Home Steam Locos No. 15 Caledonia

 

Original Fleet No.:

4 (Manx Northern Railway Co., Ltd., Delivery)

Later Fleet No.:

15 (Isle of Man Railway Co., Ltd., From 1905)

Year Built:

1885

Builders:  

Dübs & Co., Atlas Works, Glasgow

Name:

Caledonia

Wheel Arr.:

0-6-0

Weight:

23t, 11cwt

Current Status:

In Traffic
This unique locomotive is the only engine on the line to have been built by Dübs & Co., of Glasgow; purchased to tackle the steep gradients of the Foxdale Railway for which she was ideally suited.  Having initially been purchased by the Manx Northern Railway who subsequently took responsibility for the Foxdale Railway, after the merger in 1905 she was numbered 15 in the Isle of Man Railway fleet (having previously been Manx Northern No. 4) and only saw sporadic use, most notably on snow clearing trains or heavy freight movements.
 

When the Marquess of Ailsa took over operations in 1967 she was repainted into spring green livery and saw service once again, owing to a locomotive shortage, breaking through the reopening day ribbon.  She was repainted again into something akin to original Manx Northern livery at the expense of the Supporters' Assocation and hauled a special train for them to St. John's in 1968 by which time she was steaming poorly.  This was the locomotive's final period in service.  By 1975 she was placed in the then new museum at Port Erin where she remained until 1993 when she was returned to Douglas by road for steam feasibility tests.

By 1995 she was completely overhauled and was the star of the show, operating on the 1 in 12 gradients of the Snaefell Mountain Railway as part of the centenary celebrations. This had historical precedent as she had been leased for construction purposes in 1895.  Her return to service also saw a repaint into the original livery including much intricate lining out and lettering on the tank sides.  The new tanks, complete with dummy rivets to give authentic appearance, were funded by the Supporters' Association and a diamond plaque was fitted to the interior of the rear cab sheet to denote this.

She then became part of the stable of serviceable locomotives, having been painted into a non-prototypical blue livery in 1999 as our accompanying photograph shows.  Happily the locomotive reverted to the intricate original paint scheme in 2007 and has performed on high days and holidays since this time, leaving the day-to-day operation of the line to the Beyer Peacock locomotives.  In 2009 she was withdrawn from traffic for a major overhaul, believed to have been the most signficant work carried out since delivery in 1885.  The major works are due to be completed in 2012 when the locomotive will return to traffic, the aim being to have her ready for the annual Manx Heritage Transport Festival in July.