Isle of Man Railway locomotives

The locomotives of the Isle of Man Railway were provided exclusively by Beyer, Peacock & Company of Manchester, England between 1873 and 1926; other locomotives that appear on this list were inherited as part of the take-over of the Manx Northern Railway and Foxdale Railway in 1905, when the railway also purchased two more locomotives from Beyer, Peacock. All the steam locomotives have or had the 2-4-0Template:Whyte suffix wheel arrangement, apart from No. 15 Caledonia (built by Dübs & Co. of Glasgow) which is an 0-6-0Template:Whyte suffix.

In 2024 two modern, small diesel locomotives were acquired secondhand from Bord na Móna in Ireland.

No. 1 Sutherland

No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel arr.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.1	1873	Sutherland	Beyer, Peacock & Company	1253	2-4-0T	1921-1922, 1964-1998, 2003-Date	Railway Museum	Holly green (1873-1946)	Company chairman, George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of SutherlandTemplate:Rp

File:IMR-Loco-1.jpg

No. 1 Sutherland at Laxey on the Manx Electric Railway during the Steam 125 celebrations in 1998

The railway's first locomotive arrived on the island on 27 March 1873. It hauled the first train from Douglas to Peel on 1 May 1873, carrying the Duke of Sutherland, and the official opening train on 1 July the same year, for which the locomotive carried a banner stating "Douglas & Peel United".Template:Rp

The locomotive remained in service until 1964, latterly as Douglas shunter. When the Marquess of Ailsa took over the railway in 1967, it was painted spring green and placed on static display at St John's. It was later transferred to Douglas when the railway closed at the end of the 1968 season.

When the Isle of Man Railway Museum opened in 1975 Sutherland was moved there for display.Template:Rp Sutherland was taken to Douglas in 1997 and returned to service, using the boiler from No.8 Fenella, for the railway's 125th anniversary the next year.Template:Rp During the anniversary year in 1998 the locomotive travelled to the Manx Electric Railway, on occasion steaming from Laxey to Fairy Cottage, and made a brief return to Peel railway station to commemorate the opening of the Peel line.

Sutherland was later repainted Indian red and when the locomotive was withdrawn its boiler was returned to No.8. No.1 was stored undercover at Douglas station until being cosmetically restored and returned to display in the railway museum in 2020. To mark the 150th anniversary of the first official train a replica "Douglas & Peel United" banner was fitted to the locomotive.

No. 2 Derby

No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel arr.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.2	1873	Derby	Beyer, Peacock & Company	1254Template:Rp	2-4-0T	1908-1909, 1929-1930, 1951-Date	scrapped in 1980	None	Earl of Derby

No. 2 was delivered in 1873 as part of the original batch of three locomotives for the opening of the Douglas to Peel line. It was named after the Earl of Derby.Template:Rp The locomotive is often seen in early photographs without its back cab sheet (No. 1 also appears in this form on a famous photograph of opening day).

The locomotive was loaned to the Douglas & Laxey Coast Electric Tramway for use in construction of the Manx Electric Railway.Template:Rp No. 2 is the railway's only locomotive to have been scrapped, with just a pony truck surviving today.Template:Rp It was withdrawn in 1951 and dismantled at the time for use as spare parts for other locomotives. The frames were stored for many years before being scrapped in 1980. The surviving pony truck was kept and later re-built with new roller bearing axleboxes and entered regular service under another locomotive in 2020.

No. 3 Pender

No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel arr.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.3	1873	Pender	Beyer, Peacock & Company	1255Template:Rp	2-4-0T	1898-1899, 1912-1913, 1962-Date	sectioned at Science and Industry Museum, Manchester	Holly green (1873-1946)	Company deputy chairman, John Pender

File:Isle of Man Number 3 Garratt 100 exhibition.jpg

No. 3 Pender sectioned for display at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, the other side of the locomotive remains largely untouched.

This is the last of the original three locomotives. It was originally going to be named Viking, but this was changed to honour Sir John Pender, deputy chairman of the railway company.Template:RpTemplate:Rp

In 1925, Pender was involved in an accident at Douglas station. The train failed to stop as it arrived at the station and crashed through the buffers before coming to rest in the concourse. The fireman remained in the engine and survived, but the driver jumped out and suffered fatal injuries. This accident and the following enquiry led to all rolling stock being fitted with vacuum brakes.Template:RpTemplate:Rp

This locomotive was little modified over the years compared with its classmates, and was withdrawn from service in the 1950s. Pender was re-boilered in 1888 and 1913. The third and current boiler was made in 1923 for No. 2 Derby and was fitted in 1951 after that locomotive was broken up. The side rods are from No. 4. Loch (they are stamped 1416). Pender was cannibalised for spare parts to keep the other locomotives in service. Many non-ferrous fittings are missing.

Pender left the island in 1979 and has been sectioned for display at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester.Template:Rp

No. 4 Loch

No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel arr.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.4	1874	Loch	Beyer, Peacock & Company	1416	2-4-0T	1955-1968, 1995-2002, 2015-2021	in traffic	Indian red (1946-1965)	Henry Loch, 1st Baron Loch

File:Castletown Water Tower.JPG

No. 4 Loch beside the water tower at Castletown in 2012

Locomotive No.4 was delivered in 1874 for the opening of the Port Erin line.Template:Rp It was named after the island's lieutenant governor, Henry Brougham Loch.Template:Rp As originally built Loch was a small-boiler locomotive, although it had larger water tanks and bunkers than the original three locomotives.Template:Rp It was rebuilt with a larger boiler in 1909,Template:Rp which gave it the same tractive effort as Nos. 10 and 11.

