FROM STEAM RAILWAY NEWS ISSUE No. 10

DISPATCHED TO MEMBERS IN APRIL 1969

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In recent years we have ben used to relatively simple stock working diagrams.  Forty or so years ago the situation was radically different.  Before the days of efective road competition, traffic was heavy even on the Ramsey Line, indeed even into the fifties' seven or eight "cattles" were not uncommon on Mart days.

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To return to the early twenties, goods traffic was then still extensive on the "North" line.  To take a fairly typical day Thursday 17th May 1923, the day for No. 7 Tynwald starts with the 7.00am ex-Ramsey, consisting of two Fs, Nos. 44 and 14.  The arrival at St. John's, after an uneventful trip, being on schedule (7.46am).  Driver Green and No. 7's next scheduled run is at 9.00am back to Ramsey, but today there are 5 Ms for Peel Road, so at 8.15 No. 7 is off with M.24, 44, 30, 27 and 8 to the siding. Eleven minutes later No. 7 arrives back at St. John's, having disposed of her companions.

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The 8.30am ex-Douglas is by now on its way, the Ramsey portion consists of F.43 and F.13.  Tynwald starts out four minutes late (9.04am) but this is largely due to adding K.18.  Quick work at Sulby Glen where K.18 is dropped, results in arrival at Ramsey only two minutes late (9.54am).  No. 7 potters for a while at Ramsey, and here crew have time for a bite to eat; back to work at 12.40 however.  Prompt to time she leaves, and pulls into Ballaugh in 21-minutes; 3-minutes elapse while K.19 is attached, and then a clear run to St. John's, arrival time being 1.36pm.

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No. 7 is off next to Foxdale on the 1.50pm 8-minutes, the load - F.39 (of course).  The return journey is also 8-minutes late, leaving Foxdale at 2.28pm and arriving at St. John's at 2.42.  Smart work is needed if she is to take the 2.50 from St. John's to Ramsey which left Douglas at 2.18 with Pender.  Her load to St. John's is quite interesting - F.2, F.24, C.14, B.23, F.34, F.15, F.19, K.6, M.3, H.14 and G.17.  Tynwald collects F.15, F.19 and K.6 and is of at 2.50pm.  A brief stop at Sulby Bridge and K.6 leaves the train; the remaining vehicles arrive at Ramsey at 3.47pm.

Eighteen minutes later (4.05pm) No. 7 is off again.  This time, Charlie Griffiths, a wellknown North line guard, has joined the train.  (The Manx Museum have a photograph of Loch at Foxdale with Charlie and Davie Dow prominently visible).  This time the load is F.19, F.15, K.11, K.12 and M.43.  A stop is made at Lezayre to drop five passengers (four of them children!).  Two minutes are taken at Sulby Glen to unload timber, likewise goods work costs further time at Ballaugh, but a good run from Michael with this light load brings us into St. John's on time.  Charlie continues on to Douglas, with Pender hauling the combined trains.

Meanwhile No. 7 is busy pottering in the yard collecting F.39, M.43 and G.17 for the 5.10pm to Foxdale, arriving there five minutes late, but with a quick turnaround Tynwald and F.39 are of again on time at 5.40pm on the 14-minute trip.  Pender, however, has run into Douglas, and with quick servicing is off to St. John's with F.23, B.14, B.9, F.33, F.14, F.44, M.47, E.4, Fw2, H.27, H.6, G.3, and M.2 (ex-Peel).  A fast run over the donkey bank and then to Michael picks up two minutes, and further good work cuts the lateness to one minute, (M.2 alas of No. 2 nowadays resides in M.9).

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Derby starts out with this formidable collection (14 vehicles), dropping M.21, M.41 and M.32 at Michael.  At Ballaugh K.19 comes of and station work is prolonged.  From "5 late" leaving at St. John's, two minutes are lost up the donkey bank and further time shunting so that the arrival at Ramsey at 12.16 is "10 late".  A short rest and Derby is off again, but what of the genuine "Northerner" Thornhill?

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The 1.30pm may be singled out for description; the train leaving Ramsey consists of F.43, F.13, H.46, K.1 and H.16, at first stops at Lezayre for the inevitable one passenger.  At Sulby Bridge M.35 joins the company, thus Sulby Glen is passed three minutes late.  Now the fun and games really begin!  Ballaugh contributes F23 (Fish wagon) and as "exchange is no robbery" receives H.16, these contributions taking five minutes.  At Michael K.17, K.21, M.41 and M.52 join the company and H.46 and K.1 leave the train.  These activities taking a further seven minutes.  One is reminded of Percy French's line about the West Clare - "As you sit and curse your luck, the train backs down into a truck".  Still, despite Peel Road adding M.29, St. John's is reached only six minutes, after 21-minutes of shunting.

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Finally, a later run with No. 14 on the 6.15pm ex-Ramsey deserves mention.  K.18 is picked up en route, No. 14 continues on to Crosby where she swops trains, and leaving Crosby at 7.26pm is back soon at St. John's with F.15, F.19, H.11 and M.5, the latter being dropped at Michael, arrive being in Ramsey at 8.38pm.

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In the above I have only covered a few workings, yet the large volume of goods conveyed stands out.  Indeed, in these few workings, the following wagons have been noted:- E.4; G.3, 17, 18; H.6, 11, 12, 14, 16, 20, 23, 24, 27, 46; K.1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 21; M.2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 12, 21, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 35, 41, 43, 44, 47, 52, 55 and fish wagons 2 and 3.  I hope this has been of some interest to those, who, like me, never saw the I.M.R. in its prime and to those who saw it in those days as a reminder of a fascinating past.  I would like to express my gratitude for the various members of staff whose reminiscences provided useful "background", to the guard's reports on which this article is based.