housing development, though a replica cattle dock has since been installed by the Friends Of... with financial assistance from the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association.
F.28 is one of two luggage vans dating from 1897 seen here in the yard during the 1966 closure in all-over brown livery; dubbed “Empress Vans” as they were delivered during the diamond jubilee year of Queen Victoria, a replica van now serves as the kichen car for the popular dining train, taking the number F.27 (ii) while the original F.28 remains stored following withdrawal in 1991.
In 1968 during the short-lived Man-Tainor experiment the yard was used as a loading point for shipping containers; longer containers were held on some of the “R” series bogie runners, when originated from the “pairs” carriages with their original bodies removed for this purpose and later scrapped at St. John's.
No.11 Maitland backing onto her train viewed from the yard, the siding is lifted here to allow draining work for the estate and remains in the foreground awaiting re-installation. Since this time a replica cattle dock has been installed by the Friends Of... to the extreme right of this scene, in the same location as the original which was removed over half a century ago in parlous condition.
The shunting of rolling stock with No.8 Fenella, the Foxdale Coach on the loop and original Manx Northern Railway van Gr.12 using the front siding in 2019, note the Foxdale Coach just visible to the left of the van which was also used as part of this photographic train. These are an annual occurence at the station and often utilise the goods yard with its two sidings, cattle dock and goods shed.
One of the Manx Northern Railway recreation trains posed in the goods yard with M.N.Ry. No.4 Caledonia and the ubiquitous Foxdale Coach complemented by a restored bread lorry for a photographic charter event staged at the station, also including original north line closed van Gr.12 behind the carriage; the station makes an ideal backdrop for these staged events and is used annually for this purpose.
Isle of Man Ferry Express containers mounted on some of the “M” series drop-side wagons during the short-lived Man-Tainor experiment in 1968 lined up in the goods yard; the sides of the wagons had to be dropped in order to accomodate the containers which were slightly wider than the wagons as seen here.
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