No. 4 received a new boiler in 1967 and returned to service in September 1968 just in time to haul one of the last trains to Peel before that line closed.Template:RpTemplate:Rp The locomotive was based at Port Erin for many years, and was unusual in that it worked with its chimney towards Douglas.Template:Rp During the 1993 Year Of Railways the locomotive hauled special services on the Manx Electric Railway.Template:Rp

After being withdrawn from service in 1995, Loch underwent an overhaul in 1998–2000, including fitting a new boiler and returned to service. Following a further overhaul starting in 2017, the locomotive has been in traffic again since 2021. During the 2017–2021 overhaul it was fitted with Salter safety valves, which had not been seen in service on the railway for over 60 years. From 1979 until withdrawal, the locomotive had and a non-standard maroon livery. It currently carries the familiar Indian red livery.

No. 5 Mona

No.	Built	Name	Builder	Work No.	Wheel arr.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.5	1874	Mona	Beyer, Peacock & Company	1417Template:Rp	2-4-0T	1909-1911, 1937-1938, 1969-Date	cosmetically restored	Spring green (1967-1978)	latin name for Isle of Man

File:IMR-Loco-5.jpg

No. 5 Mona in storage in the carriage shed at Douglas in 2007, still carrying the spring green livery applied in 1967 albeit very faded.

Locomotive No.5 arrived with No.4 in 1874 for the opening of the Port Erin line.Template:Rp It was rebuilt as a medium-boilered locomotive in 1911. Last reboilered in 1946, No. 5 was a regular on the Peel line later in its career.

The locomotive remained in service right until 1968. It was privately purchased from the newly nationalised railway in 1978 but bought back in 2012. The locomotive was stored in the carriage shed at Douglas, including several years in a sealed tent with No.9 Douglas due to the presence of asbestos. Following the removal of the asbestos in 2020, the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association cosmetically restored the locomotive for the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Peel line in 2023. Mona then entered the Railway Museum adjacent to Port Erin railway station, where it remains exhibited today.

No. 6 Peveril

No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel arr.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.6	1875	Peveril	Beyer, Peacock & Company	1524	2-4-0T	1901-1902, 1929-1932, 1960-Date	Cosmetically restored	Indian red (1946-1965)	Sir Walter Scott's Peveril of the Peak

File:Port erin railway museum No6 peveril 2018-06-28.jpg

No. 6 Peveril on display in the Isle of Man Railway Museum in the post-war red livery

No.6 Peveril was a one-off purchase in 1875 from Beyer, Peacock & Co. (works number 1524) and was identical to Nos.4 and 5.Template:Rp It was rebuilt as a medium-boiled locomotive in 1911,Template:Rp and last reboilered in 1932.

The locomotive saw extensive use on Peel Line for many years and was withdrawn from service in 1960, having been station shunter at Douglas for a number of years. In 1967, it was put on static display at St. John's station, and was relocated to Douglas station for display purposes after the Peel and Ramsey lines closed in 1968.

Peveril was offered to the National Railway Museum in the late 1970s, but was not taken and the locomotive was stored for several years in the carriage shed at Douglas with No.5 Mona before being cosmetically restored by members of the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association in 1994.Template:Rp The locomotive was then displayed in the Railway Museum until 2023 when it was moved to the goods shed at Port St Mary.

No. 7 Tynwald

No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel arr.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.7	1880	Tynwald	Beyer, Peacock & Company	2027	2-4-0T	1900–1901, 1928–1929, 1947–Date	in private storage	Holly green (bunker)	Manx parliament

File:IMR-Loco-7.jpg

The frames and bunker of No.7 Tynwald displayed on the former goods dock at Castletown station in 1989

Built in 1880 (Beyer, Peacock works number 2038) and named after the Manx parliament, this locomotive was identical to Nos.4-6.Template:Rp No.7 was the first of the fleet to have sandboxes placed just ahead of the water tanks. As a result, the feedwater pipe was changed from the original C-shaped end to an "S" shape entering the boiler between the smokebox and first cladding ring, rather than between the first and second cladding rings.

The locomotive was involved in a collision with No.10 G.H. Wood in 1928,Template:Rp and the frames were badly damaged at this time. Tynwald was the first of the railway's locomotives to be withdrawn from service in 1947. The tanks and cab were scrapped in 1974 while the remaining main frames and coal bunker were purchased by Isle of Man Railway Society. These were displayed on the goods platform at Castletown station but have since been moved to storage in Weeting, Norfolk.Template:Rp

No.8 Fenella

Fleet No.	Build Date	Allocated Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel Arr.	Withdrawn Dates	Present Status	Livery Worn	Name Origin
No.8	1894	Fenella	Beyer, Peacock & Company	3610	2-4-0T	1969-2003 2008-2012 2021-Date	Withdrawn	Indian Red (1946-1965)	Sir Walter Scott's Peveril of the Peak

File:IOMR Fenella 2007.jpg

No. 8 Fenella at Castletown Station in July 2008 showing her diminutive size compared with her shedmates and wearing a Manx National Week headboard

Built in 1894 and named after a character in a novel by Sir Walter Scott, this locomotive was for many years based on the railway's Ramsey Line of and remained in service until the Marquess of Ailsa's revival in 1967. It carries a unique 2 ft 11 in, 160 psi boiler, which gives it the same theoretical power output as the medium boiler locomotives, but in reality it was inclined to run short of steam on heavy trains. It was purchased by a preservationist group in 1978 with the goal of complete restoration, and in 1988 the boiler was lifted from the frames and sent to the Severn Valley Railway's workshops for re-construction. This was a long-term project and as relationships between the owners and management soured, the project did not reach fruition. However the owners offered the boiler (now complete) to donor locomotive No. 1 Sutherland so that it could return to service for the Steam 125 celebrations in 1998. After three years on No. 1 the boiler was placed into No. 8, which operated as a member of the active fleet until early summer 2008. Being the sole example of the smaller engines (No. 4 has been rebuilt to a medium configuration) it was often to be seen on lighter trains, specials and acting as station pilot. It operated in May 2010 on non-passenger duties as part of the annual Rush Hour event, and after much consideration the locomotive returned to railway ownership in April 2012 for use on the Rush Hour event. No. 8 made a return to the site of Peel Station for display to commemorate the Peel line's 140th anniversary on 1 July 2013, being placed on a short length of display track next to the station's former water tower. Following the close of the shortened 2020 season, the boiler certificate expired and the locomotive was withdrawn. In May 2022, the locomotive travelled off-island to attend the Beyer Bash at the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway.

