The Land Where Beyer, Peacock 2-4-0T Rule
Isle of Man Railway
By Walter Rice Ph.D.
One
of my favorite articles from childhood was a Trains Magazine article
describing the rail wonders of the Isle of Man. As an adult I resolved to visit Man. After six visits, my fascination and excitement about Manx rail
has only been enhanced.
Live Steam Magazine cover. The island's green countryside is shown off as No. 13 is running backwards Douglas, passes near Ballabeg. Because there are no turntables, trains always run backward to Douglas where No. 13 the Kissack will run around its carriages to return to Port Erin. |
The
small shrill whistle mounted on No. 1 Sutherland, a three-foot gauge
Beyer, Peacock 2-4-0 tank locomotive, sounded for the first time on July 1,
1873, heralding the departure of the
first steam train from Douglas, the capital and most important town on the Isle
of Man. Over a century and quarter
later Beyer, Peacock steam engines are still departing Douglas, including Sutherland.
The first three of an ultimate fleet of fifteen Manx Peacock 2-4-0 tank
locomotives arrived on the island in March and June of 1873 (the order had been
placed in 1872). The builder was Beyer, Peacock of Gorton Foundry, Manchester
England. The last Beyer, Peacock
product arrived in 1926--fifty-three years later.
In
the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man lies between the Cumbrian Coast of England and
Northern Ireland. It is thirty miles
long and eleven miles wide, with more than a hundred miles of often rugged
coast line. With a population of approximately 75,000, Man has been governed
independently since 979, although it acknowledges Queen Elizabeth as
sovereign.
Besides
the Isle of Man steam railway the island boasts four other railway systems.
Some two miles north of Douglas is the two-foot gauge steam powered Groudle
Glen Railway. It is reached by the the three-foot gauge
Manx Electric line
stretching nearly eighteen mile long to the northern resort town of Ramsey. The
initial stage of the Manx Electric, between Douglas (Derby Castle) and Groudle
was opened in 1893.
At
Laxey, the Manx Electric connects with the 3' 6" gauge electrically
powered Snaefell Mountain Railway. The
mountain railway climbs at the rate of one-in-twelve to just 46' below the
2,036 foot summit of the mountain from which the railway takes its name.
The
fifth system is the three-foot gauge Douglas Horse Tramway, operating on a 1.6
mile track from the Derby Castle terminal of Manx Electric to the Sea Terminal,
running along the sea-front Promenade.
Beyer, Peacock’s 2-4-0 Tank Locomotives
The
Victorian era Isle of Man Railway selected to power their railway with the
proven Beyer, Peacock tank locomotive.
Close relatives of the Manx Peacocks plied the rails of Spain, Norway,
Australia, Ireland and the London’s Metropolitan Railway. All Manx Peacocks are a diminutive 21’ in
length, 6' 9" wide with a 3' 9" wheel diameter. They feature steeply inclined 11"
diameter cylinders with a 18" stroke.
A
distinctive feature of the Manx’s Peacocks is a large highly polished brass-closed
dome complete with safety valves. The
Peacocks’ domes are centered upon boilers of varying size ranging from the
original locomotives’ 2' 10¾” diameter
boilers to 3' 7" diameter boilers on two of the current in service
Peacocks. Additionally, all engines
have a tapered steam-stack with a copper cap. Each engine is named and carries
brass nameplates on both their tank sides.
Tractive
effort at 85% boiler pressure for the smaller Peacocks is estimated at 4,940
pounds. Coal-fired, the coal supply is carried in a bunker located in the
engine’s cab. The current four in
service Peacocks range in weight from seventeen tons twelve hundred pounds to
twenty tons ten hundred pounds. This
weight variation is due primarily to larger boilers and tanks with increased
water capacity. Tank size has ranged
from 320 gallons capacity of the first three Peacocks to up to 520 gallon tanks
on No. 16.
Until
2000, it was the policy to paint railway’s locomotive power in schemes
reflecting the line’s historic liveries. The current policy is to paint engines
as they are shopped in the 1950s Indian red livery as part of the new corporate
image for Isle of Man Transport. No. 12 Hutchinson has been recently
outshopped in the new corporate scheme, while No.11 Maitland has been
Indian red for the past two decades. Until the end of World War II the prime
color was Brunswick green. The bright
Indian red replaced the green after the war and that, in turn, was replaced by
Apple green starting in 1967. Management started the policy of historic
liveries in 1980, the exception being the No. 12 Hutchinson that sported
an un-prototypical scheme of dark blue from 1980 to 1997.
