Isle of Man Railway rolling stock

The rolling stock used on the Isle of Man Railway today is entirely original but the serviceable passenger coaches number 14, out of an original total of 75 carriages. The railway was provided with a variety of stock from different manufacturers over its time, and types of coach were categorised according to a lettering system, with the original four-wheeled coaches being of A, B, C and D types, and so on. The types of stock can be summarised as follows:-

Four-Wheeled Coaches

Four-wheeled carriages supplied for the opening of the line to Peel in 1873; these were close-coupled in pairs from the late 1880s. Each class of coach had a different internal layout. "A" class carriages were 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m) long and the remainder one foot (305 mm) shorter. Class "A" consisted of twelve first class carriages - eleven three-compartment carriages and one saloon. The "B" class consisted of 24 three-compartment third class carriages open above the seat backs. The "C" class (14 built) had two third class compartments and a brake compartment - one coach was later converted to a saloon. The "D" class consisted of a pair of composites arranged 3/1/3, the first class compartment being wider at the expense of the third class passengers. All these were later converted into bogie carriages by mounting pairs of bodies on bogie underframes supplied by the Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co. They became known as the "pairs" coaches and were later renumbered into the F.50-F.75 series, see below.

"Small F" Coaches

The initial batch were supplied by Brown Marshalls and became known as the "Small Fs" as they are noticeably smaller in size than the later vehicles being 35 feet long and 9'6" from rail to roof; all had wooden frames and had the frames concealed by the lower panelling of the carriage bodies, though at various periods where the frames would normally show was indicated with a broad black stripe at the bottom of the lower panels to match later carriages, this feature was reinstated in 2013. Coaches listed with "Guard" in the layout above had a handbrake fitted in a locking housing in one of the end compartments. In addition to the handbrake a lookout window was cut in the end of carriage. This made it possible for a brakeman to ride in this compartment and provide additional braking on heavier trains in the days before continuous vacuum brake. F.19 and F.20 were the first two "half luggage vans" delivered to the railway, half of the carriage being occupied with three third class compartments and the other half by a luggage compartment complete with guard's look-out duckets.

Key:	In service	Stored	Scrapped	Preserved	Undergoing rebuild

№	Year	Builder	Type	Seats	Notes
F.1	1876	Brown Marshalls	Guards' Composite	40	Destroyed by fire, scrapped in 1976
F.2	1876	Brown Marshalls	Guards' Composite	40	Destroyed by fire, scrapped in 1976
F.3	1876	Brown Marshalls	Guards' Composite	40	Sold to the Welsh Highland Railway in 1975
F.4	1876	Brown Marshalls	Guards' Composite	40	Destroyed by fire, scrapped in 1976
F.5	1876	Brown Marshalls	Guards' Composite	40	Scrapped in 1976
F.6	1876	Brown Marshalls	Guards' Composite	40	Sold to the Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust in 1975
F.7	1881	Ashbury	Guards' Composite	40	Destroyed by fire, scrapped in 1976
F.8	1881	Ashbury	Guards' Composite	40	Scrapped in 1970
F.9	1881	Brown Marshalls	First/Third Composite	48	Rebuilt 1987-1992, in traffic
F.10	1881	Brown Marshalls	All Thirds	48	In traffic
F.11	1881	Brown Marshalls	All Thirds	48	In traffic
F.12	1881	Brown Marshalls	All Thirds	48	Scrapped in 1982
F.13	1894	Brown Marshalls	First/Third Composite	48	Destroyed by fire, scrapped in 1976
F.14	1894	Brown Marshalls	Guards' Composite	40	Damaged by fire, scrapped in 1976
F.15	1894	Brown Marshalls	Guards' Composite	40	Withdrawn in 1999, undergoing rebuild as of 2015
F.16	1894	Brown Marshalls	Guards' Composite	40	Damaged by fire, scrapped in 1976
F.17	1894	Brown Marshalls	Guards' Composite	40	Damaged by fire, scrapped in 1976
F.18	1894	Brown Marshalls	Guards' Composite	40	Rebuilt 1989-1990, in traffic
F.19	1894	Brown Marshalls	Half Luggage	24	Damaged by fire, scrapped in 1976
F.20	1896	Metropolitan	Half Luggage	24	Damaged by fire, scrapped in 1976
F.21	1896	Metropolitan	Guards' Composite	40	Sold, later returned. Stored at Douglas
F.22	1896	Metropolitan	Guards' Composite	40	Damaged by fire, scrapped in 1976
F.23	1896	Metropolitan	Guards' Composite	40	Body scrapped in 1983, frames scrapped in 2011
F.24	1896	Metropolitan	Guards' Composite	40	Destroyed by fire, scrapped in 1976
F.25	1896	Metropolitan	Guards' Composite	40	Withdrawn in 1998, stored at Port Erin
F.26	1896	Metropolitan	Guards' Composite	40	In traffic

