Summit Station (Snaefell Mountain Railway)
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Snaefell Summit Station
Stashoon Ard-Veinn Snial |
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| Snaefell Mountain Railway | |||||||||||
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| Location | Garff, Isle of Man | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 54°15′44″N 4°27′47″W / 54.2622°N 4.4630°WCoordinates: 54°15′44″N 4°27′47″W / 54.2622°N 4.4630°W | ||||||||||
| Owned by | Isle of Man Heritage Railways | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | Snaefell Mountain Railway | ||||||||||
| Platforms | Ground level | ||||||||||
| Tracks | Two running lines & point | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Structure type | Hotel building | ||||||||||
| Parking | None | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 1895 | ||||||||||
| Previous names | Manx Electric Railway Co., Ltd. | ||||||||||
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Snaefell Summit railway station is the upper terminus of the Snaefell Mountain Railway on the Isle of Man and is served by the tramway of the same name.
The line originally opened in 1895 at which time a wooden "chalet" type building was erected including a waiting shelter and staff areas but the increased popularity with the Victorian holidaymakers ensured that a larger, brick-built structure was erected at the turn of the century. The original structure was entirely of wooden construction and offered only basic facilities to visitors and such was the popularity of the tramway that it outlived its usefulness within a few years. It is the replacement building that serves the railway today but it is in much-simplified format, the original being situated in the same location. Early views of the railway station and its environs reveal that there were timber boarded walkways around the terminus and these have been retained in recent times but are of concrete construction with metal handrails. Coin-operated telescopes were also a feature in the heyday of the line and these were reinstated in 2010.
The original building was installed for the line's opening in 1895 and was of basic timber construction, with boarded walkways around its environs to the various vantage points around the site. A replacement stone structure was installed in 1902 and featured castellated turrets and was more Gothic in appearance. A fire gutted the building in 1982 (which was allowed to burn out owing to the remote location and inaccessibility for the fire brigade) and the building was closed for two years thereafter. Owing to the lack of public water supply to the summit, each operating day a tram delivers a bowser of drinking water for use in the restaurant. There was also a bar (explaining the one-time title of "Summit Hotel" featured in marketing). The railway station features a number of small historical displays around its walls which chart the history and construction of the line and at one time was also home to a display of various side shows such as a What the Butler Saw machine among others; these have been removed in recent times and an extensive refurbishment carried out over the winter of 2010–11 completed in readiness for a Victorian Extravaganza event in July.
To mark the line's centenary in 1995, some remedial work was carried out to the exterior of the building and historical displays were added to the waiting area, many of which remain in place today. Generally speaking, however, the railway station building was in need of much attention to improve it to the high standards expected by today's traveller. These issues began to be addressed when central government funding became available, with the first phase of works commencing in January 2011.
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