No. 12 the Hutchinson, built only in 1908 is pulling a train from Port Erin that is about to enter the Douglas station. |
The
oldest Peacock in service is No. 1 Sutherland, dating from 1873. After being out of service, No.1 returned to
operation in 1998 for its 125th birthday. The No. 1 is named for the Duke of
Sutherland who rode the footplate on the first train from Douglas. No. 1, like all Manx Peacocks, has been
rebuilt many times and probably only the name plates are original. Over the years, many alterations,
modifications and improvements were made by the railway to its Beyer, Peacock
products.
The
Manx Peacocks, however, do not monopolize the current steam roster, nor have
they since 1904 when the Isle of Man Railway acquired the failing Manx Northern
Railway. The Northern’s 16½ mile line
ran to the northern resort city of Ramsey, connecting at St. Johns with the
Isle of Man Railway’s cross island Douglas-Peel line. Besides its mainline the
Northern also operated a lead ore hauling branch south from St. Johns to
Foxdale. To handle the anticipated
heavy loads on this branch the Northern purchased a large 22' 0-6-0 tank engine
built in 1885 by Dubs & Co. of Glasgow. Still in service today, this engine
is Manx No. 15 Caledonia.
By
the late 1950s, passenger traffic was in serious decline as an ever increasing
number of British holiday makers now found Spain a more attractive
destination. Service was cut and
totally suspended in 1966. In 1967, the
whole system was reopened under a lease to the Marquis of Ailsa. Despite new management the Ramsey line was
permanently closed on September 6, 1967 to be followed a day later with the
closure of the Douglas-Peel route.
In
an attempt to reduce operating costs in 1961, two diesel railcars were
purchased from the former County Donegal Railway in Ireland at only £160 each
and were refurbished for Peel winter service. After being out of service for
many years they await work on the two cab power units before returning to
service. Work has been finished on rebuilding the passenger compartments.
The
last piece of operating power to be acquired is a small twenty-foot twenty-one
ton diesel engine purchased from Germany in 1992. Numbered 17 and named the Viking, it is used
for “works duty,” notably shunting cars at the Douglas station. Number 17 joined four small diesel engines
built between 1956 and 1961.
All Aboard to Port Erin
The
first whistle blast, for the Douglas-Port Erin southwest 15d mile line
service, sounded on August 1, 1874, thirteen months after the Douglas-Peel line
had opened. Now operated (since 1978)
by an agency of the Manx government, this route survives because it had proven
to be the most economically viable. Most important was the recognition by the
Manx government that the railway was a positive asset for a major component of
the island’s economic base--tourism.
Operations are limited to the summer season with the winter being used
for line and equipment maintenance.
Here is classic view of the a Beyer Peacock tank engine in route with a passenger train. |
When
today’s passengers arrive to board a Port Erin train pass they through a brick
arch under the Douglas station clock and enter a forecourt. The scale of the very well maintained
station reflects the era when it was common to have 800 to 1,000 passenger boardings
for a single movement. Passing beyond
the waiting room area are the uncovered train platforms (the platform coverings
were removed in the 1970s).
The
waiting carriages can be painted in the scheme adopted in the late 1980s, when
the current running fleet was re-painted back into the old 1876 livery of white
upper panels and purple lake lower panels. Unfortunately, this color scheme
weathered badly after a couple of seasons. As a result, the management has
reverted to the carriage livery of the 1950s--red and cream. Carriages of both schemes are currently
operated.
Most
of the eighteen in service (another ten are in storage) classic Victorian era
design carriages feature both first and third class compartments with a section
for the guard. Not counting rebuilding,
the oldest in service carriage dates from 1881 and the newest from 1926. F54 built in 1923 with components from older
cars, for example, reentered service in March of 2000 with a new body. F75, a 1926 product, is the line’s only in
service “saloon” (non-compartments). Cars range in length from 34’ 2" to
37' with a height between 9' 4" and 9' 6."
Upon
leaving Douglas, the railway climbs sharply through rocky cuttings with the
Irish Sea in view far below. The first stop is Port Soderick 3c miles from
Douglas. The platform is on the south side of the line, while the former
two-storey station building (now a private dwelling) is on the opposite side.
Then comes a climb through a wooded valley and a steep descent to Santon (5e miles). Santon features a row of palm trees, thanks
to the infamous Captain Bligh of Mutiny on the Bounty fame.
Continuing,
the line travels through hilly terrain to Ballasalla (8d miles) with
its plain station facilities, where until the 2000 season the Douglas bound and
Port Erin trains passed. Since the line
is single tracked staffs are passed for clearance. The line then continues in shallow cuts to a halt for the
island’s Ronaldsway Airport. Here connecting air passengers climb a set of
stairs to clear a fence and then walk approximately a half-mile to a modern air
terminal opened in 2000. Yes, people do
use the railway for airport connections!