The Empress Vans

Two vehicles were supplied to the railway in 1897 and became known as the Empress Vans to acknowledge the fact that the year of delivery was Queen Victoria's jubilee year. These are the same length as the passenger vehicles but are entirely closed with no windows, but they have guard's lookout duckets attached; their busy careers have seen them in use as an ambulance train in conjunction with the T.T. and Manx Grand Prix races held annually on the island. They were stored for a number of years outdoors but despite this remain on the railway, having last been used in the 1992.

Key:	In service	Stored

№	Built	Builder	Type	Status
F.27 (i)	1897	Metropolitan	Luggage Van	Body scrapped in 2012, frames stored
F.27 (ii)	2013	Isle of Man Railway	Kitchen/Guard Carriage	Replica of F.27 (i), in traffic
F.28	1897	Metropolitan	Luggage Van	Withdrawn in 1992, stored at Douglas

Saloons

The amalgamation of the Manx Northern Railway into the I.M.R. in 1905 led to an urgent need to buy more carriages so that the Manx Northern's cramped six-wheelers could be removed from front line service. Like all of the later carriages of the "F" class, the saloons were supplied by the Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Company (who had absorbed Brown, Marshalls in 1902). The sequence begins with F.29 in 1905. They were the first to be built with wooden bodies on steel underframes, and are 37' 0" long and 10'3" from rail to roof. All survive today; F.35,1 F.31 and F.32 were converted in 1980 to form the Bar Set at which time half the seating was removed from F.35 and a small bar and chemical toilet fitted, also through gangways to the adjoining coaches. Later, as F.31 was withdrawn for major bodywork attention, F.29 was fitted with a corridor and replaced the former vehicle. The saloons have remained unpopular with locomotive crews as they are heavy yet do not carry as many passengers as the standard compartment stock. Sketches survive which show that some consideration was given to building these carriages as Saloons with a large brake-luggage compartment. As of February 2015, all saloons with the exception of F.36 have been fitted with corridor connections to form a full dining train with F.27 (ii) at the rear providing the kitchen facilities and generator.

Key:	In service	Preserved	Undergoing rebuild

№	Built	Builder	Type	Seats	Status/Notes
F.29	1905	Metropolitan	Dining Saloon	22	Undergoing conversion as of 2015
F.30	1905	Metropolitan	Dining Saloon	22	Converted in 2012 - in traffic
F.31	1905	Metropolitan	Dining Saloon	22	Converted in 2013 - in traffic
F.32	1905	Metropolitan	Dining Saloon	22	Converted in 2013 - in traffic
F.35	1905	Metropolitan	Bar/Saloon	14	The Cardinal's Coach, in traffic
F.36	1905	Metropolitan	First/Third Saloon	38	The Royal Saloon, on display at the IoM Railway Museum

The Hurst Nelsons

These were the first two bogie vehicles built for the Manx Northern Railway; they were the first passenger vehicles on steel underframes to enter service on the island's railway network, as well as the first to have electric lighting. They were purchased to act as through coaches to Douglas. Externally they are not terribly different from the other "Big Fs", together with the Foxdale Coach they were allocated numbers in the "F" class upon take-over in 1905. Remaining stock inherited from the Manx Northern Railway was either given the "N" prefix, or, in the case of non-passenger stock, a small "r" was added to the title, as explained below.

