How long is the Isle of Man Railway line?
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The Isle of Man Railway (IMR) () is a narrow gauge steam-operated railway connecting Douglas with Castletown and Port Erin. The line is narrow gauge and long. It is the remainder of what was a much larger network (over ) that also served the western town of Peel, the northern town of Ramsey and the small mining village of Foxdale. Now in government ownership, it uses original rolling stock and locomotives and there are few concessions to modernity.
Isle of Man Railway
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Since the nationalisation of the railway secured its future the main thrust of the group has been the restoration of the Groudle Glen Railway commencing in 1982 and the line continues today. Since starting the project, at which time the line had been reduced to a footpath, the line has been relaid to its full length for the first time since 1939 which was officially opened in 1992, seen the return of the original steam locomotive Sea Lion to service in 1987, the erection of various replica station buildings starting with the station canopy in 1993, and the continuing improvement of the line as one of the island's tourist attractions; this has included the added attraction of visiting steam locomotives, gala days in conjunction with Isle of Man Heritage Railways and popular off-season events such as "Santa Trains" and "Bunny Trains" each Easter weekend. In more recent times there have also been "Jester Express" days, promotions in connection with Father's Day and operations on New Year's Day were introduced in 2011. Additionally, "Driver Experience Days" are also offered where, for a fee, members of the public may spend the day on the footplate of a steam locomotive and drive trains. The railway is now a stand-alone charity and operates seasonally, whilst the volunteers of the Supporters' Association continue to maintain strong ties with the Isle of Man Railway albeit in a watchdog role, and provision of project items. The group maintains a strong working relationship with the management and attends regular meetings to ensure the development.
Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association
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The line from Ramsey to St John's was opened by the Manx Northern Railway in 1879 and operated until 1968 when passenger operations ceased on the same day as those on the Peel line. By far the most scenic and spectacular route operated by the railway, it featured two viaducts at Glen Wyllin and Glen Mooar and was nearly 17 miles in length. The railway ran independently until 1905 when the Isle of Man Railway took over operations, together with the operation of the Foxdale Railway, thereby controlling the entire network on the island. Sections of this line along the Irish Sea coast suffered some cruel weather and a turntable was installed at St John's to turn coaching stock to ensure even weathering on the most exposed section at the "Donkey Bank" which caused trouble to the operators throughout its lifetime. Trains were often dispatched with wagonloads of ash to deposit over the side to shore up the line, and it has dropped considerably since the departure of the railway. Further along the line at Glen Wyllin were pleasure gardens owned and operated by the railway company and these became a popular destination for Sunday School picnics in the railway's heyday, this providing a large source of income for the railway. The nearest station at Kirk Michael was the drop off point for holidaymakers who walked along a track to the side of the line. At Ballavolley a halt was created in 1967 to serve the newly opened Wildlife Park, which remains in place today. The line also boasted a wayside halt for the exclusive use of the Bishop of Sodor and Mann at Bishopscourt, which comprised a simple bench seat and hand-operated signal for the stopping of the passing train. The station at Ramsey was on the site of today's Ramsey Bakery on the outskirts of the town, a disadvantage when compared with the station of the Manx Electric Railway which is in the heart of the town. The station did however boast an extension along the quayside for a time, ideally situated to load and unload goods to and from the vessels in this busy port. Also, as part of an initiative to encourage the railway's use for freight and cargo, a small sharply curved siding was laid to Milntown Power Station in 1968 and three wagons converted to oil carrying wagons for this purpose. The venture was however short-lived, but trains serving this siding were some of the very last recorded trains to travel over the line, in 1969 as part of a rolling stock collection. Today, it is difficult to visualise the station as the site has been modernised and developed beyond recognition.
Opened in 1886 this was the shortest branch of the Isle of Man Railway and the shortest-lived, closing as early as 1940 to all traffic. It was originally a separate affair to the other railways, but was taken over as part of the merger in 1905 together with the Manx Northern Railway to Ramsey. The tracks remained in situ for many years and reports that trains, or light engines, travelled along its length as late as 1974 (just prior to lifting) are known. The line was only 3 miles in length but was on a steady climb of 1 in 49 for its entirety and it served the small mining community with limited passenger services (only one passenger coach was ever acquired and this remains in service on the preserved south line today, as F.39). The station at Foxdale itself was also the site of the iron ore "deads" which gave rise to the station acquiring the nickname "the back of the moon" owing to its lunar appearance. Today the station building remains in place in private ownership but the removal of two vital bridges in the 1970s has rendered it extremely unlikely that any proposal to restore the line would ever be successful. There is evidence to suggest (in the form of images) however that Foxdale Station may well retain some of its track to the present day - albeit buried under heaps of spoil. Until recently (within the last ten years) there was still trackwork visible in the road beyond the station which would have run up onto the spoil heaps for working the deads.
Isle of Man Railway stations
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During the mid-1920s the IMR formed a bus subsidiary that operated most of the island's bus services, and helped the railway to remain profitable into the 1960s. The first serious examination of the long term viability of the railway came with the Howden Report in 1949, which recommended the closure of the Ramsey line, which was already losing money; the eventual closure of the Peel line, which was breaking even in the late 1940s; and the retention of the then profitable Port Erin line. Howden also reported that the existing equipment of the railway had an economic life of 10–25 years. Economies were made throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. These included the ending of evening and Sunday services, the deferral of track maintenance, and cuts to train mileage as locomotives became unserviceable. To further reduce expenses, there were winter closures of the Peel line (1960-61 only) and the Ramsey line after September 1961, but A. M. Sheard, the then general manager, refused to close the Ramsey line which by this time was losing a considerable amount of money each year.
