30 years ago, on our first trip to the island, by asking plitely, my Dad and I were allowed into the steam railway sheds for a nose around. "Don't touch anything sharp, or fall down any holes" were the instructions given at the time.
The highlight of the day was a couple of locos in the running shed, taking on water, and filling it with steam and smoke - terrific!
Nowadays, a combination of health & safety plus the advent of ways to flog some of the very pocketable bits and pieces lying around, means tours are guided by the volunteers, but that's not a problem.
And at the end of ours, a loco came in to take on water, and recreate the end of our visit three decades ago - and it was every bit as much fun.
Since we've toured the shed many times, I didn't take many photos. The railcars haven't changed, and much of the rest of it looks the same as before.
It was nice to see Number 16's wheels. A boiler has been ordered, and the rest of "Manin" is in the north of the island recieving attention. It looks like she will be running again eventually, something the railway will be pleased about as they need a big loco for the heavy dining train. Apparently, the job is being broken down into sections that are under the spending level that requires a more seior sign-off, to ensure it gets done.
New to me is the ballast tamper. It's an impressive machine, but doesn't see a lot of use apparently, misy packing still being carried out by hand. I'm certainly not offering to make a model of it though!
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