More than a decade after my last visit (in 2013) it is time to pay a return to the quaint and historic Isle of Man and spend a few days travelling on the four charming narrow gauge rail systems that make this Crown Dependency at the centre of the Irish Sea such a wonderful place to visit.
Armed with a three-day “Go Explore” ticket (£42.00) my aim (10-12 September 2024) was to travel on and photograph all four of these little railways – the 15½-mile steam railway from Douglas to Port Erin in the south, the 17-mile long Manx Electric Railway from Douglas to Ramsey in the north, the Snaefell Mountain Railway and the unique Douglas Bay Horse Tramway.
First up on Tuesday, 10 September was an enjoyable day on the steam railway, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, with the route from Douglas to Port Erin having opened in August 1874, a year after the former route to Peel had opened (July 1873) and five years before opening of the other major route to Ramsey in 1879 by the Manx Northern Railway.
What makes the Isle of Man Railway so special is the use of locos and coaching stock that dates back to the system’s opening. Another remarkable original feature I noted during the day was the wooden slotted up home signal at Castletown (photo below), which dates from opening of the line, was restored in 2012 by the railway’s supporters’ association, and it one of the few semaphore signals in regular use.
For much of the operating season, and for the whole of September, a two train service operates and gives four round trips each day, with departures from Douglas at two-hourly intervals from 09.50 until 15.50 and the second service beginning its day at Port Erin (10.00) with services passing at Castletown, the most important place along the route.
My day began aboard the 09.50 departure from Douglas, hauled by loco 11 “Maitland” with the service originating at Port Erin worked by loco 4 “Loch”, while a third loco in steam was 13 “Kissack” which departed Port Erin shortly after our arrival at 10.50 and worked empty stock (the luxury dining set) to Douglas before a round trip footplate experience working that I was able to photograph as it left Castletown (top photo).
After a visit to the fascinating railway museum at Port Erin – home to locos 1 and 5 – my quest for some line-side shots took me first on the 12.00 departure to Colby, the second intermediate station on the return journey, where my OS map had shown a foot crossing of the line just west of the station, that proved a good place to capture loco 4 as it returned to Port Erin (all locos are chimney first towards Port Erin).
A great advantage of the Go Explore ticket is that it can be used on island buses as well as trains and trams, so rather that face a lengthy wait for the next train I caught a No. 2 bus from Colby to the station at Castletown, where the helpful station manager told me when the driver experience working with loco 13 was expected, and drew my attention to the remarkable wooden semaphore, which he pulled off using a round metal wheel on the down platform that carried a maker’s name of A. Linley & Co. , Birmingham.
Having photographed the signal and both locos 13 and 11 on southbound workings there was just time to enjoy a fine pint of Manx Mild (3.4% / £3.40) in the delightful Sidings pub outside the station before catching another No. 2 bus and this time travelling to the remote request stop at Santon, one of the most charming and best preserved stations on the railway.
There is always something of a thrill in being able to stop a train by simply sticking out your hand, so after getting shots of No. 4 as it passed through non-stop with the final southbound service of the day (15.50 ex-Douglas) I then had only a short wait before flagging down loco 11 at 16.47 for my return to Douglas.
Day two (11 September) meant a chance to travel on the three other linked rail systems, beginning with a ten-minute canter up the Promenade behind Ginger, one of the stable of horses who pull the open-sided tramcars along the remaining mile of the truncated Horse Tramway route from roughly mid-way along the curving Promenade in Douglas to the stables at Derby Castle, where there is an interchange for the equally historic Manx Electric Railway (MER).
Travelling with a sizeable number of other hardy souls in pretty dire weather aboard the first horse tram service of the day at 09.20 gave plenty of time to change onto the first MER departure of the day from Derby Castle at 09.40, for a bracing 30-minute trip to Laxey in one of the open toast rack trailer vehicles being towed by tram no. 6. Like the steam railway and the horse tramway this is a 3ft gauge route and some of its rolling stock dates back to its opening in 1893.
The 17-mile long MER is double track throughout and seems pretty busy as far north as Laxey, where many people alight to travel up the island’s tallest mountain aboard the 3′ 6” gauge Snaefell Mountain Railway, but is a good deal quieter on the scenic northern section of the route to Ramsey, which sees hourly services for most of the operating season.
At Laxey there is a cross-platform interchange with the Snaefell Mountain Railway, which had fortunately re-opened after overhead line damage had led to its closure the previous day. This seems a very popular attraction, even on a day of dire weather conditions, with the half-hourly single trams virtually full on every trip during the time I was there.
Arriving at the summit in a hailstorm there was a miraculous break in the weather and a sunny moment in which to photograph tramcar 2 as it set off down the mountain with a full complement of passengers who were a pre-booked party and so forcing others who wanted the 10.50 departure to wait half an hour for the next service.
Once back at Laxey I carried on to Ramsey aboard tram no. 9, travelling in the main saloon this time after my earlier chilling experience in the open toast rack trailer vehicle. This service was pretty lightly-loaded and made no calls whatsoever at the numerous wayside halts along the route.
Keen to keep travelling on a day of fast changing weather, I opted to return to Douglas on the top deck of a No. 3 bus, before heading back once again to the steam railway, for a trip on the final departure of the day from Douglas (15.50) as fare as picturesque Ballasalla, which until 2015 was a staffed station and the crossing point for all services, before losing that status to Castletown.
Wrapping up my three days of travels with the marvellous Go Explore ticket, I decided to head back to Laxey on 12 September for a few photos there, so once again took the first horse tram of the day from Villa Marina, this time with the motive power provided by Harry (pictured above at Derby Castle).
The weather was a good deal better than forecast, so a great many people were heading for Snaefell, and the 09.40 tram was already full to capacity by the time Harry delivered us to Derby Castle. But a special tram had been laid on for cruise passengers and a few of us were able to sneak aboard, rather than wait for the next scheduled tram at 10.10.
After a pleasant hour at Laxey I took a No. 3 bus back to Douglas and then a No.2 service to Castletown, where I was keen to get a shot of a train passing the historic wooden slotted semaphore signal just south of the station. Having watched loco 13 Kissack pass the 1874-vintage signal I then took a bus on to Port Erin before my final rail trip aboard the 16.00 back to Douglas.
There cannot be anywhere else in the world apart from the Isle of Man where the rail infrastructure is almost entirely composed of rolling stock dating back to the Victorian era, and it is a tribute to the Manx authorities that they continue to operate and support all four rail and tram systems and recognise how they are a unique and irreplaceable lure to enthusiasts and tourists alike.
I travelled to Douglas from Liverpool on the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’s “Manannan” (19.15 -22.00hrs daily) then returned from Douglas to Heysham aboard the flagship “Manxman” (08.45-12.30 daily) for a return foot passenger saver fare of £63.50. In Douglas I stayed at the comfortable and friendly Ashfield Guest-house in Hutchinson Square (B&B £48.00 a night).
RailwayWorld.net 
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