Isle of Man Railway Museum

Isle of Man Railway Museum
Raad-Yairn Vannin Thie Tashtee
Established	23 August 1975
Location	Station Road, Port Erin,; Rushen, Isle of Man, IM9 2RR
Coordinates	54°05′06″N 4°45′29″W / 54.085°N 4.758°W
Type	Railway Museum
Accreditation	Recommended Attraction; www.visitisleofman.com
Key holdings	No.5 Mona; No.1 Sutherland; F.36 Royal Saloon; F.75 Ducal Saloon; Closed Van G.19; Carriage M.N.Ry. No.6
Collections	Various Contributors
Visitors	Annually c.25,000; (Based On 2015 Figures)
Owner	Isle of Man Government; Department of Infrastructure
Public transit access	Isle of Man Railway; Bus Vannin
Nearest car park	Street
Website	http://www.rail.im

The Isle of Man Railway Museum in the village of Port Erin in the Isle of Man is a small museum of the history of the Isle of Man Railway from its founding in 1873 to the present, including the now-closed lines that served Peel, Ramsey (Manx Northern Railway) and Foxdale, and the remaining open line between Douglas and Port Erin.

History

The main exhibition hall in 2006 prior to the relocation of the Ducal Saloon which now occupies the area on the right with van G.19 and prior to the removal of No.16 Mannin visible in the distance; Royal Saloon F.36 can also be seen here

The museum opened in 1975 when the Isle of Man Road Services, a subsidiary of the railway company, relocated to their new garage, which still exists today at the foot of the main platform. At that time, the railway operated only between Port Erin and Castletown, in an experimental season with the goal of reducing running costs. The following year, services were extended to Ballasalla, then returned to Douglas in 1977, since when the full line has operated. The building originally consisting of a metal frame with asbestos cladding, was extensively rebuilt in 1999. A souvenir shop was subsequently added in the goods shed, where locomotives were originally kept overnight. Prior to the opening, the original locomotive shed was used to store unserviceable locomotives. When rebuilt, the locomotive shed was returned to its original use and the goods shed converted into a shop area and porch added.

Location

Viewed from the opposite side of Station Road showing the 1999 gables replacing doors and carried out in keeping with the original railway buildings

The museum is next to Port Erin railway station, the southern (or western) terminus of the railway, on Station Road in the village. The main exhibition hall is housed in a converted bus garage that once belonged to Isle of Man Road Services, itself a division of the old railway company which was nationalised in 1976. Since the museum was extensively rebuilt in 1998–1999, part of the old goods shed has been incorporated into the complex, the other locomotive shed still being used as a workshop to maintain the locomotives and for overnight storage purposes. The museum is accessible from the station platform off the train, or from the nearby car park.

Facilities

The square cab of No.16 Mannin viewed from the footplate of No.6 Peveril illustrating the contrasting design of the later locomotive; neither of these locomotives are presently exhibited in the museum

The approach pedestrian pathway to the museum prior to the development of the area as the "station plaza" which commenced in 2017 and saw the creation of sloped access directly from the railway platform to the main doorway

Shop

The souvenir shop is in the entrance/exit area to the museum and is accessed via Station Road at the foot of the platform. The shop has a small range of memorabilia including books, postcards, stationery, ephemera, replica nameplates and generic souvenirs. The stock of the shop is now a fraction of what was available in the boom of the centenary seasons beginning with the Year of Railways in 1993 and extending to Steam 125 in 1998.

Drive The Diesel Simulator

The gift shop is home to a diesel-electric locomotive simulator where participants can, for a small fee, "drive" the railway's latest locomotive No.21 for a short trip to Port St. Mary Station and return, for which they receive a commemorative certificate. The simulator takes the form of a cross-section mock up of the cab but is noticeably wider than the original.

Opening

Opening dates and times tie in with the operational dates of the railway itself, usually between March and the beginning of November each year. The shop is in the old goods shed and features a station-type building as a staff/store room as well as old luggage trolleys and framed displays before entering the museum proper. There is a small admission charge for those without a valid railway ticket, those in possession of travel tickets and the popular Go cards are granted free access, as are members of the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association on production of a valid membership card.