No.9 Douglas

Fleet No.	Build Date	Allocated Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel Arr.	Withdrawn Dates	Present Status	Livery Worn	Name Origin
No.9	1896	Douglas	Beyer, Peacock & Company	3815	2-4-0T	1909-1911 1922-1922 1953-Date	Cosmetically Restored	Holly Green	Island's Capital Town Douglas Town

File:IMR-Loco-9.jpg

No.9 Douglas in storage at Douglas Station in the running shed in 2006 prior to decontamination of asbestos and cosmetic work commencing

A further increase in traffic led the railway company to order another locomotive in 1896, with No. 9 being the last locomotive from Gorton Foundry that year (Beyer, Peacock works number 3815). Reboilered only twice and most recently in 1912, Douglas is one of the most original fleet members, having been little altered since delivery. The only major modifications were the fitting of vacuum brake equipment for train braking combined with a steam brake on the loco (the most obvious detail of this is the exhaust pipe from the cab front to the smokebox on the right hand side of the boiler). This also included conversion from wood to iron brake blocks. Along with No. 14, the loco was only ever fitted with Salter safety valves and never received a more modern boiler. Withdrawn in 1953 after being reduced to light duties, it was stored and cosmetically restored for the 1969 season but was ultimately sold in 1978, though it has never left the railway. It was partially repainted in the 1980s into a non-standard brown livery (one which is thought to have been carried by some locomotives based on early colour photos) with black and orange lining. It was later fully painted, again in a non-standard black and red livery (the colour previously being used on the station building at Port Erin), which is still retained today. Its smokebox door went missing at some point and was given a wooden replacement. In 2020 No. 9 was dismantled, had asbestos removed and the boiler, tanks and cab all sand blasted and coated in red primer. The boiler is currently stored at Douglas, while the chassis and superstructure are currently stored in the running shed. In January 2023, the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association unveiled plans to cosmetically restore the locomotive following a similar project with No.5 Mona, it is to be unveiled at the Manx Heritage Transport Festival in July 2025.

No. 10 G.H. Wood

No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel arr.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.10	1905	G.H. Wood	Beyer, Peacock & Company	4662Template:Rp	2-4-0T	1977-1992, 2006-2007, 2017-Date	Undergoing overhaul	Spring green (1967-1978)	Company director, George Henry Wood

File:IMR-Loco-10.jpg

No. 10 G.H.Wood at Douglas in 2010 showing the spring green livery applied in 2007 to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of reopening

No.10 was the first of two locomotives purchased in 1905, partly as replacements for MNR Nos.1 and 2 on the Ramsey line. It was the first medium boiler locomotive and was named after the railway company director and former secretary George Henry Wood.Template:RpTemplate:Rp

As the first of the larger locomotive class on the line, it was extensively used and rarely out of service, operating mostly on the south line. It worked through the Marquess of Ailsa years to nationalisation, but was withdrawn in 1977 with a defective boiler and stored in Douglas works. The locomotive's frames were badly bent by a collision with No.7 Tynwald in 1928, and damaged again in a collision with No.12 Hutchinson in 1967.Template:Rp

G.H. Wood returned to service in 1993 as part of the Year of Railways, using the boiler from No.13 Kissack when that locomotive was withdrawn.Template:Rp At this time it carried a darker green livery with black and red lining, which was an approximation of its original livery. In 2007 the locomotive was painted spring green to mark the fortieth anniversary of Lord Ailsa's takeover of the railway. The locomotive was withdrawn after its boiler certificate expired in 2017,and an overhaul began shortly afterwards. The boiler was sent for repair in 2018 and since 2023Template:Dated maintenance category (articles) the frames were under overhaul at Alan Keef Ltd.

No. 11 Maitland

No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel arr.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.11	1905	Maitland	Beyer, Peacock & Company	4663Template:Rp	2-4-0T	1958-1959, 1978-1981, 2007-2022	In traffic	Spring green (1967-1977)	Company director, Dalrymple Maitland

File:Manx Steam Loco 1.JPG

No.11 Maitland beside the water tower at Port Erin in 2005

The second of the 1905-built locomotives was named after another company directorTemplate:Rp and is the longest-serving member of the railway. Maitland received a new boiler in 1959 which was the final boiler supplied by Beyer Peacock to the Isle of ManTemplate:Rp The locomotive remained in use until the end of company operation, through the Marquess of Ailsa years and into nationalisation.

Another boiler was fitted in 1981 (the first under government ownership) when the locomotive was re-painted into the current Indian red livery, having previously carried spring green. In 1989 it was painted unlined matte black for the filming of a television dramatisation of The Ginger Tree and it retained this livery for the rest of that season before being repainted Indian red.

The locomotive was withdrawn in 2007. It was given a new boiler manufactured the Severn Valley Railway, overhauled at Alan Keef Ltd in 2019–2021 and entered service again in 2022.

