Port Jack Halt

Port Jack Halt Staad Purt Eoineen Manx Electric Railway
Station statistics
Address	Onchan, Isle Of Man
Coordinates	Pole No. 016-017
Structure	None
Platforms	Ground Level
Tracks	2 (Running & Crossover)
Parking	None
Other information
Opened	1893 (1893)
Owned by	Isle Of Man Heritage Railways
Formerly	Manx Electric Railway Co., Ltd.

Port Jack Halt is the name of the first official stopping place on the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man and is situated a short distance from the terminus.

Environs

Today, the site is known for being the location of the chip shop of the same name, but in the busy tourist days of the island it was a popular stopping off point for visitors on their way to the White City located a few yards along the coast. It remains open today but is only demarkated by a small bus stop-type sign fitted to one of the green overhead poles. The site is also served by the island's Bus Vannin service. Whilst never appearing in the railway's timetables or scheduling, the halt has long been established as a dropping-off point for local traffic and tramcars stop on either side of the road that bisects the railway at this point, either on the southerly side outside the chip shop, or the northerly which directly leads to a set of public conveniences.

Douglas Bay Hotel

The station was once the closest to the Douglas Bay Hotel which dominated the skyline until gutted by a devastating fire in 1988. The hotel was the focal point of the headland and built from red brick with a tower at its centre; it was famous for the Texas Bar, a Wild West-themed saloon that was open to both residents and non-residents. In latter years, a small swimming pool was built in the grounds nearby to the passing tramlines. Since demolition, the site has been redeveloped and now forms the basis of a large office block which is the local headquarters of the Royal Skandia group. A circular tower has been incorporated into the design of the building, slightly echoing the hotel structure it replaces.

Facilities

Postcard View

The area was once a bustling place for tourists to visit and featured a penny amusement arcade with slot machines and the like, a milk bar known as the "Moo Kow" and other shops that traded in souvenirs and the like. Being above a stony beach of the same name, previously known as "Port-E-Vada Creek" the shops traded largely in seaside equipment as one would expect. The distinctive Mock Tudor-style buildings remain today, now location for a tanning shop, tapas bar and the famous "Port Jack Chippie" chip shop; in the terrace behind is a convenience store and hairdressers' salon. It was once a busy area for tourists, with many of the buildings that now form private dwellings or apartments being bed-and-breakfasts or guest houses.

Route

Preceding station		Manx Electric Railway		Following station
Derby Castle		Douglas - Ramsey		Onchan Head

Also

Manx Electric Railway Stations

References

• Mike Goodwyn (1993). Manx Electric. Platform Five. ISBN 9781872524528. 
• Keith Pearson (1992). 100 Years Of Manx Electric Railway. Leading Edge. ISBN 0948135387. 
• Robert Hendry (1978). Manx Electric Album. Hillside Publishing. ISBN 0950593303. 
• Norman Jones (1994). Isle Of Man Tramways. Foxline Publishing. ISBN 1-870119-32-0. 

Sources

• Manx Electric Railway Stopping Places (2002) Manx Electric Railway Society
• Island Images: Manx Electric Railway Pages (2003) Jon Wornham
• Official Tourist Department Page (2009) Isle Of Man Heritage Railways