Lime Kiln Halt (

Manx Manx (; formerly sometimes spelled Manks) is an adjective (and derived noun) describing things or people related to the Isle of Man: * Manx people **Manx surnames * Isle of Man It may also refer to: Languages * Manx language, also known as Manx ...

: ''Stadd Aiee Eayil'') is the only intermediate station on the narrow gauge

Groudle Glen Railway The Groudle Glen Railway ( Manx: ''Raad Yiarn Glion Ghroudal'') is a narrow gauge railway near Onchan in the Isle of Man, on the boundary of Onchan and Lonan, which is owned and operated by a small group of enthusiastic volunteers and oper ...

in 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 ...

; it also serves as the line's temporary terminus on certain occasions. It is situated at the midpoint of the short line, above the nearby beach and car park.

Naming

The halt is named for a nearby

lime kiln A lime kiln is a kiln used for the calcination of limestone (calcium carbonate) to produce the form of lime (material), lime called quicklime (calcium oxide). The chemical equation for this chemical reaction, reaction is :Calcium carbonate, Ca ...

, along the course of the old packhorse road which now forms part of the

Raad Ny Foillan ' ( en, The Way of the Gull) is a coastal long distance footpath in the Isle of Man. Because it is a closed loop around the coast, it can be walked in either a clockwise or an anti-clockwise direction. Route and history The ' starts and finishe ...

, the island's coastal footpath. The station area is demarcated by a section of white picket fencing and has waiting shelters but no raised platform: the railway's coaches have a low enough floor level to enable access from ground level. When the rebuilt railway was formally inaugurated in 1986, sign boards reflecting the station's status were placed.

Origins

There was no station here in the early days of the railway: trains ran from one terminus to the other with no intermediate stopping places; it was born out of necessity, being the spot where tracklaying commenced in 1982 at the start of the restoration, and it became a station by default. For the first year or so trains only operated between this point and the headland, a few hundred yards east. When track laying extended into the glen section, reaching Lhen Coan in 1986, Lime Kiln Halt was retained owing to its ease of access from the nearby car park.

Structures

The first structure placed on the site was a portion of porch from an old cottage named "Myrtle Cottage", so that was the colloquial name given to the hut; this was replaced in 1992 by a plywood structure and gained the nickname "Myrtle II". This too was replaced in 2001 by a much wider and shallower structure which remains on site today. There is also a donated ex- Bus Vannin shelter at the eastern end of the platform and this was installed in 2007. All structures were repainted in a green and cream colour scheme by a team from

Barclays Wealth Barclays Wealth Management serves affluent and high net worth clients through offices across the UK, offering personalised banking, credit, investment management and wealth planning services. Reported client assets were £202.8 billion (as ...

in 2010 as part of a community project, and all picket fencing was replaced around the station by the Onchan

Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...

as part of a project in 2011.

North Pole Halt

In conjunction with the railway's Santa trains each December the station is renamed North Pole Halt and is transformed into a waiting area, serving as the line's temporary terminus for the running days (the headland section is not used as it is exposed to possible inclement weather). Festoon lighting is erected, and a large temporary canopy provided as shelter for passengers, and the area suitably fenced to provide a queuing area for waiting passengers. So, despite being one of the quietest stations on the island generally, for four days each December it is transformed into one of the island's busiest.

Access

The station can be accessed on foot, climbing the footpath from the nearby Groudle Beach, or from above, using the old pack horse road which provides limited vehicular access for the railway's staff, largely for delivery purposes. Other than this, the railway is the easiest way to reach the station, by informing the train guard.

Route

References

* *

Sources

Official Website
{cbignore, bot=medic (2009) I.o.M.S.R.S.A.
Island Island Images: Groudle Glen Railway Pages
(2003) Jon Wornham
Official Official Tourist Department Page
(2009) Isle Of Man Heritage Railways Groudle Glen Railway Railway stations in the Isle of Man Railway stations opened in 1983