Isle Of Man Steam Railway

Definitely busy over there !

 

The IMR participated in "Whistle up" earlier today https://www.iomsrsa.org/news/2020-2025/2025/the-whistle-up-010125
Ray.

 

The Isle of Man Railways 2025 timetable has just been released and can be downloaded here https://www.iombusandrail.im/media/3150/iom-railways-2025-timetable.pdf
The Steam Railway re-opens on 20th March, the MER on the 18th and SMR on 29th. Fares appear to have been held at 2024 prices making us even better value than ever.
Ray.

 

I had to call in to the Douglas workshops last week to discuss some ongoing improvements taking place in Port Erin Museum and was surprised to see No.11 Maitland in steam outside the running shed. Two other locos are already available for the start of the season on the 20th, No.13 Kissack which has just been repainted and MNR No.4 Caledonia. The photo below also shows the former MNR 1st class saloon body which serves as a store outside the workshops has been repaired and repainted. No.4 Loch is still in the workshops where its bottom end overhaul continues. Recent work has included re-rivetting the steel backing plate behind the wooden buffer beam.
The annual Heritage Transport Festival will take place between the 22nd and 27th July https://www.iombusandrail.im/heritage/events-and-experiences/manx-heritage-transport-festival-2025/ Fuller details will be released in due course.
Ray.

 

A short pre-season test train formed of No.11 Maitland and half-brake F49 was out and about yesterday afternoon. The photos (courtesy IoMSRSA) show the train at Castletown with the recently installed replica hoardings in the background.
The 2025 season starts on Thursday 20th March.
Ray.

 

On the second day of the 2025 season the driver of IMR No.11 Maitland on the 13.50 ex Douglas oils round at Castletown station as No.13 leaves on the 14.00 ex Port Erin. Trains are running to timetable R but only Th-Su until 3rd April.
Ray.

 

Does anyone know how Mannin is getting along?

 

Copied from the IoMSRSA web page - A tour around Douglas workshops yesterday https://www.iomsrsa.org/news/2020-2025/2025/around-the-shops-250325
Ray.

 

A couple of days ago, I saw some adverse comment about the [ugly] concrete slab outside the engine shed.

When it comes down to cleaning away oil drips and prevention of slips it wins hands down over ballast.
{having done the latter at another railway a few years ago ...}

 

It's also a lot better for maneuvering road vehicles, for instance coal deliveries.
Ray.

 

As, hopefully, the photos below show, Douglas workshops continue to turn out high quality work. Last Tuesday Saloon carriage F32 returned to the dining set after repairs and repaint. This is now the second vehicle of the five to carry the livery in which they were delivered, new, in 1905. As they go through works the other 3 will be turned out to match. 'Royal' saloon F36 has been repainted in 1970's livery as restoration work continues internally. On Saturday IMR No.4 Loch (1874) double headed with No.13 on the 3.50 ex Douglas as a running in turn after its recent bottom-end overhaul. The observant will notice that Loch has received a new chimney of the original pattern. Now that the Dino expresses are over the next major event is the Heritage Transport Festival from 22nd - 27th July. Outline details here https://www.iombusandrail.im/heritage/events-and-experiences/manx-heritage-transport-festival-2025/ Full details shortly.
Ray.

Photos courtesy IoM SRSA.

 

I was surprised to see IMR No.4 Loch appear at Port Erin yesterday running bunker first. Apparently it has been turned to face Douglas for a David Williams photo charter next week. The first photo shows her entering Castletown on the 12.00 ex Port Erin and, in the second, her driver is exchanging staffs with the crew of No.13 on the 11.50 ex Douglas. Apologies for the indifferent quality of the photos but the light, in pre-digital parlance was "f2 at a fortnight!"
Ray.

 

The full programme of events for the 2025 Heritage Transport Festival (22nd - 27th July) can now be downloaded as a pdf here: https://www.iombusandrail.im/media/3225/manx-heritage-transport-festival-2025.pdf
For no other reason than we don't see as many photos of Caley as we do the Beyers here she/he is at Castletown a few weeks ago waiting to take a lunchtime diner back to Douglas. Because the loco has to be driven quite hard (smaller wheels) to keep time on the fairly tight regular timetable her main duties are on the dining trains and UDE's.
Ray.

 

Given there were never any triangles on the line (were there ever any turntables?), is that the first time a loco has run chimney-first to Douglas?

 

Happening on numerous occasions in preservation.

 

I think there was a turntable for a period at St. John's that was used to turn rolling stock to even out tyre wear etc.

There are some photos from the very early days of engines facing out of Peel but I don't think it was ever common in steam days.

 

In Manx Northern days all the locos faced towards Douglas and this continued for some time for the loco outshedded at Ramsey. It also appears that the loco usually, but not always, faced uphill to Foxdale and always when pushing trains up the even more steeply graded Knockaloe branch. In this case it would be facing out of Peel.
A second turntable was acquired at the same time as the ex CDR railcars (IIRC it was from Killybegs and built on a former loco mainframe) but it was never used and succumbed in the Ballasalla bonfires of 1974/5.
On Tuesday No.4 was turned to face out of Douglas courtesy of a quick trip on JCK's low loader.
Ray.