Key:	Preserved

I.M.R.	M.N.R.	Built	Builder	Layout	Seats	Notes
F.37	№15	1899	Hurst Nelson	Guards' Composite	40	Sold in 1975 to the Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust
F.38	№16	1899	Hurst Nelson	First/Third Composite	48	Sold in 1975 to the Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust

The Foxdale Coach

Douglas Station, 1979

Yet another oddity is this carriage, this time originating from the Foxdale Railway. It was built by the Oldbury Railway Carriage and Wagon Co^[1] in 1886 for the small branch to Foxdale; this is a true survivor of the system and is still in operation today. It is the smallest bogie carriage on the system being only 30' 0" long, and rides on plate frame bogies. As constructed it had four third class compartments and a small luggage and guard's compartment complete with lookout duckets, which took up a little over a third of the length of the vehicle. One of the compartments was converted into a first class section, which led to the carriage acquiring the nickname Kitto's Coach after the Captain of the Foxdale Mines who had a first class free pass on the Manx Northern. It was converted into a camping coach in 1967 and painted into a non-typical blue and yellow livery. In 1979 to mark the occasion of the centenary of the Manx Northern Railway, it was painted into original livery and re-numbered No. 15 for a spell, before reverting to fleet livery of purple lake and regaining the fleet number F.39. She carried the red and cream livery from 1999 until 2013 when the coach was repainted into the Manx Northern Railway livery and renumbered M.N.Ry. No. 17. The first class compartment was also reinstated at this time reducing the seating capacity by two seats as armrests were provided.

M.N.R.	I.M.R.	Year	Builder	Type	Seats	Notes
№17	F.39	1887	Oldbury Wagon Co.	Guards' Composite	32	In traffic The Foxdale Coach

"Large F" Coaches

Built to the same larger profile as the saloons, those that remain still provide the backbone of the service fleet today in everyday service and have rarely been out of traffic since their arrival on the island. They all carry the standard red and cream livery.

Key:	In service	Stored	Scrapped

№	Built	Builder	Type	Seats	Notes
F.33	1905	Metropolitan	Half Luggage	24	Body scrapped in 1983, frames in use as a runner
F.34	1905	Metropolitan	Half Luggage	24	Destroyed by fire, scrapped in 1976
F.40	1907	Metropolitan	Half Luggage	24	Body scrapped in 1977, frames scrapped in 2011
F.41	1907	Metropolitan	Disabled/Third Composite	24	Withdrawn in 1990, body scrapped in 2003. Frames stored at Douglas
F.42	1907	Metropolitan	Half Luggage	24	Destroyed by fire, scrapped in 1976
F.43	1908	Metropolitan	Half Luggage	24	Stored at Port Erin
F.44	1908	Metropolitan	Half Luggage	24	Body scrapped in 1983, frames scrapped in 2010
F.45	1913	Metropolitan	Guards' Composite	40	In traffic
F.46	1913	Metropolitan	Guards' Composite	40	In traffic
F.47	1923	Metropolitan	All Thirds	48	In traffic
F.48	1923	Metropolitan	All Thirds	48	In traffic
F.49	1926	Metropolitan	Half Luggage	24	In traffic

"Pairs" Coaches

To simplify the marshalling of trains and reduce their overall length, the original four-wheeled stock was close coupled in pairs from 1887 onwards. This involved removing the chopper couplers from one end of each vehicle and replacing them with conventional side buffers on one carriage and rubbing plates on the other. A link and pin coupling then joined the inner ends of the carriages whilst conventional chopper couplings were retained on the outer ends of the each pair.

A further development of this policy occurred between 1909 and 1926 when the bodies of the four wheel coaches were removed from their original chassis and mounted in pairs on to bogie underframes supplied by Metropolitan. By the late 1950s, relatively few were used in regular service, but two sets were reserved for schools traffic. These were used in regular service on exceptionally busy days, such as Tynwald Day, but otherwise were confined to the school runs. By this time they were painted in a utilitarian all-over brown colour scheme. Oddly, several of the pairs were rehabilitated in the early 1970s, as their steel frames were of relatively recent date. Surviving pairs carriages are mostly in poor condition, as their bodies date from 1873–75, and have been surrounded by a certain amount of controversy in recent years, having been removed from the railway for storage. The Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association have campaigned for their retention on the railway. Some are now in the carriage sheds at Douglas and Port Erin, four in open storage at Port St. Mary protected with tarpaulins.