Access

Sloped access to the shop and exhibition hall is available, however there is an upper viewing platform which accesses photographic displays and gives access to some carriage compartments and the cab of one of the locomotive, this is only accessible at present via a series of small timber steps. The main floor does provide wheelchair access to the majority of exhibits and displays, though there are plans to improve access to the upper level and potentially provide a further mezzanine floor in the central part of the hall.

Exhibits

Major (Previous & Present)

No.6 Peveril (1875)

Wagon H.1 (2000)

No.16 Mannin (1926)

Ducal Saloon F.75 (1873)

Station Diorama (1998-2014) removed to make way for No.1 Sutherland which arrived in the hall for the 2020 season

The following represents and main exhibits of locomotives and rolling stock contained in the museum since its opening in 1975; during events periods and photographic charters certain items of stock are removed and alternatives take their places where avaiable; since 2014 F.75 and G.19 have been plinthed on an isolated section of track, joined on another plinth in 2020 by No.1 Sutherland. Remaining items are rail connected via the station's locomotive shed. It is common for these items to be swapped as required, with F.36 being removed for restoration in 2023 and its place taken by a variety of wagons for example.

No.	Name	Builders	Year	Exhibited
No.1	Sutherland	Beyer, Peacock & Co., Ltd.	1873	1976-1997, 2020-
No.4	Loch	Beyer, Peacock & Co., Ltd.	1874	1997-2001, In Traffic 2024
No.5	Mona	Beyer, Peacock & Co., Ltd.	1874	2023- I.o.M.S.R.S.A.
No.6	Peveril	Beyer, Peacock & Co., Ltd.	1875	1997-2020, 2022-2023
No.9	Douglas	Beyer, Peacock & Co., Ltd.	1896	I.o.M.S.R.S.A., Due 2025
No.15	Caledonia	Dübs & Co., Ltd., Glasgow	1885	1975-1993, In Traffic 2024
No.16	Mannin	Beyer, Peacock & Co., Ltd.	1926	1975-1998, 1999-2020
F.36	Royal Saloon	Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon	1905	1975-1998, 1999-2023
F.75	Ducal Saloon	Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon	1873	1975-1998, 2000-
N.42	Six-Wheeler	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	1879	1975-1999, Now Off-Island
N.45	Six-Wheeler	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	1879	2023-Date, Privately Restored
M.78	Drop-Side	Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon	1925	2000-Date, Between Uses In Traffic
H.1	Three-Plank	Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon	2000	2000-Date, Between Uses In Traffic
G.1	Closed Van	Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon	1873	2023-Date, I.o.M.S.R.S.A.
Gr.12	Closed Van	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	1879	1975-1998, 1999-2023

Since it originally opened in 1975, the railway museum has housed a variety of major exhibits. Exhibits in the museum include two engines and two carriages as well as other equipment from the railway. The royal saloon, as used by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1963 and by Queen Elizabeth II in 1972, are preserved in the museum. There is also a large display of photographs, posters and other memorabilia. In addition to the framed exhibits of old posters and the like, further displays are mounted on the walls of the station building itself in the waiting room and booking office. These were once part of the museum and donated by a preservationists group when the facility was first opened.

Minor (Previous & Present)

Workshops' Wood-Turning Lathe
Original (1873) Carriage Door
Mock-Up Station Masters' Office
Permanent Way Diorama Display
Framed Original Ticket Displays
Photographs Of All Locomotives
Old Planes & Lathes From Workshops
Recreation Of Station Master's Office
Old Snow Plough From The Line
Visual Display Boards Charting Histories
Past & Present Headboards
Anniversary Commemoration Displays
Knockaloe Internment Camp Displays
Glen Wyllin Pleasure Ground Display

Gallery

References

James I.C. Boyd Isle Of Man Railway, Volume 3, The Routes & Rolling Stock (1996) ISBN 0-85361-479-2
Norman Jones Scenes from the Past: Isle of Man Railway (1994) ISBN 1-870119-22-3
Robert Hendry Rails in the Isle of Man: A Colour Celebration (1993) ISBN 1-85780-009-5
A.M Goodwyn Manx Transport Kaleidoscope, 2nd Edition (1995)