No. 12 Hutchinson

No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel arr.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.12	1908	Hutchinson	Beyer, Peacock & Company	5126	2-4-0T	1977–1980, 1999–2006, 2019–Date	undergoing overhaul	–	Company director, William Hutchinson MHK

File:IOMR hutchinson 2006.jpg

No. 12 Hutchinson at Castletown in 2006 carrying the post-war red livery

The twelfth locomotive was a one-off order, similar in design to Nos.10 and 11. It was built in 1908 (Beyer Peacock works number 5126) and named after company director W. A. Hutchinson.Template:Rp The locomotive was delivered with Salter safety valves and a deeper-toned whistle than had previously been employed.

The locomotive was rebuilt in 1981 with a new boiler, a new square cab (similar to that of No.16 Mannin) and a blue livery with no historical precedent. These features gave the loco a unique appearance which was not universally popular.Template:Rp It remained in this form until withdrawn from service for another rebuild, and re-entered traffic in 2001 largely in 1950s condition carrying Indian red livery. Hutchinson was withdrawn again following expiration of its boiler certificate in 2019. since 2021Template:Dated maintenance category (articles) work on an overhaul had commenced.

No. 13 Kissack

No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel arr	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.13	1910	Kissack	Beyer, Peacock & Company	5382	2-4-0T	1955-1971, 1992-2006, 2013-2015	In traffic	Holly green (1873-1945)	Company director, Edward Thomas Kissack

File:A repainted Kissack - geograph.org.uk - 4879537.jpg

No. 13 Kissack in holly green livery, 2016

Another locomotive was ordered from Beyer Peacock in 1910 (works number 5382) and named after one of the company directors.Template:Rp It is one of the railway's most used locomotives, having seldom been out of service until withdrawn with a defective boiler in 1992.

Kissack was fitted with a new boiler from Hunslet in 1971. When the locomotive was withdrawn from service in 1992 this boiler was refurbished and used to restore No.10 G.H. Wood. Kissack was dismantled and stored at Douglas.Template:Rp The locomotive returned to steam with a new boiler in 2006, painted in the now standard Indian red livery. It had previously been Brunswick green, which is not thought to have been a historic livery of the railway. It was withdrawn in 2013 for boiler repairs and returned to service in 2015. Since 2016 the locomotive has been in holly green livery.

No. 14 Thornhill

M.N.R. No.	I.M.R. No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel arr.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.3	No.14	1880	Thornhill	Beyer, Peacock & Company	2028Template:Rp	2-4-0T	1911-1913, 1930-1930, 1963-Date	privately owned	Red (1879-1905)	Chairman's residence, Thornhill HouseTemplate:Rp

This locomotive was supplied to the Manx Northern Railway in 1880, and was identical to IMR No.7 Tynwald, which was also built by Beyer Peacock at the same time. It was originally MNR No.3 and after the 1905 takeover by the Isle of Man Railway was renumbered in 1910 as IMR No.14, but did not carry the new number until 1918.Template:RpTemplate:Rp

Thornhill was withdrawn in 1963 and sold in 1978 for private preservation at Lezayre. since 2021Template:Dated maintenance category (articles) the locomotive was at the workshops of John Fowler Engineering in Cumbria.Template:Rp

No. 15 Caledonia

MNR No.	IMR No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel arr.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.4	No.15	1885	Caledonia	Dübs & Co	2178Template:Rp	0-6-0T	1968-1995, 2008-2013, 2014-2018	In traffic	Metropolitan red/maroon (1879-1905)	Latin for Scotland

File:A steam locomotive on the Manx Electric Railway - geograph.org.uk - 785438.jpg

Caledonia at Laxey on the Manx Electric Railway in 1995 during the International Railway Festival celebrations when it operated on both this electric line and the Snaefell Mountain Railway

Caledonia is the only 0-6-0T locomotive on the island and is heavier and more powerful than any other steam locomotive on the island. It was purchased by the Manx Northern Railway from Dübs & Co in 1885 for traffic on the Foxdale Railway, including taking coal from Ramsey up to the Foxdale Mines as well as transporting lead from the mines. After the takeover of the MNR in 1905 Caledonia became No.15 in the Isle of Man Railway fleet, having previously been Manx Northern's No.4Template:Rp

Traffic on the Foxdale line did not meet expectations and in 1895 Caledonia was hired out to the contractor building the Snaefell Mountain Railway and shipped to Laxey. To allow operation of the gauge locomotive on the gauge railway a temporary third rail was laid.Template:RpTemplate:Rp During 1914–1918 the locomotive was hired out again, this time to the government for use on the branch line from Peel to Knockaloe Internment Camp. As the most powerful locomotive on the system it was the best suited to the branch's steep gradients.Template:RpTemplate:Rp Caledonia was considered too heavy for general use, and its longer wheelbase was less suitable for sharp curves than the other locomotives. As a result it only saw sporadic use, notably on Ramsey Cattle Mart specials, snow clearing trains and transporting mining spoil from Foxdale for building aerodrome runways during World War II.Template:RpTemplate:RpTemplate:Rp

In 1926 the locomotive received a new boiler with "Ross" pop safety valves and it was rebuilt again in 1943. When the Marquess of Ailsa took over operations in 1967 it was repainted into a spring green livery and saw service on passenger trains.Template:Rp Caledonia remained in service until 1968Template:Rp and was placed on display, in its original MNR dark red livery, at the Railway Museum from 1975. The locomotive returned to service in 1994 and as part of the International Railway Festival in 1995 it hauled passenger trains on the Snaefell Mountain Railway and the Manx Electric Railway.Template:Rp

The locomotive was withdrawn in 2008 for a major rebuild and returned to service in 2013. It was prematurely withdrawn from service in 2014 with boiler problems. The overhauled boiler was returned from the Severn Valley Railway in April 2018 and the locomotive was returned to steam in September 2018.