Key:	In service	Stored	Preserved	Sold	Undergoing rebuild

№	Mounted	Builder (Underframe)	Former No.	Seats	Status
F.50	1925	Metropolitan	B.7/B.8	48	Bodies scrapped in 1968, used as runner prior to being sold to the Ffestiniog Railway
F.51	1912	Metropolitan	B.3/B.5	48	Bodies scrapped in 1968, converted to R.1 and later sold
F.52	1912	Metropolitan	A.2/C.2	48	Bodies scrapped in 1967, converted to R.2 and later sold
F.53	1919	Metropolitan	A.5/B.21	48	Bodies scrapped in 1968, converted to R.3 and later sold
F.54	1923	Metropolitan	A.7/C.10	48	Bodies scrapped in 1972, rebuilt 1993-9. In traffic
F.55	1912	Metropolitan	B.2/C.6	48	Bodies scrapped in 1968, converted to R.4 and later sold
F.56	1924	Metropolitan	A.8/C.8	48	Bodies scrapped in 1968, converted to R.5 and later sold
F.57	1919	Metropolitan	B.16/B.20	48	Bodies scrapped in 1995, in use as a runner
F.58	1918	Metropolitan	B.18/C.3	48	Bodies scrapped in 1968, converted to R.6 and later sold
F.59	1920	Metropolitan	A.6/C.4	48	Bodies scrapped in 1968, converted to R.7 and later sold
F.60	1916	Metropolitan	B.13/B.24	48	Bodies scrapped in 1968, converted to R.8 and later sold
F.61	1910	Metropolitan	A.10/C.12	48	Bodies scrapped in 1968, converted to R.9 and later sold
F.62	1926	Metropolitan	A.1/B.1	48	Undergoing rebuild as of 2015
F.63	1910	Metropolitan	B.6/B.10	48	Withdrawn in 1987, stored at Port Erin
F.64	1912	Metropolitan	B.1/C.19	48	Bodies scrapped in 1978, frames survive
F.65	1910	Metropolitan	B.22/C.7	48	Bodies scrapped in 1983, frames in use as ballast hoppers
F.66	1910	Metropolitan	B.11/B.15	48	Withdrawn in 1999, stored at Port St Mary
F.67	1922	Metropolitan	B.23/C.14	48	Withdrawn in 1987, stored at Port St Mary
F.68	1909	Metropolitan	A.9/C.13	48	Sold in 1975 to the Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust
F.69	1923	Metropolitan	B.4/B.17	48	Bodies scrapped in 1969, converted to R.10 and later sold
F.70	1922	Metropolitan	B.9/B.14	48	Bodies scrapped in 1968, frames in use as a ballast hopper
F.71	1911	Metropolitan	B.12/C.5	48	Bodies scrapped in 1983, frames extant
F.72	1926	Metropolitan	A.3/D.2	48	Bodies scrapped in 1967, converted to R.11 and later sold
F.73	1920	Metropolitan	A.4/D.1	48	Bodies scrapped in 1982, in use as a runner
F.74	1921	Metropolitan	A.11/C.11	48	Withdrawn in 1987, stored at Port Erin
F.75	1926	Metropolitan	A.12/C.9	48	On display at the IoM Railway Museum

