Fleet No.:                 F.38

Original No.:           M.N.R. No. 16

Configuration:       3 / 3 / 1 / 1 / 3 / 3

Makers:                   Hurst, Nelson & Co., Ltd., Motherwell

Year:                       1879

Status:                    Privately Stored

Of a very similar external appearance to the Isle of Man Railway's later "Big F" coaches built by Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co., this coach was purchased by the Manx Northern Railway in 1899 to supplement their fleet of six-wheeled coached together with sister F.37.  It was re-allocated with a new fleet number upon amalgamation with the Railway Company in 1905 although it did not receive the "r" suffix as many of other inherited stock did.  Being similar to the Metropolitan coaches it saw regular service, much moreso than the six-wheeled coaches.  The major difference with this and the Metropolitan-built stock (identifiable in photographs) is that the solebar steelwork is "inside out" compared to other coaches, insofar as the "U" section plating is the opposite way round, creating a recess directly underneath the wooden coach frame.  Like F.37, the first class compartments in this coach were lavishly upholstered with curtains and padded side panels, making them very popular with the travelling public.  Stored with other redundant stock at St. John's Station having seen use up until the closure in September 1968 this, and sister F.37 were selected for purchase by Peter Rampton in 1975, since transferring to the Phyllis Rampton Charitable Trust, being removed from the island at the time and remaining in private storage today, together with a number of other coaches including some pairs and smal "F" coaches built by Brown Marshalls & Co., Ltd.  It is not nown whether any preservation has been carried out on the carriage since it left the island.