Isle Of Man Steam Railway

Only able to make out "Severn Valley Railway Bridgenorth" lettering on clip showing on Corris website (www.corris.co.uk/news, visible just after 3 mins in) , but it's about the right size and shape for one of the 'medium' locos ..... and I believe one is leaving (or already has left) the mainland for the island to it's east and I think I recall seeing Keefe's mentioned.

Assuming it even is for an IMR loco, whether it is one of the newly constructed boilers (looks like it to me), or a reconditioned 'Chatham', I'm not able to tell. I don't think they go much larger than 3ft gauge there ...

 

just watched, it looks very like a medium boiler, but can't be sure, also looks like there's no smokebox attached though which makes it look different

 

That would be No.10's new boiler (one of 5 built/being built for us by the SVR). As the pics from Alan Keef's open day show IMR No.10 is having an even more extensive rebuild than No.11 having had to have a new front frame section grafted on to the mainframes, and like No.11 will be in 'as new' condition when it returns, probably in 2024. I think it's a pretty open secret that Thornhill is being worked on at John Fowler's works in Cumbria and new cylinders are being/have been cast for it as I recall.
Don't forget that we have our Winter transport festival at the end of the month so there's still time to arrange a trip to see us!
Ray.

 

.... and I saw No.10's frames (and a very clear notice, identifying it, complete with potted history) on another clip of the open day, less than a fortnight ago. Honestly, if I were a horse, they'd have shot me years ago!

Enquiry: was the source of the woes with the front end of No.10's frame by any chance broadly the same as that responsible for chewing the castings of No.16's valves, mentioned a few posts back?

Of interest, given SRSA supporters have had the opportunity to get up close and personal with No.5, which I know was distinctly tired* by the time it was sidelined, how does the area around and below the smokebox on Mona compare with what's come to light on Nos.10&16?

Not sure it's related, but I recall a recent FfR 'Moving Pictures' clip mentioning the line felt the extra cost of stainless steel smokeboxes to be worthwhile. Is it known whether the IMR has any views on this, please?

Oh, how I wish I get there for the Winter Festival.

*gross understatement

 

I'm not sure how much of the damage to No.10's frames could be attributed to corrosion and how much was old collision damage. The cylinders were replaced at her 1993 rebuild and will probably go back on although, if it were my decision, I'd be tempted to go for a new pair and cascade the 1993 pair to No.8 as hers are completely worn out. On No.5 there is significant corrosion on top of the valve chests as you might expect from being exposed to smokebox ash for so long but, as the chances of her ever being returned to steam are next to zero, we haven't investigated further. The visible area of the frames don't look too bad. I've just had a look at some photos of No.11 taken at Keef's before she was painted and can't honestly tell whether the smokebox was stainless or not. The tanks certainly are, as are No.4's, with cosmetic rivets plug welded on. For some inexplicable reason the contractor making No.16's new tanks has gone back to mild steel and hot-rivetting.
We are back to Th - Mo only running on the IMR as it is now getting into the 'quiet season' but it was a beautiful day in Douglas today as No.13 Kissack took out the 1.50 to Port Erin. MNR No.4 was also pottering about outside the running shed.
Ray.

 

Into low season now, so no trains today (Tuesday) but a pleasant surprise on my stroll into the village this morning as No11 in steam outside the Port Erin loco shed having its weekly check carried out by the workshop crew.
There’s a Wizards Express Diner tomorrow and the start of the 5 day Winter Festival.

 

Slightly delayed picture from yesterday

 

Thursday nights Pie and Mash was a sell out, with lots of the passengers attending the Railway Museum which was open especially for the occasion on the night. The train was double headed by Loch and Kissack, with Kissack acting as banker on the return journey from Port Erin

 

Our team were acting as guides on the shed tours at Douglas today. Traditionally Shed Tour days are carried out in pouring rain and today was no exception. In the works the chassis of No9 Douglas is receiving some attention, van G1 is almost complete. Three carriages are receiving attention including the Foxdale coach. Loco 8 is stored out of use in the steam shed, MNR 4 was not in traffic today but Peacocks 4,11and 13 were running the service. A Murder Mystery Dining Train runs tonight.