Isle of Man Railway
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Today's railway is a fraction of its original size: it once served the western town of Peel, the northern town of Ramsey and the small mining village of Foxdale. Since 1969 only the southern line has been operational. Although it is only about half of its former size, Douglas railway station is still an impressive complex. After crossing the River Douglas, the line climbs the two-and-a-half-mile-long 1-in-65 Nunnery Bank through a wide rock cutting that brings it through a large estate, and past an industrial estate to the White Hoe, where the island's largest brewery is passed on the left of the train before crossing the first bridge. The train continues to climb to Port Soderick, just before which passengers get the first view of the sea at Keristal, before descending into the railway station. The train then passes through Crogga Woods, under another bridge at Meary Veg (centre for the island's sewage treatment works) and climbs, reaching its summit (, marked by a board visible from the train) close to the site of Ballacostain Halt. The train descends to Santon, the only intermediate station in substantially original condition. From here the train descends at 1 in 60 to Ballasalla railway station, with interesting sea-cliff views to the east. Regular service trains formerly passed each other here. After Ballasalla the line runs over relatively flat land past the request halt at Ronaldsway to the ancient capital of Castletown.
Isle of Man Railway
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Two plank, drop sided wagons, broadly similar to the "H" class. They were intended as Ballast Wagons but their ease of loading and unloading made them useful for many types of goods traffic, eventually totalling 78 of these wagons on the line. At least six were still serviceable in 1975, and a couple survived into nationalisation. M.70 was resident on the old goods siding at Santon Station for many years. M.78 also survived and it was this vehicle that inspired the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association to restore it in 1998. The "rebuilt" wagon is now part of the railway's historic fleet of vehicles and bears plaques denoting its origins. It is coupled to H.1 as the Troublesome Trucks each September for the "Friends of Thomas" event.
Isle of Man Railway rolling stock
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This was the first railway line to be opened on the island in 1873 and was operational continually until September 1968, with the exception of 1966 when the entire network was closed. The line is today retained as a footpath and bridleway and is 11.5 miles long. Since the rails were lifted in 1975, there has often been talk of resurrecting this line, which out of the closed lines would be the most viable. Since closure there have been several service mains buried under the trackbed, including gas and telephone mains, but pains are always taken to ensure that the trackbed is returned in such a way that the railway could be reinstated. There are two notable examples of this, firstly at Quarterbridge where the railway ran parallel to the T.T. course where an access road was built on the trackbed in 1991, and secondly at the station of St John's where a primary school and housing complex have been developed since 2001. Both of these developments have been built in such a way to ensure the line could be reinstated, albeit that any station at St John's would have to be significantly relocated. During the First World War there was a branch extending from a mid-way point between Peel and St John's stations to the farm of Knockaloe in connection with prisoners of war who were interned there. The stations are listed to the right. At the terminus of Peel a large heritage centre has been built, partly using the old goods shed and station building. The brickworks office and water tower remain in place at the mouth of the yard and are occupied by the Manx Transport Museum Group, and the station site itself is now a car park for the heritage centre. It would not be unfeasible however to reinstate some form of station here in the future as needs required.
Isle of Man Railway stations
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All but one of the railway's distinctive locomotives were built by Beyer, Peacock and Company of Manchester between 1873 and 1926, with 16 steam locomotives in total. As of October 2018 there are nominally four locomotives in traffic: № 8 "Fenella", № 12 "Hutchinson", № 13 "Kissack" and № 15 "Caledonia". In addition, № 11 "Maitland" is undergoing a long-term rebuild, whilst № 4 "Loch" and № 10 "G. H. Wood" are both undergoing overhaul. The Isle of Man Railway Museum is home to № 6 "Peveril" of 1875 and № 16 "Mannin" of 1926, with other locomotives at various locations. Only № 2 "Derby" has been lost, with only the frames of № 7 "Tynwald" in existence, privately owned off-island. The railway also possesses two diesel locomotives: № 17 "Viking" which was withdrawn in 2010 and the as-yet unnamed № 21, a diesel electric locomotive delivered in December 2013. A number of smaller shunting locomotives and people carriers for departmental use also exist.
Isle of Man Railway
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The last two summer timetables reflect the tourism of the mid-1960s. These show six round trips on the Port Erin line, three to five on the Peel line, and two to Ramsey. Except for the Port Erin-Douglas boat train July and August, all trains operated between 09:30 and 17:30: quite a contrast with the 15 or 16 hours-a-day operation of the 1920s and 1930s. Almost the whole of the Peel line service was handled by the ex-Donegal Railcars, allowing the remaining steam locomotives to be divided between the South Line and the service to Ramsey.
Isle of Man Railway
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A one-off purchase in 1875 from Beyer, Peacock & Co. (works number 1524), and of similar design to Nos. 4 and 5, "Peveril" (named after a character in Sir Walter Scott's novel "Peveril Of The Peak") saw extensive use on Peel Line for many years, apt as the name is also a local one. She was rebuilt as a Medium Boiled locomotive in 1907, and last reboilered in 1932. She was withdrawn from service, having been station shunter at Douglas for a number of years, in August 1960 and stored out of use thereafter. In 1967 she was selected as one of the static display locomotives during the Marquess of Ailsa years at St.John's station and, after closure of the Peel and Ramsey lines in 1968 relocated to Douglas Station for display purposes. Stored for several years together with No. 5 "Mona" in original 1893 Douglas carriage shed, she was removed from here and cosmetically restored by members of the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association, a local preservation group, in 1994 and is now resident in the railway museum at Port Erin carrying the Indian red livery of the post-war years. Sometimes considered as a restoration job by the railway, this has yet to be carried out but enthusiasts remain hopeful that this may happen one day.
Isle of Man Railway locomotives