Isle Of Man Steam Railway

I’m getting used to all the extra activity at Port Erin, as the two locos working the festive trains are based there presently. In fact Mrs B is delighted that I’m volunteering to go into the village to go the the shops.
Here are Loch and Kissack on Monday afternoon

 

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle...g1vqc1eC4LoWw8_lOvyINqWAaDcuOdIRxDPDXyKlRjzDQ

'Ow much?! £650,000 spent on purchase and repairs, with another £40,000 needed before it can work again.

 

To put this in to perspective IoM Railways originally asked Treasury for 750k to buy a new loco specifically designed for the IMR and built in the U.K. The 'bean-counters' only allowed 400k for this badly designed, poorly built 'lemon' from a now defunct company in the U.S.A. using major reclaimed parts. Looking on the bright side we are only in 'the hole' for 650k - the pair MPE also built for the Durango and Silverton have been described as "3 Million Dollar paperweights". My own personal opinion is that, even if another 40k is spent on 'The Cabbage", it will only be throwing more good money after bad.
Ray.

 

{personal opinion, not an expert on diesels}
I can't see anyone buying that, unless it was already working.
It doesn't have any heritage credentials to justify "restoration / repair"

 

Without comment on the numbers, there are reasons beyond heritage that could justify repair of this locomotive. As for the numbers cited by @marshall5, I will merely observe that if the total expenditure does "only" rise to £690k before it's properly usable, it will still have cost less than the original budget submission (significantly less if you then allow for the reduced spending power of the most recent expenditure). That is as compared to £1.45m if it is abandoned and the requested replacement purchased at the originally sought £750k.

 

Here's a slightly more detailed news story on The Cabbage, expenditure came from a FOI request which also revealed it "still requires a replacement of cracked axle, a repair to the gearbox, motor refurbishment and subsequent bogie reassembly"
The loco dubbed 'The Cabbage' that's only been used on two days in the last four years | iomtoday.co.im

Preservation might just be the best thing for it - this loco surely has the kind of face only a railway enthusiast could truly love.

 

The problem is you have a brand new top half of a loco that works perfectly fine that is sat on a pair of ancient bogies. As well as that spare parts are hard to get for them because railways in the US don't want to give up the ones they have.

What concerns me more is not how much it cost. New bespoke diesel electric locos are not cheap. It is more the lack of diligence and forward planning towards the second hand elements of the loco. It is unlikely the axle broke during the limited service on the island. Same goes for the traction motors. All this should have been inspected and repaired as necessary before the loco was delivered. Either it was supposed to be and they got fleeced, or someone naively thought it was all in good order. From what I can tell the most the bogies got was a coat of paint.

I also believe one of the issues with it is that there is currently no way of lifting the loco without a crane, and that has to be hired in from off the island. So lifting on and off the bogies becomes a big public spectacle with the inevitable press fallout.

 

On the above. The bogies were rebuilt with new sideframes when cracks were discovered in the re-used ones. IIRC this was done around the time of the slipped tyre episode. As the photo below shows there is a local crane hire company more than capable of lifting the loco.

Ray.

 

The IoMSRSA website has just been updated with a look around Douglas workshops https://www.iomsrsa.org/news/2023/in-the-works-21st-december
Ray.

 

If they swing it around fast enough they can probably launch it into the sea from there.

 

I do wonder if it would work well for keeping ships in one place?

At least then it would be of *some* use to someone.....

Chris

 

New York had the right idea with their old subway cars.

 

The linked article from Manx Radio into the now four month overdue Systra report might give one cause for concern https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle...st-railways-report-after-doi-questions-draft/
Some interesting comments over on Narrow Gauge Enthusiasts https://www.facebook.com/groups/385672148111486/
Ray.

 

Not looking forward to that report, whenever it finally appears; my gut feeling is that all the IoM Heritage Railways are going to suffer cuts of one sort or another.

 

Heavens above. While politicians on this side of the Irish Sea take a wrecking ball to HS2, it seems that their counterparts on Mann are seriously talking about turning the heritage railways into cycle paths. Not since the Thatcher era - or perhaps even Marples - gave politicians been so openly and determinedly anti-rail...

Sent from my SM-A125F using Tapatalk

 

As non-residents of the IoM, is there any way that UK enthusiasts or organisations (HRA) can make the HoK see sense?
Probably not!

 

As a resident of the Isle of Man unfortunately I have long given up expecting many of our MHKs to demonstrate much common sense. In general they are not an impressive bunch. the main qualification that many seem to require when voting is have they heard of them or have they helped on something that in the UK would be done by a local councillor. On that basis being a local radio presenter, postman seems to be the ideal occupation to be elected.

 

FWIW the Chief Minister and the DoI Minister can be contacted here https://www.gov.im/about-the-govern...il-of-ministers/council-of-ministers-line-up/ Daphne Cain MHK has been one of the few outwardly criticizing these moves as has former Chief Minister Hon. Tony Brown.
IMO the Systra consultation exercise was designed to give the result that was wanted and, when the report appears not to have done, it has been sent back for 'adjustment'. The consultation document was clearly aimed at 'locals' and, whilst many do use the various railways, the 'bread and butter' is, as it always has been, from visitors who had little or no opportunity to be consulted. To give an example just one company (Great Rail/Gt. Railway Journeys) brought 37 groups over in 2023 and some 90-95% of these folks were first time visitors to the Island. Do you think they would have spent all that money if the railways were not here or severely cut back (rhetorical question)? It just makes me angry that these politicians whom we elected (to my eternal shame I actually voted for Alf Cannan) appear to know the cost of everything and value of nothing. Perhaps if everyone who has ever visited the island and travelled on the railways bombarded the Chief Minister and DoI Minister with e-mails they might sit up and take notice ..... or not!
Ray.

 

@marshall5 - Does the HoK have anything like the recall petitions, such as the one recently circulated in Wellingborough ?