 

Mike failed to mention that the reason that the 9.50 out of Douglas carried a headboard was to mark the 60th anniversary of his grandfather Driver Joe Buttell's retirement from the IMR after 52 years' service. A real 'Legendary Driver' made famous by the painting 'Buttell's Ducks' by Manx artist William Hoggatt.
Ray.

 

Thanks Ray, I wasn’t going to make a fuss
My grandfather joined the IMR as a cleaner in 1910, worked up to senior driver by the time he retired (for the first time) 52 years later at the age of 67. He then was brought back to drive for another two summer seasons then took a break before returning yet again as a Station Master during the Ailsa era. He was recorded by Manx Radio talking about his life and the ducks Ray mentions in July 1973, just a few weeks before he passed away. Here is the recording for anyone interested, and my thanks to Manx Radio for permission to use it

 

The main operating season has now ended, but a weekend only service runs through November and then the Festive Dining Trains follow in December and into very early January. Pictures by John Anderson

 

What's going on in that last picture, with two trains (or one train and a loose coach) on the same track?

 

taken at Castletown Station
The coach on the rh side is the last carriage of the 16:00 Port Erin departure (hauled by No13 Kissack) the train taken by MNR4 Caledonia is the Dining set out on a private hire. The dining set has vacated the passing loop to allow the 15:50 Douglas departure to enter the station and will sit behind the Douglas bound train until it leaves, and then remain in the station until the section clears and it can proceed back into Douglas.

 

Genuine question, since I simply don't know what the IOM rules are, do your trains not carry any sort of headcode or lamp at the front?

 

Post #1068 (above) indicates lamps are carried after dusk (dining trains and charters), but now you come to mention it ......

Just checked my old copy of MacNab (plus a dozen other images in variou other volumes) and there's evidence of an oval board fitted on the RHS of bufferbeams (from photos, that seems to have been fore and aft) where the caption says the working is a 'Special". The cover of the 1968 edition shows an Ailsa liveried loco, sporting two discs at the outer edges of the bufferbeam, OHS plain, RHS diagonal black line (/), but other than that, can't see any indication of discs or lamps in any image, on any line at any period.

Ray or Mike will be better placed to give a definitive answer.

 

Ah Now…..
My copies of the IMR and Ailsa rule books are on loan to the museum so I can’t access them till the weekend, but.
The only code used with any regularity or sense was the red oval disc mounted on the buffer beam and indicating that a Special (non time tabled) train would be following along in the same direction next.
Lamps were just lamps as far as I can remember but the rule books may say otherwise. I’ll find the section and post a picture up when I can.
During the Ailsa tenure you will see pictures of the engines with discs on the buffer beams, some plain white and some with a diagonal red stripe running across them. As far as I can remember these had some significance on re opening day, but seemed to make little sense after that. One loco crew just liked them so ran with them all of the 1967 season as decoration occasionally one would appear on one of the other engines.
In order to satisfy my own curiosity to see if there was reason for them after reopening day I’ve messaged a former staff member, if I get a reply I’ll let you know.
We sometimes use the discs as decorations on events trains, particularly when the loco is in Ailsa livery.
The red oval disc is still used also, again mostly for photo events etc, the anomaly here being that the photo charter often IS the special train
I’m not sure if the oval board is still in the current rule book, but I’ll ask.

 

Further to the above, see this reply from Bill Barlow to my message. I admit that I’d completely forgotten about the rear disc or target on the last coach, so thank Bill for reminding me.
“
To the best of my recollection the discs were in lieu of head and tail lamps. The rear disc was especially important for confirming to wayside crossing keepers and station masters that the train was complete and had not divided.


That is how I think it was explained to me by Sir Philip Wombwell, whose idea it was.


The discs did not have any significance regarding destination or category of train, so people shouldn't read anything into whether a disc was positioned on the left of the bufferbeam or the right! “

 

Very Victorian! (SER trains, and probably many others, used to carry a "LV" (last vehicle) board on the back during daylight, only using a tail lamp at night. No doubt it saved considerable amounts of lamp oil ...

Tom

 

Discs and oval boards at photo events. You will see goods stock attached as tail traffic, this is only allowed these days on photo charters and only within the limits of a station signal section