No. 16 Mannin

No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Wheel arr.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.16	1926	Mannin	Beyer, Peacock & Company	6296Template:Rp	2-4-0T	1941-1944, 1950-1951, 1964-Date	under restoration	None	Manx for Isle of Man

File:Port erin railway museum No16 mannin 2018-06-28.jpg

No.16 Mannin on display at Port Erin Railway Museum in 2018

The last steam locomotive to be supplied to the railway was No.16 Mannin, built in 1926 by Beyer Peacock. Mannin was the most powerful 2-4-0T locomotive on the line and was purchased to haul the heavy traffic on the line to Port Erin, a job which had previously taken two locomotives either double-headed or banked. Compared to the older locomotives, No.16 had a larger diameter boiler (3 ft 6 in) which operated at a higher pressure (180 psi), and larger cylinders (12 in bore and 18 in stroke). It was also fitted with a vacuum ejector and steam sanders from new.Template:RpTemplate:Rp

The locomotive was mainly used on the Port Erin line and also worked special trains to St John's for Tynwald Day.Template:Rp Outside the holiday season the service to Port Erin was much reduced (partially because there was no boat train) and Mannin was stored in the locomotive shed at Port Erin railway station. It spent its last few years used as a Douglas-based engine on the Peel line, when the maximum boiler pressure was reduced due to poor condition, which would have dramatically reduced performance. It probably never travelled north of Kirk Michael on the Ramsey line, with no photographic evidence to support this.

Mannin remained in service until 1964 and in 1975 was placed on display at the Railway Museum. The locomotive's non-standard design meant it was not considered for restoration until 2019. It was removed from the museum for assessment in 2020. It was planned to restore the locomotive for the railway's 150th anniversary celebrations in 2023, however since 2023Template:Dated maintenance category (articles) the restoration was not expected to be complete until 2026.

No.17 Viking

Fleet No.	Build Year	Allocated Name	Builder	Works No.	Withdrawn Dates	Present Status	Livery Worn	Name Origin
No. 17	1958	Viking	Schöma	2086	2012-Date	Stored	Spring Green	Deferred From No.3 Pender

Four-wheel diesel engine with light green body and a faded red chassis

No.17 Viking whilst on departmental duties at Santon Station in 2008 showing the spring green livery

This engine was built by Schöma of Germany in 1958 for the Template:Langx, an opencast lignite mine in Helmstedt, Germany, where it had fleet number 208 and ran on gauge track. It was purchased by the Isle of Man Railway in 1992 to replace the railcars 19 and 20 which were reaching the end of their useful lives. As part of the Year of Railways celebrations in 1993 and following a competition in the local press, the locomotive was named Viking, the name originally to have been allocated to No. 3 Pender in 1873. It was outshopped in a dark green livery similar to that carried by No.10 G.H.Wood at the time. No. 17 was painted in the spring green livery in 2007 following comments made by local preservationists that a loco (preferably steam) should appear in this colour scheme. Whilst usually restricted to non-passenger services, No.17 saw some use in passenger traffic during 2010 owing to steam locomotive failure. It was usually in operation as part of the annual railway-based events Rush Hour in April and May each year and the Manx Heritage Transport Festival each July. In October 2012, it was announced that a replacement diesel engine had been sourced to replace Viking with delivery expected in Spring 2013. As of 2017 Viking was stored at Douglas after not running since at least 2014, and its future was uncertain. It was last publicly viewable during the 150th anniversary commemorations for the Peel Line in the summer of 2023 and has since been returned to the rear of the carriage shed where it remains in storage.

No. 18 Ailsa

Fleet No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No.18	1994	Ailsa	Hunslet Engine Company	LD9342	-	in use	Fordson blue	Archibald Kennedy, 7th Marquess of Ailsa

File:IMR-Loco-18.jpg

No. 18 Ailsa in its plain white colour scheme

This locomotive was built by Hunslet in 1994 for use during the construction of the Jubilee line extension of the London Underground. It was later used by the contractors who re-laid approximately two-thirds of the Port Erin line in conjunction with the IRIS project, which saw a sewerage scheme which saw a main sewerage pipeline being laid beneath the railway in 2000–2002. Upon completion of the work the locomotive was bought from the contractors and named Ailsa after the Marquess of Ailsa, who had greatly contributed to the railway in the late 1960s.

At first the locomotive remained in plain white livery until the removal of some of its ballast weights resulted in a rust-red lower half with a white top. In November 2024 it was repainted blue with red buffer beams.

The locomotive has a somewhat squat appearance because it was originally built to work on construction railways, although the cab was extended upwards before its arrival on island. The limited visibility for the driver has seen it fitted with closed circuit television cameras to aid vision. This disability, the absence of a continuous vacuum brake system and a mechanically governed top speed of make the locomotive unsuitable for passenger workings and it is mostly used on shunting and permanent way duties.

No.19 & No.20 Diesel Railcars

Fleet No.	Build Date	Allocated Name	Builder	Works No.	Withdrawn Dates	Present Status	Livery Carried	Name Origin
No.19	1949	None	Walker Brothers, Wigan	C/N-7989	1959-1961 1998-Date	Partially Restored	None Unfinished	Not Named
No.20	1950	None	Walker Brothers, Wigan	C/N-83149	1959-1962 1998-Date	Partially Restored	None Unfinished	Not Named

File:IMR-Loco-19-20.jpg

Diesel railcars Nos.19 and 20 in the yard at Douglas Station in 1993 at which point they were relegated to shunting duties.

