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Manx Name:             Purt Çhiarn

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Preceding:                Port St. Mary

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Next:                           None (Terminus)

Origins 

The station at Port Erin has been described as the most beautiful building in the village and it is hard to deny this claim in an age where the once magnificent sweep of the upper promenade is being systematically bulldozed and replaced with bland apartment blocks.  The southern terminus of the railway has been rationalised in recent years and lost much of its character but it is still a most pleasant destination.  The station building is constructed of Red Ruabon brick and was constructed in 1909 in the centre of the village to replace a similar earlier structure which has been deemed unsuitable.  The building houses a ticket office, waiting rooms, toilets and café in the former porters' office.  Following extensive refurbishment the station won an Ian Allen Heritage Railway award in 1990 but sadly since this time, only remedial work has been carried out to the station and the intricate and distinctively carved wooden fascia boards and other paintwork.  In 1999 the traditional "picket" style wooden fencing was removed from the platform area and replaced with tall metal security fencing (installed to protect the bus yard that is situated on the former platform area) which detracted from the picturesque nature of the setting.  The railway museum situated next to the station, adjoining a locomotive shed is housed in a converted bus garage which was extensively rebuild in 1999.  The station is unique in having a public right of way dissecting the long platform and, in bygone days, longer trains (rarely seen today) would have to uncouple whilst loading prior to departure to ensure the right of way to the nearby Athol Park was not blocked. The station boasts a two-road carriage shed, also constructed in 1999, ensuring for the first time in the line's history that coaching stock stored overnight could be kept undercover. At the northerly end of the station is a level crossing (one of only two crossings still manned on the railway) crossing Droghadfayle Road. This duty is performed by a member of station staff. Until the yard trackwork was re-laid in 2000 the locomotive crew had to open and close the gates whilst "running round" to couple onto the train for departure but rationalisation of this arrangement now means that this can be done without disturbing traffic.  The station has historically always carried a bi-lingual station nameboard reading "Purt Çhairn"/"Port Erin" attached to the side of the locomotive shed; in 2008 following new policy, the other nameboards are also bi-lingual but these have been painted maroon and cream as opposed to the green and cream livery applied to the station area, but in consistency with the rest of the line. The former goods shed of the station now houses the souvenir shop attached to the museum; prior to this the goods shed had acted as locomotive shed for several years, whilst two out of service locomotives (Nos. 8 Fenella and 9 Douglas were stored in the original locomotive shed. These changes took place in 1999 are part of an extensive refurbishment of the museum building.