Ballabeg Station
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Ballabeg Station ( Manx: ''Stashoon Raad Yiarn Valley Beg'') is a diminutive request stop near the village of Ballabeg in the south of the
Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...
, on the island's steam railway, the sole remaining section of the former network which covered 46 miles across the island. There is another station with the same name, but serving a different village, on 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 Castle ...
to the north.


Origins

The station (or halt) consists of only a small wooden hut which is a shelter for waiting passengers. There was originally a track works
permanent way A railway track (British English and UIC terminology) or railroad track (American English), also known as permanent way or simply track, is the structure on a railway or railroad consisting of the rails, fasteners, railroad ties (sleepers, ...
hut, which remains locked, but a small lean-to canopy was added in 1982. The station is served seasonally by the
Isle of Man Railway The Isle of Man Railway (IMR) ( gv, Raad Yiarn Vannin) is a narrow gauge steam-operated railway connecting Douglas with Castletown and Port Erin on the Isle of Man. The line is narrow gauge and long. It is the remainder of what was a much ...
; other nearby stations are Castletown to the southeast and Colby to the west. The original station building here, installed in 1877, was a more elaborate affair: it was similar in appearance to third class timber buildings at other stations along the line although smaller in size but still with a station master and other platform staff. The date this building was removed is unknown, but the replacement hut has been on the site for many years; the earliest evidence of the current structure is in a 1946 photograph.


Location

The station is located on the A28 road about half a mile (0.8 km) south of the village of Ballabeg in the parish of Arbory. This road is part of the Billown Racing Circuit where the ''Southern 100'' races take place each July; the circuit is also used for the ''Pre-T.T. Classic'' races in May. The station ceased to be staffed many years ago. Ballabeg has remained on the timetable for many years, but only as a
request stop In public transport, a request stop, flag stop, or whistle stop is a stop or station at which buses or trains, respectively, stop only on request; that is, only if there are passengers or freight to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, st ...
. The station is used for spectators to access these races and is also a popular drop-off point for the annual ''Laa Columb Killey'' (St Columba's Day) festival which takes place in a nearby field each summer.


Buildings

The original station building here was a more complex affair, and the station was for some time staffed in the early years of the line despite its location some distance from the village it serves. The extant station building is a platelayers hut which has never been opened to provide passenger shelter. In the winter of 1987 a verandah was added to the front of the station and a concrete platform area created and the station became one of the most popular for lineside photographers. The site was further improved in 2001 or 2002 when a pumping station for the all-island sewer network was installed at the rear of the station: vehicular access was improved and a platform to fit three coaches was added, in the form of a wall of sleepers which has been back-filled to provide a half-height platform for alighting and boarding passengers.


''Friends Of...''

In more recent times since the 1990s, the station was tended to by local supporters who added flower baskets, old-fashioned advertising signs and the like, making it one of the most picturesque yet tranquil stations on the line. A blackboard was put in place and cheerful notes regularly updated on it for the passing traveller to observe but this practice has latterly stopped. The station carries bilingual station name boards in keeping with policy, and these were installed in 2008; it remains a request stop only: passengers wishing to board trains here must give a clear hand signal to the driver and those wishing to alight must inform the guard prior to departure from the previous station. There remained until 2016 in situ an "Isle of Man Ferry Express" container which was cosmetically restored by local enthusiasts. This was used on the railway in the 1960s in an unsuccessful attempt to introduce freight traffic to the line but was removed being in a parlous state.


Renovations (2021)

Volunteers from the
Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association {{refimprove, date=August 2016The Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association Ltd (IoMSRSA) is a railway preservationist group dedicated to ensuring the continued operation of the Isle of Man Railway on the Isle of Man. Since its inception i ...
undertook renovation works at the station during the summer of 2021 which included the provision of traditional concrete railway planters, restored platform furniture complete with station name, litter bins and a repaint of the former platelayers' hut from green into royal maroon to make the structure stand out from the surrounding greenery; two short sections of picket fencing were also erected to further define the platform area which will be continued as funding allows; a replacement running in board will also be added to complete the project.


Route


See also

*
Isle of Man Railway stations This article details each of the lines operated by the Isle of Man Railway, including the original line to Peel in the west, opened in 1873, followed by the Port Erin line the following year (which is still fully operational today), as well as t ...
*
Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association {{refimprove, date=August 2016The Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association Ltd (IoMSRSA) is a railway preservationist group dedicated to ensuring the continued operation of the Isle of Man Railway on the Isle of Man. Since its inception i ...
* Ballabeg


References

* * * * * Shows the station on a navigable O.S. map


External links


Ballabeg Station

Isle Of Man Guide

Online Reference Guide
{{coord, 54, 05, 28, N, 4, 40, 26, W, display=title, region:IM_type:railwaystation Railway stations in the Isle of Man Railway stations opened in 1877 1877 establishments in the British Empire