When the County Donegal Railways Joint Committee was selling surplus assets in the early 1960s, the Isle of Man Railway was looking for a cheap alternative to their ageing steam locomotive fleet and purchased these two railcars. They had already been allocated fleet numbers (which were retained by the new owners) but it was only when the ex-contractors' engine No. 18 Ailsa was officially numbered in 2005 that the fleet was in correct sequence. These railcars were the subject of much controversy in the late 1990s when their over-budget rebuild was halted by incoming management, and since this time no work has been done on them. The Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association have campaigned for their completion, especially in conjunction with a potential commuter train services between Port Erin, Castletown and Douglas, which would extend the service that is laid on annually by the railway in connection with the T.T.. The TT Commuter service is currently run using a steam locomotive and hauled stock, which leads to high operating costs. A shift in management attitude could see their return to service in the future, but for the time being they remain in store at Douglas station awaiting completion and return to service.

No. 21 Diesel-electric

No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery
No.21	2013	None	Motive Power & Equipment Solutions	MP550-B1	2013-2015, 2015-2019, 2019–2021, 2021-date	Undergoing attention	Green

File:No 21 (14602895809).jpg

No. 21 in service with a mixed train at Port Erin in July 2014 as part of the annual transport festival

The diesel-electric locomotive No.21 was delivered in December 2013 as a replacement for No. 17 Viking. Its duties were intended to include shunting, maintenance trains, TT commuter services and recovering other broken down trains. The locomotive has a cab at each end, weighs 42.5tons and has a maximum speed of Template:Cvt.

It had originally been planned to spend £700,000 on a new locomotive, but Tynwald only approved £400,000 of funding. Second-hand locomotives from Russia or Romania were investigated. A new locomotive was preferred because it would have a better control system and better availability of spare parts. No.21 was built by Motive Power & Equipment Solutions in South Carolina using refurbished bogies and traction motors with new bodywork, Cummins QSX15 diesel engine, alternator and controls.

Since its delivery the locomotive has suffered from a range of technical problems. After overheating problems, a new prime mover was supplied by the manufacturer under warranty. A loose wheel led to the bogies being rebuilt. After being out of service from 2015, the locomotive finally entered regular service in August 2019, before a "power problem" in October that year caused it to be left in sidings at Castletown. since 2024Template:Dated maintenance category (articles) No.21 had worked for a total of 31 days, with £249,000 spent on repairs and a further £40,000 necessary to return the locomotive to service.

No. 22 and No. 23 Wickham trolleys

No.	Built	Name	Builder	Works No.	Status	Livery	Other notes
-	19??	None	Wickham of Ware	????	Scrapped	Formerly red and white	Ex-Queen's Pier, Ramsey
No.22	1956	None		7442	In traffic	Holly green	Restored 2014-2015
No.23	1961	None		8849	In traffic	Holly green	Restored 2013 and 2025

File:Wickham railcar at Laxey - geograph.org.uk - 1659306.jpg

No.23 giving rides at Laxey as part of the International Railway Festival in 1995.

A Wickham-built four-wheel railcar from the Queen's Pier Tramway in Ramsey was brought to the railway in 1975 for use when the Peel and Ramsey lines were lifted. It has since been scrapped, although some parts remain in storage at Douglas.

A further two Wickham railcars have since been acquired. These are No.22, bought in 1978 from the Lochaber Narrow Gauge Railway, and No.23. They are normally used for permanent way duties but also offer passenger rides during the Heritage Transport Festival. They are often transferred between the Manx Electric Railway and the steam railway as required.

No.22 was restored to original condition in 2014 with internal bench seating and canvas side curtains. It is frequently for weed-spraying trains, fire-fighting trains and line inspections after bad weather. No.23 was rebuilt in 2013 with a petrol engine and plywood sides and is generally stored out of use in the workshops at Douglas.

No.24 & No.25 The Simplexes

Fleet No.	Build Date	Allocated Name	Builder	Works No.	Present Status	Livery Worn	Other Notes
No.24	1959	Betsy	Motor-Rail Co.	22021	In Traffic	Oxford Blue	Cabless Unit, Port Erin Station Shunting Unit
No.25	1966	Sprout	Motor-Rail Co.	40S280	In Traffic	Holly Green	Carries Drivers' Cab Stored Douglas Station

File:Simplex (43694336801).jpg

No.25 in the workshops at Douglas Station showing its cab unit, which does not feature on No.24

There are two small Simplex locomotives on the railway, one of which is based at Port Erin Station for daily shunting purposes in season; the other can be found occasionally on the Manx Electric Railway and has a driver's cab and Railway Company crests applied to its cab sides; No. 24 was repainted in September 2018 and received a fleet number and painted-on name for the first time, while No. 25 carries fleet details on its bonnet in yellow with crests on the cab sides, the name appearing only in vinyl on the landward side. It was fitted with a replacement cab in 2022 with the same appearance as the original but remains with a hand-cranked starter whereas No.24 is fitted with an electric starter. In the past both units have seen periodic use on the electric railway, with No.24 being used as part of a number of cavalcades in and around Laxey Station. No.25 spent a period in an all-over yellow livery with red chevrons and is still colloquially referred to by members of staff as "the yellow one" despite having been repainted green.

Ex-Bord na Móna diesel locomotives

No.	Built	Builder	Wheel arr.	Status	Livery	Other notes
T.B.A.	1994	Bord na Móna	0-4-0	undergoing assessment	Brown and cream	Formerly LM389
T.B.A.	1995			undergoing assessment	Brown and cream	Formerly LM396

File:LM 396 and LM 389 at Douglas May 2025.jpg

The two Bord na Móna locomotives at Douglas station in May 2025

In 2024 two small diesel-hydraulic locomotives were acquired second-hand from Bord na Móna in Ireland, whose 3 ft gauge industrial railway system was being closed down due to the end of peat harvesting. The locomotives were originally built in 1994 and 1995 and they were refurbished before being exported from Ireland to the Isle of Man. The locomotives are intended for shunting and track maintenance duties. A number of wagons were acquired at the same time. Each locomotive's engine produces around Template:Cvt. since June 2025Template:Dated maintenance category (articles) the locomotives are in the workshops undergoing assessment.