Six-Wheel Coaches

For its opening in 1879, the Manx Northern Railway ordered fourteen carriages; these were 30-foot-long (9.1 m), six-wheel carriages built on Cleminson's patent underframes - five feet shorter than the Isle of Man Railways "small Fs." Cleminson's patent enjoyed a brief vogue in the late 1870s as an alternative to bogie carriages mainly due to its low tare weight. The Southwold Railway which opened the same year as the Manx Northern also used Cleminson's patent underframes from its passenger stock, and also for some high capacity freight wagons. The North Wales Narrow Gauge, and West Donegal Railways also used the system on coaches, and a Cleminson wagon survives on the Festiniog. Two of the Manx Northern "N" class carriages were built as firsts; two as composites; and ten as either third class or third-brake carriages. The first class carriages were arranged as three small saloons and seated 42. The third class carriages must have been quite cramped internally as the compartments were only 4'10" wide - ten inches less than was the case with the IMR bogie carriages. Both of the composites and about half of the third class carriages were built with handbrake wheel in an end compartment that could be locked away when not in use and the compartment used for passengers. Two of the third class carriages were damaged in minor collisions, or suffered underframe failure before the Manx Northern was taken over by the Isle of Man Railway. Twelve of the class passed to the IMR's ownership in 1905. J.I.C. Boyd (The Isle of Man Railway Oakwood Press, 1967) states that the original intention was to number them into the "F" series, hence the numbers 40 to 51, but as they were six-wheelers the decision was made to give them the prefix "N" - the next available letter in the IMR's coding system - to distinguish them from the bogie carriages. Photographs suggest that at least some of the "N" series carriages remained in service in the 1920s and 30s. It is not sure when they fell into disuse. For many years they were stored in a siding behind St. John's station carriage shed. The body of one of the "N" class carriages survives on the line today as the mess hut at Douglas station. This body came from N.41 and was placed in front of the locomotive shed in 1964 replacing another former six wheeler. Between 1999 and 2013 it was stored on a runner behind the carriage shed at Douglas, but it has now returned to its former position, has been partly restored, and is used as an oil store. Another - composite carriage N.42 - was a resident of the Port Erin museum until it was rebuilt in 1998 when it was placed in store. It was not returned to the completed museum, but, despite being owned privately, it remained on the railway until finally removed (in the face of much objection) to Southwold in 2013. A third is in private preservation in the north of the island together with a Beyer Peacock locomotive, No. 14 Thornhill (Ex-Manx Northern). Of the other ten carriages, one was withdrawn in 1903, a second in 1905, and a third in the 1920s. This was used as a Mess Room at Douglas Station and was later replaced by the body of N.41, the other eight were scrapped, some after being damaged in a fire in 1975 which also destroyed most of the 1876 batch of wooden bogie carriages.

Key:	Scrapped	Preserved	Sold

I.M.R.	M.N.R.	Year	Builder	Type	Seats	Notes
N.40	№1	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	All Firsts	24	Sold in 1975 to the Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust
N.41	№2	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	All Thirds Saloon	24	Frames scrapped, body in use at Douglas as a storage unit
N.42	№3	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	Guards' Composite	48	Sold in 1975. Extant at the Southwold Railway
N.43	№4	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	Guards' Composite	32	Destroyed by fire, scrapped in 1975
N.44	№5	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	Guards' Composite	24	Damaged by fire, scrapped in 1975
N.45	№6	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	Guards' Composite	24	Sold in 1975, privately owned on island
N.46	№7	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	Guards' Composite	24	Damaged by fire, scrapped in 1975
N.47	№8	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	All Thirds Saloon	32	Damaged by fire, scrapped in 1975
N.48	No.9	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	All Thirds Saloon	32	Scrapped by 1972
N.49	№11	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	All Thirds Saloon	32	Damaged by fire, scrapped in 1975
N.50	№13	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	All Thirds Saloon	32	Scrapped in 1975
N.51	№14	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	All Thirds Saloon	32	Sold in 1975 to the Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust
–	№10	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	All Thirds	32	Scrapped
–	№12	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	All Thirds	32	Scrapped in 1964

"E" Class Brake Vans

These were four-wheeled brake and luggage vans fitted with lookout duckets, but otherwise entirely sealed with only two drop-sash windows at the guard's door. None of these vans survive today, and they were effectively made redundant when later passenger coaches had their own braking systems. The primary purpose of the "E" van was to provide luggage accommodation and braking for the original "A" - "D" class most of which did not have their own brakes when supplied in 1873/4. One surviving member of the class sat at the end of the Port Erin arrival platform at Douglas for many years and retained its pre-war two-tone brown livery. The Manx Northern Railway owned a pair of similar vans for use with the "N" class carriages, but these seem to have been replaced in the 1890s and then used for goods traffic until they were scrapped in the 1920s.^[2] The possibility of the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association recreating one of these vehicles has been mooted in the past but never reached fruition.

