Book Review: Manx Electric Railway - Motorman Basics Handbook

 

It's time to order my 2027 calendar - the 2026 one is filling up with all sorts of things, and bookings will soon stretch past December. 

While on the Isle of Man Railways website placing the order, I spotted the Motorman Basics Handbook, for a paltry £3.

When the package arrived, I opened up the book and was surprised. OK, it's a slim publication, but inside is packed with all sorts of nerdy, technical detail for those interested in MER trams, or just trams generally. 

The driving and stopping mechanisms are explained in great detail - I'll need more than a single read-through if I'm to take it all in. Suffice to say that if you've ever wondered what goes on inside the pedestal the driver stands behind in a tram, it's all in here!

Likewise, the various braking systems are fully covered with some excellent diagrams.  

This book is part of the ultimate driving experience. Presumably this is a longer session than the one I took a few years ago. No book for me! It was still great fun though. Driving a real tram, on a live line, complete with wandering sheep. 

 

At the back of the book, there is a rundown of the different types of driving cars and trailers to be found on the MER. This stock listing is worth the price alone, as there is a lot of variety in the fleet. 

 A must for the Manx transport enthusiast, or anyone interested in tramways generally. 

Warehouse Wednesday: Manx shelter and post box

 

I'm nearly through the Manx photos, but had to use this one taken in the little museum (I think) beside Laxey station. 

Information is a bit sparse, but I assume this is a tiny shelter from the Manx Electric Railway. The post box is a fairly typical Manx feature - there is one at Groudle Station, which I always try to remember to send a postcard from. 

Both are very modelable, although that shelter looks a bit small for anything other than three people! 

Saturday Film Club: Tin baths on the Isle of Man

A quick look at the Tin Bath racing that I saw on my visit, along with the skateboard racing I missed because Groudle was calling. 

Manx tat

 

Obviously, I bought some tat from the Isle of Man. This was limited because I already have so much Manx tat from previous visits, I always buy a couple of Groudle dayglo pencils for example, that I have to work harder to search out the junk. 

But a visit to Peel soon sorted me out. 

From the Bonded Warehouse, I bought a Summit Hotel plate. 8 inches in diameter, with real gold (yeah, right) edges, the picture shows the current Summit of Snaefell. The name "hotel" is due to there being a bar inside, otherwise it's just a nice cafe with rather good cake. 

The building shows dates from 1984, the previous stone finish with castellations version from 1902 having burnt down in 1982.  

The back of the plate tells me the maker is J.Jackson of Dewsbury. The telephone code is 0924, which dates it before 1995. 

The second bit of tat, came from a charity shop on Peel seafront. 11 inches across, it features crude paintings of "Kissak" around the Manx triskelion. 

On the back we have the letters Shd, and a sticker telling me that this isn't either microwave or dishwasher safe. I think this tells me it isn't particularly old. 

Worth the six quid? Well, I've never seen one before, and there is a picture of a locomotive on it, and the money is going to a good cause. It just seems so amateurish though. Surely a better illustration of a loco could be found? Or was this some design competition for kids? 

Feel free to tell me that either, or both, of these is incredibly rare and valuable! 

Gordon Ellis railway cartoons

My "big" Manx purchase came from the antique centre in Peel, a pair of railway cartoons. They appear to be originals; even studying them under a loupe, this seems to be the case. Mind you, I'd not have been ripped off if they were prints for the price I paid. 

The first is a Manx Northern Railway train. Very much in the style of Rowland Emett, but the signature says Gordon Ellis, 1948. 

So, who is Gordon Ellis? 

According to Wikipedia, Ian Gordon Ellis (17 July 1920 – 3 December 1978) was a British artist who specialised in maritime painting.

The trouble is, I can't find any of his work online that looks like my cartoons. There are some other very nice paintings though. But I have no wall space...

The second cartoon is this one. 

Now, the signature on this is interesting. 

Interesting, because it looks the same as the signature on this painting. 

So, have I bought work from a known artist? 

It doesn't matter; I love both cartoons for their content, but I would like to know more of their history. Any art experts out there? 

(Note, you should be able to click on the images for bigger versions) 

Back to Groudle

With a bit of planning, our trip ran from Friday to the following Thursday. This meant I could enjoy a Wednesday evening visit to Groudle - handy!