The "Sharpies"

M.N.R. No.	I.M.R. No.	Built	Builder	Name	Works No.	Withdrawn	Status	Livery	Origin of name
No. 1	None	1879	Sharp, Stewart and Company	Ramsey	2885	19??	scrapped in 1922		Headquarters of MNR at Ramsey
No. 2	None	1879	Sharp, Stewart and Company	Northern	2886	19??	scrapped in 1912		North of island

Side-on drawing of a red/brown 2-4-0T tank locomotive

Manx Northern No. 2 Northern

The Manx Northern Railway's first engines were two 2-4-0 side tank locomotives were provided by Sharp, Stewart and Company for the line's opening in 1879. They were named Ramsey and Northern in 1893. Their dimensions were similar to the Beyer Peacock locomotives built for the IMR, however in their use of a leading radial axle (rather than a Bissell truck) and other features they were more conventional examples of mid-Victorian locomotive design. The locomotives were tested at speeds up to Template:Cvt before their entry into service.Template:Rp There have been some suggestions that their shorter wheelbase (11 ft 6 in as opposed to 13 ft 9 in for the Beyer Peacock locomotives) made their ride less than steady at higher speeds.

Both locomotives were fitted with new boilers in 1893Template:Rp and in 1897 Ramsey was hired to the IOMT&EPCo. to work on the construction of the Manx Electric Railway between Ramsey and Laxey.Template:Rp

After the takeover of the MNR by the Isle of Man Railway in 1905 these two locomotives were never re-numbered, unlike the other two Manx Northern locomotives, and saw very little use. Northern was scrapped in 1912. Ramsey was used to haul permanent way trains at Port Erin in the 1910s and the railway attempted to sell it in 1919 before the locomotive was scrapped in 1923.Template:RpTemplate:Rp

Boiler variants

All of the Isle of Man Railway locomotives and Manx Northern No. 3 Thornhill were built to an adaptation of a very successful 1866 design Beyer Peacock had supplied for the gauge lines of Norwegian State Railways (NSB). Apart from being constructed for gauge, the major dimensions are identical to the NSB Class IV "Trygve". The Manx locomotives came in three principle variants; the ten "Small Boiler" locomotives consisting of Nos. 1 to 9, and Manx Northern No. 3 (later Isle of Man Railway No. 14) as built. These had 2 ft 10.75 in boilers pressed at 120 psi. The cylinders were 11 in diameter by 18 in stroke, and the driving wheels 45 inches. They were delivered in three slightly differing batches. Locomotives 1 to 3 had 320 gallon water tanks, round cab spectacle plates, and "C" shape feed pipes; 4 to 6 were built with 385 gallon tanks, square cab spectacle plates, and "C" shape feed pipes; and 7 and 14 with 385 gallon tanks, square spectacle plates, and "S" shape feed pipes. 8 and 9 were supplied with 160 psi boilers, but were otherwise largely identical to 7 and 14.

The four locomotives that constitute the "medium" series are Nos. 10 to 13; the boilers were enlarged to 3 ft 3 in diameter and pressed to 160 psi. Whilst this did not increase the theoretical tractive effort, it was found that they were considerably less prone to running short of steam on the long climbs out of Douglas on the way to Port Erin and on the Ramsey line out of St. John's. These locomotives were built with 480 gallon water tanks. The cylinders and driving wheel dimensions were unchanged. Three small boiler locomotives - 4, 5, and 6 - were rebuilt to the medium-boiler variant complete with 480 gallon water tanks in 1907–14. No. 16, with its 3 ft 6in diameter boiler pressed at 180 psi, and 12 in by 18 in cylinders, is the solitary example of the "Large Boiler" variant. It also carries 520 gallon water tanks.

Liveries

For the official works photograph, engines were painted in works grey upon completion. The original company livery is thought to have been a deep green colour with black lining and either white or vermilion outer lining. This remained the standard livery of the line with slight variations until the end of World War II. The original white lining gave way to orange and red at some point (likely around 1905), and there was a gradual reduction in the amount of detail applied to the lining over time. A 1949 colour photograph of Mannin shows it in unlined green (perhaps as a result of a repaint early in World War II), whilst Fenella is seen in a work worn late 1930s version of the livery applied when it was reboilered in 1936/7.

It was not until 1944 that the railway changed the standard livery to Indian Red, a rusty orange colour akin to red iron oxide or red lead. The "Indian Red" paint was produced in the railway's workshop and tended to oxidise over time. Recently repainted locomotives would be a deep red colour with a bit of orange; those that had not visited the paint shop in some time would be a reddish brown. This was lined out white-black-white, and remained standard until the 1967 re-opening, when Lord Ailsa had service locomotives repainted into a fresh "spring" green livery. This was very similar to London and North Eastern Railway apple green. The reason given is that the Rev. Teddy Boston, a friend of the Marquess had a 4 mm scale model of an Isle of Man locomotive that he had painted in LNER colours. This was shown to Ailsa in the spring of 1967, who liked it and had 5, 8, 10, 11, 12 and 15 quickly repainted to match.