Key:	Scrapped	Preserved

I.M.R.	M.N.R.	Year	Builder	Notes
E.1	–	1873	Metropolitan	Scrapped in 1893
E.1 (ii) E.4 (ii)	–	1894	Metropolitan	Replacement vehicle, scrapped in 1974
E.2	–	1873	Metropolitan	Scrapped by 1975
E.3	–	1873	Metropolitan	Body scrapped in 1921, frames converted to G.19, extant
E.4	–	1873	Metropolitan	Frames converted to Fish Wagon №3, later scrapped Body scrapped after 1923
E.5	–	1876	Metropolitan	Scrapped in 1974
E.6	–	1876	Metropolitan	Scrapped in 1975
E.7 E.3 (ii)	–	1895	Isle of Man Railway	Body scrapped in 1937, frames converted to K.5 (ii), later scrapped
Er.8	№18	1895	Manx Northern Railway	Scrapped in 1972
E.9 E.1 (iii)	№19	1895	Manx Northern Railway	Renumbered E.1 (iii), scrapped in 1974
E.10	№16	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	Scrapped in 1974
–	№15	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	Scrapped in 1974

"G" Closed Vans

These were four-wheeled closed vans, quite often these were attached to the rear of a passenger train to transport goods to the rural communities that the railway served for many years. Upon amalgamation with the Manx Northern Railway in 1905 five were inherited. Today, there remain three in existence, all of which remain on the railway, these are G.1, of the original 1873 batch, Gr.12, (the small "r" prefix denoting that it is ex-Manx Northern stock) and G.19 which saw use for many years by the permanent way crews, distinctive for being fitted with clambour boards for tree felling, and having a small wood stove installed, these were removed for its display in the museum during 2013.

Key:	In service	Stored	Scrapped	Preserved

I.M.R.	M.N.R.	Year	Builder	Notes
G.1	–	1873	Metropolitan	Withdrawn in 1989, stored at Douglas
G.2	–	1873	Metropolitan	Scrapped
G.3	–	1873	Metropolitan	Scrapped in 1975
G.4	–	1873	Metropolitan	Scrapped in 1975
G.5	–	1877	Ashbury	Scrapped before 1974
G.6	–	1877	Ashbury	Scrapped
G.7	–	1879	Metropolitan	Scrapped in the 1960s
G.8	–	1879	Metropolitan	Scrapped in 1975
G.9	–	1879	Metropolitan	Scrapped in 1975
Gr.10	№13	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	Scrapped in 1975
Gr.11	№14	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	Destroyed by fire in 1973
Gr.12	№15	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	In traffic as MNR №15
Gr.13	№16	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	Scrapped
Gr.14	№32	1897	Manx Northern Railway	Scrapped in 1975
G.15	–	1915	Isle of Man Railway	Built on the frames of B.19, scrapped in 1975
G.16	–	1915	Isle of Man Railway	Built on the frames of C.1, scrapped by 1974
G.17	–	1916	Isle of Man Railway	Built on the frames of L.5 (ex B.22), scrapped in 1975
G.18	–	1918	Isle of Man Railway	Built on the frames of L.6 (ex C.7), destroyed by fire in 1972
G.19	–	1921	Isle of Man Railway	Built on the frames of E.3, extant at the IoM Railway Museum

"H" Three-Plank Wagons

Twenty of these 6-ton three-plank, centre door, open wagons were built for the opening of the Peel and Port Erin lines in 1873 and 1874. A dozen similar vehicles were delivered to the Manx Northern Railway when it opened in 1879, and further small batches brought the total to 46 by 1926. One of these wagons was used (with suitable side rails attached) to carry the military band to Peel on opening day in 1873. The Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association built one of these from scratch in 2000. It has been given the number H.1, and has been through piped for vacuum brake to meet with current safety regulations. This was the second project undertaken by the supporters, the first being the re-building of a ballast wagon M.78.

