Short Line Working
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1975
The 1975 season was experimental, with trains only operating from Port Erin as far as Castletown with no passenger services running into Douglas for the duration of the year. This was in an effort to cut costs, a bus service linking to the capital being laid on to ferry passengers further northward, ad a somewhat shortened season operating only from the middle of May, and no trains on Saturdays, which was still “change-over day” for boarding houses, it would not be until the following decade that trains would run on this day.
The Railway Company remained in harness at this point and it would not be until the close of the 1977 that they would relinquish control, the line being operated by the Isle of Man Government from the following year. Ultimately the experiment of short line working was a failure, though the following year this was extended as far as Ballasalla but this proved similarly unhelpful resulting in the full line being reinstated for the 1977 with grants from the Tourist Board, though it would prove to be their final year and the company was liquidated in 1980.
This timetable as advertised required only one locomotive and rake of carriages to operate, performing four return journeys a day, with a twenty-minute turn-around at Castletown and thirty-five minutes at Port Erin. As no trains operated further north it was necessary to run occasional stock moves and specials to bring coal south, and marshal the required carriages. This was not the most efficient use of the line, as would later be discovered,. and stock movements to the capital were almost a weekly event.
For the majority of the year No.11 Maitland, No.12 Hutchinson and No.13 Kissack were to provide the motive power though the diesel railcars were also operated on occasion, stowed on the Birkenhead Siding at Port Erin between uses. Elsewhere on the network, the rails were lifted on the closed Peel and Ramsey lines, and the new museum in the former Road Services garage at Port Erin opened its doors for the first time. To the right can be seen the diesel railcars on one of their infrequent calls at the station that year.
Above: No.11 Maitland backs onto her train for the return to Port Erin; note that all trains served the "down" line whereas it is more common for trains arriving from the south to use the line on the left. Left: a view from the pedestrian crossing at the Silverburn Bridge shows a train in the distance, this time using the up line, the train having arrived on this side and the locomotive run round to attach back on the other end of the carriages. It seems which line was favoured was to change over the course of this season.
Timetable For The 1975 Summer Season
Sundays To Fridays - 18th May - 26th September (Not Saturdays)
Ex-Pt. Erin: 10.00am | 11.45am | 2.00pm | 4.05pm
Arr. Castletown: 10.25am | 12.10pm | 2.25pm | 4.30pm
Ex-Castletown: 10.45am | 12.20pm | 2.45pm | 4.45pm
Arr. Pt. Erin: 11.10am | 12.45pm | 3.10pm | 5.10pm
Extracted from Manx Steam Railway News (OIssuie No)) the 1975 season finished on Friday 26th September, with No.12 Hutchinson still in command at Port Erin; however, on 7th October the locomotive was in steam and with ten carriages journeyed back to Douglas in order that the carriages be stored in the carriage shed. A few days later, No.13 Kissack, which had been stored at the back of Port Erin shed, was steamed and did some shunting of “M” wagons around Port Erin and Port St. Mary.
A number of wagons were left at Port St. Mary crossing for loading by volunteers of the hedge and briars cut down by staff and volunteers some days earlier. In Port Erin F.49, R.12, G.6 (on loan to the Association), G.1 and F.39 were to be seen. To the left can be seen Alex Townsend, Ron Cooper, Derek Hibbert, Richard Clark and Tony Beard during an Association volunteer working party at Castletown Station in the summer of 1975. This group were regular visitors to the site carrying out maintenence during this period.
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