Built:                          1885

Builders:                   Dübs & Co., Glasgow

Works No.:               2178

Name:                        Caledonia (Scottish Origin)

Wheel Arr.:               0-6-0T

Weight:                      23t, 11 cwt

Current Status:       In Operational Fleet

Origins

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.

Ailsa Revival

When the Lord 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.

Manx Mountaineer

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 Caledonia 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.

Caledonian Blue

She then became part of the stable of serviceable locomotives, having been painted into a non-prototypical blue livery in 1999 on a management whim 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.