I.M.R	M.N.R.	Built	Builder	Notes
H.1–H.20	–	1873	Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co.	All scrapped
H.1 (ii)	–	1998	IoMSRSA	On display at the Port Erin railway museum
H.21–H.26	–	1877	Ashbury Carriage & Wagon Co.	All scrapped
Hr.27–Hr.38	№1–№12	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon Co.	All scrapped
Hr.39–Hr.45	№13, №37–№42	1900	Hurst Nelson	All scrapped
H.41 (ii)	–	1925	Isle of Man Railway	Scrapped
Hr.46	–	1918	Isle of Man Railway	Scrapped

"K" Cattle Vans

These were cattle carrying wagons, and were ostensibly similar to the "G" class as above but rather than being completely sealed, the top quarter of them was ventilated and featured horizontal rails where the "G" vans had only ventilated slots. Some early ones were originally roofless. None survive today but it has been mooted, for historical purposes, that a supporters' organisation may take on the reconstruction of one of these, so that the railway ultimately has and example of each type of stock in their possession.

I.M.R	M.N.R.	Built	Builder	Notes
K.1–K.2	–	1873	Metropolitan	Both scrapped
K.1 (ii)–K.2 (ii)	–	1926	Isle of Man Railway	Replacement vehicles, both scrapped K.1 (ii) ex C.11, K.2 (ii) ex B.6
K.3–K.4	–	1877	Ashbury	Both scrapped
Kr.5–Kr.7	№7–№9	1879	Swansea Carriage & Wagon	All scrapped
K.5 (ii)	–	1899	Isle of Man Railway	Replacement vehicle, scrapped in 1949 Built on the frames of B.1
K.8–K.9	–	1899	Metropolitan	Both scrapped
K.10–K.12	–	1908	Isle of Man Railway	All scrapped
K.13–K.16	–	1912	Isle of Man Railway	All scrapped
K.13 (ii)–K.14 (ii)	–	1924	Isle of Man Railway	Replacement vehicles, both scrapped K.13 (ii) ex B.2/C.3, K.14 (ii) ex B.18
K.15 (ii)	–	1912	Isle of Man Railway	Replacement vehicle, scrapped Built on the frames of B.16
K.17–K.18	–	1914	Isle of Man Railway	Both scrapped
K.19–K.20	–	1920	Isle of Man Railway	Both scrapped
K.21–K.23	–	1921	Isle of Man Railway	All scrapped
K.24–K.26	–	1923	Isle of Man Railway	All scrapped

"L" Bolster Wagons

The railway had six of these four-wheel vehicles which saw use carrying long loads commonly being used in pairs; each had manual parking brakes and they survived until the final years of the railway largely out of use latterly. All had a grey livery on woodwork and black metal and frames, they were numbered along their edges.

No.	Built	Builder	Notes
L.1	1874	Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co.	Scrapped in 1975
L.2	1874	Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co.	Scrapped in 1975
L.3	1874	Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co.	Scrapped in 1959
L.4	1874	Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co.	Scrapped in 1960
L.5	1910	Isle of Man Railway	Rebuilt as G.17, later scrapped
L.6	1910	Isle of Man Railway	Rebuilt as G.18, later scrapped

"M" Two-Plank Wagons

Two plank, drop sided wagons, broadly similar to the "H" class. They were intended as Ballast Wagons but their ease of loading and unloading made them useful for many types of goods traffic, eventually totalling 78 of these wagons on the line. At least six were still serviceable in 1975, and a couple survived into nationalisation. M.70 was resident on the old goods siding at Santon Station for many years. M.78 also survived and it was this vehicle that inspired the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association to restore it in 1998. The "rebuilt" wagon is now part of the railway's historic fleet of vehicles and bears plaques denoting its origins. It is coupled to H.1 as the Troublesome Trucks each September for the Friends of Thomas event.

IMR №	MNR №	Built	Builder	Notes
M.1–M.4	–	1877	Ashbury Carriage & Wagon Co.	All scrapped
M.5–M.7	–	1884	Ashbury Carriage & Wagon Co.	All scrapped
M.8–M.19	–	1888	Ashbury Carriage & Wagon Co.	All scrapped
M.20–M.27	–	1889	Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co., Ltd.	All scrapped
Mr.28–Mr.35	№22–№29	1884	Matthew Baird	All scrapped
Mr.36–Mr.42	№30–№36	1898	Manx Northern Railway	All scrapped
M.43–M.54	–	1911	Metropolitan	All scrapped
M.55–M.60	–	1924	Metropolitan	All scrapped
M.61–M.66	–	1925	Metropolitan	All scrapped
M.67–M.72	–	1926	Metropolitan	All scrapped
M.73–M.77	–	1925	Metropolitan	All scrapped
M.78	–	1925	Metropolitan	Rebuilt 1996–8, in traffic