The
railway continues its travels through shallow cuts to the delightful town of
Castletown (9f miles). True to its name,
Castletown has a castle. It also
provides some excellent railway photographic opportunities. Castletown is where trains now pass. During the peak of the season when extra
service is offered, Santon is also a passing point. Leaving Castletown the
railway crosses over a stream and then runs through open country before a
slight climb brings it to the next stop--Colby (12¾miles). From Colby the line
descends to Port St. Mary (14¾ miles) which features impressive station
buildings.
After
a short climb, the Port Erin terminus (15d miles) is reached. Immediately upon reaching the
terminal the engine is uncoupled, run around the carriages and serviced before
being reattached to the carriage set if it is to provide another trip to
Douglas. Because the railway does not have any turntables, the engines are
operated cab first going to Douglas.
Situated
next to Port Erin’s handsome brick station is the Isle of Man Steam Railway
Museum. The museum houses locomotives
which often they rotate in and out of service (No. 4 Loch was recently
moved to Douglas to be evaluated for a possible return to service), carriages,
memorabilia and relics going back to
the opening of the Island's first passenger steam railway in 1873.
With steam up No. 4 the Loch built in 1874 awaits passengers to board at Douglas. Trains from Douglas operate with the engine running forward. |
Normally
trains leave Douglas and Port Erin daily during the season between 10 a.m. and
4 p.m., with additional high season service added Monday through Thursday.
Until recently all road crossings were controlled by gates that gate-keepers
shift 90 degrees from being across the railway track to block the roadway. The gate-keepers live in adjacent railway
owned houses. Flashing lights now
control some crossings.
The Tynwald, the Isle of Man Government, has now
authorized the next construction stage of the all-Island sewerage system, known
as IRIS. IRIS will use the steam railway
alignment between Meary Veg, Santon and Castletown. The construction will
involve removal of the track and eventual replacement by completely new rails
allowing for higher running speeds.
Accordingly, during the 2002 season, the steam
operation will be in two sections between Douglas and Santon, and Castletown
and Port Erin. A connecting coach will operate between the two sections for a
maximum of ninety passengers. If the Tynwald agrees to a further IRIS scheme,
the section between Castletown and Port Erin would be subjected to a similar
reconstruction during 2003. This means renewal of the entire steam railway’s
track by 2004. When the project is
completed the government will have made a substantial £4 million investment in
the steam line’s track. Thus, ensuring
continued safe reliable service for many years in the future.
Epilogue
At its peak the Isle of Man Railway carried more than a million passengers annually (1956 was
the last year this level was obtained), consisted of 46¼ track miles, with 16
in service locomotives, 118 passenger carriages and 151 freight cars.
Today the remaining steam railway is a unique example
of Victorian and Edwardian technology that continues to be lovingly maintained
by Manx railway men. Thus, the steam
railway passenger has an authentic feeling of traveling back in time while
enjoying some of Man’s prettiest scenery.
Isle of Man Railway All-Time Steam Locomotive Roster
No. |
Name |
Builder |
Type |
Date |
Notes |
1 |
Sutherland |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1873 |
In service |
2 |
Derby |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1873 |
Dismantled 1951 |
3 |
Pender |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1873 |
Sold 1978, Displayed Manchester Museum of Science |
4 |
Loch |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1874 |
Moved recently to Douglas to evaluate for possible
rebuilding for service. |
5 |
Mona |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1874 |
Stored Douglas |
6 |
Peveril |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1875 |
Stored Douglas |
7 |
Tynwald |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1880 |
Dismantled 1946 |
8 |
Fenella |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1894 |
Stored Douglas |
9 |
Douglas |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1896 |
Stored Douglas |
10 |
G H Wood |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1905 |
In service |
11 |
Maitland |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1905 |
In service |
12 |
Hutchinson |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1908 |
In service |
13 |
Kissack |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1910 |
Stored Douglas |
14 |
Thornhill |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1880 |
Formerly MNR No. 3, withdrawn 1958 Privately
preserved on Man |
15 |
Caledonia |
Dubs & Co. |
0-6-0T |
1885 |
Formerly MNR No. 4 In service |
16 |
Mannin |
Beyer Peacock |
2-4-0T |
1926 |
Stored - On display in Port Erin Museum |
|
Ramsey |
Sharp Stewart |
2-4-0T |
1879 |
Formerly MNR No. 1, Scrap 1923 |
|
Northern |
Sharp Stewart |
2-4-0T |
1879 |
Formerly MNR No.2, Scrap 1912 |
Article Published: Live Steam Magazine, May/June 2003.
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Last updated 01-Aug-2004