Pride of the line, Sea Lion was running, and the early trains were well loaded.  

Of course, there was cake. 

A delicious gluten-free slice baked by Chris the Guard's wife. While I don't need to avoid the glutens, I like to try the stuff and send photos to my sister. However, no need this time, as I was packed off with an extra slice to take back to her, and she enjoyed it as much as I did!

While visiting the line both times, I also caught up with some people I've been chasing for Garden Rail articles. They were chastised for going on holiday, when they could be writing, but having done this, I'm wondering if I can put the whole thing down as a work expense...

Warehouse Wednesday: Gansey Mill

Each morning, before everyone else got up, I'd take a walk around the bay to enjoy the sounds and smells of the sea. This took me past a tall stone building. 

Back home, I've done a little research, using this excellent guide (PDF download).  In here, I find that "The present Mill was erected in 1844 by Holmes the Banker, and the building was used as a "Town Corn Mill." The building was originally used as a thrashing mill and later used as a Woollen Mill. It has now been converted into apartments."

If you fancy one of those apartments buy the way, it will cost you £167k for a two-bed with excellent views. 

At some point, the mill housed Gansey Pottery, with a wooden extension on the front. There was a waterwheel, but this disappeared in the 1930s. 

You can see this building on Google Streetview. 

Simple scenery modelling, cover it with cloud!

I said we were lucky with the weather, and this is true. Except for the day we ascended Snaefell. 

Knowing how fickle things can be 2037 feet up, we tried to pick a day when my sister might see the view. The trouble is, you don't really know. Although the webcam looked OK, by the time we made it up there, things were more reminiscent of my Dad and my first few visits, 33 years ago. 

Manannán's Cloak had descended, and there was no view. You can recreate this at home by glueing cotton wool on your glasses, and standing in front of the open 'fridge. 

Modellers could use this to their advantage by just sticking a big ball of cotton wool in a board, and playing some tram sounds. 

On the plus side, the cagoule I bought in 1993 is still working just as well as it ever did, even if it's not a bit snugger than it was back then.  

The souvenier I can't get home - yet.

Regular readers will know that some time ago, I bought a side tank, and cab back from Sea Lion. It's my favourite loco in the world, the price was right, and so I couldn't resist. For a few years, thanks to Mike Buttell, they lived in Port Erin Railway Museum, but when the curators decided they weren't wanted in there any more, I was faced with the problem of where they should live next. 

I managed to get the tank back a couple of years ago, but this left the cab back on the island.  

Since we were staying in a superb, and highly recommended, cottage in Port St Mary, a couple of minutes from the goods shed the back is living in, I had a plan to bring it back in the car. 

A set of roof bars was purchased, the idea being that I could strap it up there for the journey home. However, measuring Sea Lion, I worked out that we could actually get the thing in the back. OK, a bit of a squeeze, but the Berlingo is spacious if you shuffle the seats around. 

So, I arranged to collect the cab on the Tuesday morning. 

At this point, we hit a snag. In my mind, I'd bought the cab back. A flat sheet of steel. What I'd forgotten is that this came with the sides and bunker.  

The guys helping me gamely tried to squeeze the thing in the back of the car, but it wasn't going to work.It might have gone in at an angle, but not quite. We'd probably have had to leave my sister there, although she would have been happy to stop with the donkeys at the Rest Home for Old Horses!

As for the roof bars, well they are rated at 75kg, and this cab back is f*cking heavy. Even if we could have got it on top, there's no way I fancied a trip down the M6 with the thing up there!

So, back it went into the shed, and I need to formulate a new plan. A hired van would work; I just need to take a deep breath when booking on the Steam Packet website, where they seem to expect you to buy them a new ferry for transporting you over the water!

Sunday morning at Groudle Glen

A couple of weeks ago, my Mum, sister and myself, spent a week on the Isle of Man. 

We wanted to show my sister some of the places that meant a lot to my Dad, and obviously, one of those was Groudle Glen. 

We struck luck with the weather the whole week, especially for the glen, as the overnight rain saw everything looking very green in the daytime sunshine. 