Breakdown Cranes

№	Built	Builder	Notes
№1	1873	Thomas Kiss & Co.	Scrapped before 1969
№2	1893	Richard C. Gibbins & Co.	Extant at Union Mills
№3	1902	Taylor & Hubbard	Withdrawn, sold off island in 2001

"R" Bogie Runners

In 1967 a new "R" class was created as below using former coach bodies, but no stock carries this prefix today.

No.	Formerly	Built	Builder	Notes
R.1	F.51	1912	Metropolitan	Sold to the Ffestiniog Railway in 1974
R.2	F.52	1912	Metropolitan	Sold to the Ffestiniog Railway in 1974
R.3	F.53	1919	Metropolitan	Sold to the Ffestiniog Railway in 1974
R.4	F.55	1912	Metropolitan	Sold to the Ffestiniog Railway in 1974
R.5	F.56	1924	Metropolitan	Sold to the Welsh Highland Railway in 1974
R.6	F.58	1918	Metropolitan	Sold to the Ffestiniog Railway in 1974
R.7	F.59	1920	Metropolitan	Sold to the Welsh Highland Railway in 1974
R.8	F.60	1916	Metropolitan	Sold to the Welsh Highland Railway in 1974
R.9	F.61	1910	Metropolitan	Sold to the Welsh Highland Railway in 1974
R.10	F.69	1923	Metropolitan	Sold to the Welsh Highland Railway in 1974
R.11	F.72	1926	Metropolitan	Sold to the Welsh Highland Railway in 1974

Permanent way wagons

The railway still has a number of runners and these are based on the underframes of former coaches and stored mostly on the siding outside Douglas station on the former Peel Line which now acts as a stock siding. Today, these still carry their "F" class fleet number either painted on, or in some cases just in chalk.

№	Built	Builder	Type	Notes
F.23	1896	Brown Marshalls	Bogie Runner	Scrapped in 2011
F.33	1905	Metropolitan	Bogie Runner	In service
F.44	1908	Metropolitan	Bogie Runner	Scrapped in 2013
F.57	1919	Metropolitan	Bogie Runner	In service
F.64	1912	Metropolitan	–	Extant
F.65	1910	Metropolitan	Ballast Hoppers	In service
F.70	1922	Metropolitan	Bogie Runner	In service
B.A.T. 1	2009	Isle of Man Railway	Boiler Accommodation Truck	In service
W.W. №1	1936	Isle of Man Railway	Well Wagon	Scrapped in 1998
W.W. №2	1998	Isle of Man Railway	Well Wagon	In service

Fish Wagons

Five low-sided wagons were built on four-wheeled underframes released from coaches which had been put on bogie underframes ("pairs" coaches). They were numbered in a separate sequence with no letter prefix. They did not survive into the nationalisation era although some excellent photographs of them appear in the many books dedicated to the railway's history and rolling stock. They were labelled "Fish Wagon" at the left-hand side.

№	Built	Builder	Status
№1	1909	Isle of Man Railway	Built on the frames of A.9, scrapped in 1974
№2	1909	Isle of Man Railway	Built on the frames of C.13, scrapped in 1965
№3	1910	Isle of Man Railway	Built on the frames of E.4, scrapped in 1951
№4	1914	Isle of Man Railway	Built on the frames of A.2, scrapped in 1960
№5	1914	Isle of Man Railway	Built on the frames of ??, scrapped in 1960

See also

• Isle of Man Railway stations
• Isle of Man Railway locomotives
• Isle of Man Railway level crossings and points of interest
• Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association

References

1. Boyd, J.I.C., The Isle of Man Railway vol 3 (Oakwood Press, 1996)p257
2. Hendry and Hendry - "The Manx Northern Railway" - David and Charles, 1979

External links

• Isle Of Man Transport & Isle Of Man Railways Site
• Isle Of Man Guide - Steam Railway