Some Notes From Manx Steam Railway News

On 7th January, No.4 Loch was steamed and with one runner carrying sleepers, an “M” wagon filled with ashes and F.27 to Port Erin; at Castletown Station the train collected a further two “M” wagons filled with bog ore. The ashes, sleepers and bog ore were dropped en route to Port Erin and after a short 'top returned to Douglas, arriving at 4.30pm.  By 16th February had completed their job and were back in Douglas. The following week the diesels returned to Castletown to clear the line where the hedges had been cut by Mill Road crossing.

The section of line from Castletown Station to Mill Road gates were cleaned and re-sleepered prior to the commencement the summer season. During the summer season some four-hundred sleepers were replaced between Douglas and Port Erin.  During the Easter period there was also a Diesel special from Castletown to Douglas on the Saturday morning for students partaking in the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme.

Volunteers from the Supporters' Association were on hand between 24th May and 11th September providing Station Assistants at Douglas, Ballasalla and Castletown; duties will involve generally assisting the Stationmaster/Clerk in Charge in the day-to-day running of the Station.  At Castletown this involved clerking, cutting back, clearing the goods yard and sidings as well as some repainting of the station and benches, etc.

Passengers joining the 2.15pm train to Port Erin on the 30th July were greeted by the Pipe Band of the 71st Scottish Engineer Regiment who were marking and playing up and down the platform. Later they joined the train and journeyed as far as Castletown. Later On Sunday, 4th July, a special train left Douglas with No.13 Kissack and F.18, F.75 and F.35. The train arrived at Castletown where members of the Dusseldorf Flying Club were to join the train at 11.00am.

On the Monday, 30th August, it was the tercentenary of the Derby Races first held at Castletown in 1671. A fête was being held near the site of the original racecourse and a special train was run for the event. The train left Douglas at 1.50 consisting of No.13 Kissack, F.15, F.36, F.46 and F.43 and carried a number of passengers in Victorian costume. Upon arrival at Castletown the train was shunted to the siding (see top photograph).

Locomotives In Traffic

No.4 Loch  (1874) as rebuilt in 1968 was a mainstay of the operational fleet across the decade

No.10 G.H. Wood (1905)

No.11 Maitland (1905)

No.12 Hutchinson (1908)

No.13 Kissack (1910) was returned to traffic with a new boiler this year and together with No.4 Loch were the key fleet members.

No.19 & No.20 Railcars ran a number of specials and shoulder services as detailed below.

During this period it was commonplace for withdrawn locomotives to be displayed in the former goods yard at Douglas Station, this display included No.1 Sutherland, No.3 Pender, No.5 Mona, No.6 Peveril, No.9 Douglas, No.14 Thornhill, No.15 Caledonia and No.16 Mannin. Frames from No.2 Derby and No.7 Tynwald were in store as was No.8 Fenella.