Reaching Sea Lion rocks, I took the opportunity to stand on the same bank Dad and I stood on back in 1993. Then, there wasn't much to see, other than the track. When the train departed, we wondered quite why it seemed like a good idea to hang around in the drizzle, in the middle of nowhere. It did though, and we revisited the spot many times afterwards!

Fortunately, there is now an excellent cafe. Sister was delighted to find gluten-free cherry cake on sale, which both she and my Mum scoffed. In memory of Dad of course... 

I opted for a vanilla slice, but Dad hated custard, so Little Brian wouldn't look at it!

Saturday Film Club: The Origins of Groudle Glen

Why is the Groudle Glen Railway the best in the world? 

It's not just because of the trains, even though these are the best in the world, it's the whole package. The Glen was once a major tourist attraction, and this video provides loads of history as well as the chuffy bits, so sit back and enjoy. 

Then book your trip to see it for real later this year... 

By diesel to Port Erin

 

Looking for some photos for a magazine article, I found these from 2014. I'm not sure what is rarer, Isle of Man Railways diesel No.21 actually working, or the load, a collection of Peel microcars!

The loco has disgraced itself, and spent the last few years on blocks in the bus station car park. The reasons behind this are complicated, but largely stem from politicians trying to do something on the cheap, and ending up with a machine from a dubious firm, apparently. 

Whatever, this was one interesting train. A collection of Peel cars - P50's (including the prototype) and Tridents. 

 

Saturday Film Club: The history of Peel Engineering - there was so much more than just the P50!

More Manx stuff, this time a more detailed look at the output from Peel Engineering - a really fascinating company!

Warehouse Wednesday: Peel Engineering workshop

Another one from the Isle of Man, this time the workshops that used to produce the fibreglass parts for the famous Peel 500, Trident, and Viking cars, and are still to be found on the harbourside at Peel, even if the firm is long gone. 

It's a very modelable building. Not too big, and perfectly industrial. To be honest, I've always dreamed of building it on a layout, with a stream of Peel cars being driven out and loaded on a train. OK, this didn't happen, but if I even did it, I'd say, "It's my train set."

To find out more, watch this excellent, short documentary. 

Cordyline australis

 

My Manx holiday was extended by a day due to a broken-down ferry. With this unexpected addition, I managed to bag a souvenir that I've wanted for decades - a Manx palm tree.  

These trees are found all over the island, and always fascinated me as being properly exotic. 

But they aren't easy to buy. You don't find them in the plant sections of Tesco, nor on the couple of plant stalls at the Southern Agricultural show. 

In the end, I tracked down a garden centre, which also didn't sell them. The staff suggested that I help myself from a local park, as they are considered a bit of a nuisance. More usefully, they also pointed me at Watsons Nurseries.  

Not easy to find in Greeba, once inside, it's a superb place, and the first person I talked to took me straight to the plant I wanted. This is the sort of place you frequent if you know your plants, and like to talk to people with knowledge. A few quid later, and my new palm was secure in the back of my car. 

Pedants will point out that the palm originated in New Zealand, where it is known as the cabbage tree, but I'm not going to let that worry me. I've got a bit of the Isle of Man in the garden. Let's hope it grows. 

Mooragh Park Swimming Pool poster

 

One of the souvenirs I brought back from my Manx holiday has finally been hung on the wall of our living room - a genuine poster for Mooragh Park in Ramsey. 

The railway company churned out loads of these sort of posters. The top part is printed, and from "Northern Capital" down is sign written. There are posters for all the major towns on the island. This, including the Road Services, is a relatively late one. I've seen several that are just railway. In fact I've been tempted by a couple in the past at £70+, but always resited. 

If you want to see them though, stop at the Sefton Express Hotel, like I did. There are old railway posters everywhere. 

My poster came from The Old Bonded Warehouse antique centre in Peel. I grabbed it for less than half the price I'd been asked in the past, partly because there is a dirty mark at the bottom. I can live with that, it shows the poster has had a life, and isn't a reproduction. 

It wasn't the only temptation on offer in this establishment. 

Now, the owner didn't know much about this sign, other than he bought it on the island. On the basis that its five foot by three foot, I can't see someone importing it from elsewhere. I,on the other hand, would have happily exported it if the thing would fit in my car, and I had anywhere to display it. 

