ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED - ISSUE No. 31, SUMMER ISSUE 1974

REPRODUCED - ISSUE No. 147, WINTER 2008 / SPRING 2009

This proposal examines the utilisation of the St. John’s to Ramsey line as the sole remaining part of the Isle of Man Railway system.  Essentially, the line would be part of regular coach tours or it can be used with existing scheduled bus services.  Why St. John’s?  it has room and scope to make a simple but economic permanently manned terminus which would be laid out in simple but modern lines.  Ample car parking and room for buses and coaches to interchange with the railway.  The principle use of the railway would be in connection with (a) round the island circuit via Ramsey, (b) excursions to Wild Life Park and Kirk Michael, (c) scenic tour via Sulby Glen and (d) regular connections off Douglas to Peel bus service to Kirk Michael and Wild Life Park.  The train service between St. John’s, Kirk Michael and the Wild Life Park would be planned to form guaranteed connections off and to the Douglas to Peel bus service and would be worked by diesel railcars.   Augmenting this service would be a daily steam train running three times a day in each direction so as to offer approximately 9.30am, 11.30am, departure by bus from Douglas to St. John’s for a scenic tour round the island via Ramsey, and an afternoon departure from Douglas via M.E.R. around 2.00pm to offer the circuit in the reverse direction.  All services would be carefully scheduled with bus and coach operators to convey their passengers for he rail section of their tour.  The economics of the scheme envisage the complete closure and sale of all other rail lines, buildings, works, stations and lands, scrapping of all engines and rolling stock except the railcars plus two or three locos and three sets of coaches plus a few service vehicles.  The diesel service would employ bus crews, the service being considered part of the bus service for operating purposes so that the preservation scheme would necessitate two train crews plus a small workshop force who would double up as gangers. The drawbacks to the scheme – well, the cost of a new operating centre, track preservation and girder bridge at Kirk Michael and the troublesome cliff section.  Much of this cost could be defrayed by the sale of remaining lines, buildings and lands, especially the existing Douglas H.Q.  in considering the proposal we must not lose sight of the fact that existing stock is near the end of its economic life and here we can think along the lines of “Victorian Railway Out” and a modern smaller gauge employed perhaps not as small as R.H.D Railway, but interchangeable with, say, Ffestiniog Railway.  Must we live in the past – I think not.  An electrified line interchangeable with M.E.R. but using modern deck vista cars would be less costly to run and maintain.  Maintenance could be under the control of M.E.R. so that St. John’s would be a staffed depot only.  No physical interchange is needed; bogies and cars could only be conveyed by low-loader to and from Derby Castle Works.  With oil supplies likely to be costly (if not scare) low voltage electricity as the power may be the answer. By selling the railway it must be realised that in itself its scenic possibilities have limits so that bus and coach operators must offer a wide variety of package tickets.  For example, a passenger on a Douglas to peel service should be able to obtain on demand a “round the island” ticket via Ramsey or Douglas; Kirk Michael bus service and vice versa.  Many visitors do not know the beauty of Sulby Glen and here thought is needed to a new package tour from Douglas via the Bungalow and down the glen to Sulby Station, to connect with the Ramsey-St. John’s train where the coach is boarded again for Douglas.  Perhaps the Ramsey to St. John’s line may come alive again.  A large part of it is blessed with great scenic beauty, the section from Sulby to Ramsey is featureless but re-laid and ballasted here is a stretch to open the regulator or should I say “the controller”..