Spring green became standard livery until nationalisation, when the new Isle of Man Railways management decided to repaint the locomotives in a variety of colours to dispel the notion that there were only two engines on the line. The first refinished was No. 4 Loch which appeared in a non-standard Midland Red livery for the 1979 season. Two years later No. 11 Maitland appeared in a variation on the Indian Red scheme, though it briefly ran in a dull black livery after being used for the BBC production of 'The Ginger Tree' in the late 1980s. The most unconventional paint job was a royal blue No. 12 Hutchinson complete with alleged "Mannin-Style" square cab. This was never popular with rail enthusiasts, and when the locomotive was reboilered in 2001 it reverted to traditional Beyer, Peacock "house" with its wrapped over front and rear plates. No. 13 Kissack appeared in Brunswick green around 1980, and remained in that livery until withdrawn in 1992. When G.H. Wood re-entered service in 1993 it took over from Kissack as the dark green locomotive, whilst Sunderland was out-shopped in spring green for the 1998 season.

This variety of liveries continued in use until 1999, when upon the arrival of new management, all locos were immediately painted into Indian Red, a callback to the immediate post war years. The only exception was Caledonia, which was painted dark blue to run as Thomas the Tank Engine for the annual 'Thomas and Friends' event. Locomotive No. 10 G.H. Wood was out-shopped in spring green in 2007 marking the 40th anniversary of the takeover by Lord Ailsa, and Caledonia reverted to it original Manx Northern livery shortly afterwards. Presently 4, 8, 12 and 13 carry the post war Indian Red livery, No. 10 carries the Ailsa era Green, and Caledonia is running in the earlier, more elaborate version of the MNR's Claret livery.

The railcars from the County Donegal Railway were in a red and cream colour scheme when they arrived on the island in 1961, and when repainted by the railway company into a version of the then standard dark red and cream IMR carriage livery. This differed from the carriage livery in that cream was retained only for the waist stripe, whilst the window surrounds were painted deep red. They remained in this livery until 1981/82 when they visited the paintshops, with one being outshopped in a bright blue and white livery for a very short time. The Falklands War broke out shortly thereafter and being seen in Argentine colours was deemed inappropriate, so they were quickly repainted with a red and white scheme (the same as that carried by the island's buses at the time) and remained like this until withdrawal from service in the early 1990s.

No. 17 Viking was a deep green colour upon arrival in 1992 and was repainted (but with black and orange lining added) for the naming ceremony in 1993. In 1999, a local support group voiced the opinion that one engine on the line should be in the spring green livery, and the management chose No. 17 to be so; it has remained as such since. No. 18 Ailsa was all over white upon delivery and there has been mention that it would be painted into another colour (spring green being disregarded due to the loco's name), but this has yet to happen. The two Simplex locomotives are painted blue and yellow, whilst the Wickham railcars are also blue with yellow chevrons.

Idiosyncrasies

Whilst all from the same manufacturer broadly to the same design, the Beyer, Peacocks all have slight differences; for example, the first three have their nameplates mounted forward of the injector feed pipe, whereas Nos. 4 and 5 are central, meaning the name plates unusually read "LO CH" and "MO NA", because of a gap where the pipe passes through. All Isle of Man Railway locomotives were supplied with brass chimney numerals, whilst the ex-MNR engines received them following the 1905 merger. Today No. 10 does not carry any chimney numerals, and No. 15 had its taken off when it was returned to Manx Northern Railway No. 4 in 2007; when it returned to traffic in 1995 it carried both numbers at once.

In 1946, Beyer Peacock supplied three boilers with new cast iron chimneys which were not fitted with numerals. These boilers were fitted to Nos. 5, 10, and 12, which lost their chimney numerals as a result. It was at this point that No. 5 and No. 12 gained small tank side number plates. No. 12 lost them again when reboilered in 1981. Over the years, the water tanks of each loco were patched when they leaked, resulting in each one being distinctive by their pattern of patches; this is not noticeable today as the tanks are welded, and the rivets are only dummies for aesthetic purposes. No. 6 Peveril in the museum does however retain it patched tanks. There are several other differences, such as the grab rail on the back of No. 5's cab being a different style to all the others, No. 11 having a brass safety valve bonnet (at one time carried by No. 13 have been recycled from a pre-1939 boiler fitted to No. 13 prior to it 1971 reboilering), No. 4 featuring fleet number and three legs of man in brass on the buffer beam.

Whistles

The stable of Beyer, Peacock locomotives carry standard whistles, which can be classified as high, medium and low. The medium tone of whistle is more commonplace for the simple reason that whenever a new boiler was supplied it came with a whistle. The higher "pea" whistle on the pre-1905 locomotives also has two variants, with 1-6 being higher than 7-9 and the whistle carried by No. 4 Loch from 1978 to 1995 being the highest. The third, much deeper tone of whistle was carried by Nos. 12 and 13 upon delivery, but this was changed so to a more standard version by the 1950s.

When No. 13 was rebuilt in 1971 a new deeper whistle was provided by Hunslet, and when No. 12 was extensively overhauled in 2001 it was fitted with the original deeper whistle, later being replaced by the medium toned one. Until withdrawal No. 4, known for the distinctive high pitch whistle, had been replaced with a medium tone one, leaving only No. 8 Fenella and Caledonia with a shrill whistle. It is not known what type of whistles were carried by the scrapped Sharp, Stewart locomotives. On occasion, such as at Thomas Days, Santa Specials and the end of season trains, staff members put their own whistles on locomotives, such as triple-chimes but these were never fitted to the locomotives originally.

See also

• Isle of Man Railway stations
• Isle of Man Railway rolling stock

Bibliography

• James I.C. Boyd, Isle Of Man Railway, Volume 3, The Routes & Rolling Stock (1996) Template:ISBN
• Norman Jones Scenes from the Past: Isle of Man Railway (1994) Template:ISBN
• Robert Hendry, Rails in the Isle of Man: A Colour Celebration (1993) Template:ISBN
• A.M Goodwyn, Manx Transport Kaleidoscope, 2nd Edition (1995)
• David Lloyd-Jones, Manx Peacocks: A Profile of Steam on the Isle of Man Railway (1998) Template:ISBN