While the condition isn't great, the £150 price would be negotiable. So, if you fancy a nice tramway sign, you know where to go! 

Isle of Man, Southern Agricultural show

It's nice to find at least one non-train thing to do while on the IoM - and this time, the Southern Agricultural show was taking place on the Saturday of my trip. 

Taking the advice of the radio advert, I tune to Manx FM the moment we emerged from the ferry, I hopped on a bus, which stops handily for the show. The suggestion was that traffic would be challenging, and I'd certainly have been parked further away from the entrance than the bus delivered me. 

Inside, there were a couple of feilds full of animals, vintage vehicles and stalls selling country stuff. Basically, like a mini Town & Country festival of my youth, although without the model railways. 

I did find a train. Not sure what class it is, but enthusiasts have nicknamed it a "Tractor". 

Plenty of vintage tractor action.

And some traditional animals. 

 

All great fun, and definitely a highlight of the trip. I managed a bit of Christmas shopping, ate some delicious lunch, followed up by local ice cream. A glorious location too, with great views. 

Radio control holiday

 

With only me in the car, I decided that there would be space to take a couple of RC vehicles on holiday. 

Firstly, the Sand Scorcher. I live as far from a beach as possible, so this was about the only chance it would have to scorch some real sand. On the day I arrived, I decided to spend the evening giving it a run. The nearest beach was Castletown, which isn't really sandy, but I had a good time anyway. 

 

The car likes a reasonably firm surface. Too much power on softer stuff sees it dig a hole for the back wheels. There were a few rocks I managed to hit too - which rolled the car. I haven't got around to refitting the wing mirror, which was probably a good thing. 

What I was able to do was get the car up to top speed, and turn reasonably gently keeping the momentum up. Spitting tiny stones everywhere, it really looked great. 

I'd planned to try a sandier beach later, but the weather was so nice, all the ones I visited were full of people. Another day perhaps. 

Another idea, was to join the Manx Model Boat club for a sailing session. They sail at Silverdale Glen, a couple of miles from my hotel. Parking is very limited, but it's a lovely pond, usually used for a couple of pedalos. 

One problem was that the club sail on Sunday, and Sunday's are for Groudle, followed in this instance, by the tour of the steam railway shed. Between us was the Southern Agricultural show, which promised to provide traffic issues that weekend, so I sailed one evening instead. Sadly, solo, but at least the boat made the water. 

 

As I say, it's a lovely lake, and I did my best not to disturb the ducks. The pond is pretty much the same size at the one we have at Knightcote, albeit a different shape with some fencing around the edge. Although you could reach through and pick up a boat this size easily enough. 

And if you take the kids to Silverdale, there is a water-powered roundabout for them! 

I can't be the only person who takes models on holiday, am I?  

Riding the weird trains

I took the chance to ride as many weird trains as I could. Well, a trip like this is about making memories, and you don't forget a trip behind Ailsa, possibly the ugliest loco every built, and therefore a firm favourite of mine!

We met early at Douglas station, and piled into the single coach. The ex-Channel Tunnel motive power trundled us along the line, and then back again. A "proper" enthusiast in my compartment worked out we'd travelled about quarter of a mile each way. It was still well worth three quid though. 

For the record, Ailsa has a seven-foot wheelbase. Just in case you fancy building a model. If you do, could you lend me a plan? I fancy building it in the earlier white and red oxide livery. 

Over in the Laxey car shed, it was time for a trip on the most modern piece of rolling stock on the island, MEC4. 

This is an electrically powered man-mover, capable of travelling the length of the line to Ramsey. It's a clever bit of kit, splitting in two so it can be lugged off the track by two people. 

On the move, it nips along at a fair old pace. Should the weather be inclement, there is a "greenhouse" structure to fit on top, but inside is a bit of a squeeze if all the passengers have fuller figures.  

If anyone is interested, took a lot of photos for detail work. It would be a bit different on the track!

Being at Laxey car shed, I needed to get to the station, and the obvious way to do this, is via a Wickham trolley. 

It's noisy, but surprisingly comfortable. Sadly, I missed out booking on to the Snaefell railcar you can see in the background, but they did line them all up for photos.