Great Laxey Mine Railway
Encyclopedia
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
's Great Laxey Mine, a lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
located in Laxey
Laxey
Laxey is a village on the east coast of the Isle of Man. Its name derives from the Old Norse Laxa meaning 'Salmon River'.The village lies on the A2, the main Douglas to Ramsey road. Laxey Glen is one of the Manx National Glens, with Dhoon Glen being located close by...
. The gauge railway runs from the old mine entrance to the washing floors along a right of way that passes through the Isle of Man's only railway tunnel under the gauge Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
Manx Electric Railway
Manx Electric Railway
The Manx Electric Railway is an electric inter-urban tramway connecting Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey in the Isle of Man. It connects with the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway at its southern terminus at Derby Castle at the northern end of the promenade in Douglas, and with the Snaefell Mountain Railway at...
and the main A2 Douglas
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
to Ramsey
Ramsey, Isle of Man
Ramsey is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census . It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of...
coast road.
Restored route
Abandoned in 1929 when the mine closed, the 1/4 mi Great Laxey Mine Railway re-opened in September 2004. Now the Ant and Bee, replicas of the LewinStephen Lewin
Stephen Lewin of Poole, Dorset, England was a builder of steamboats and steam locomotives.-Locomotives:Only a small number of locomotives were built, including:* 0-4-0 Ant and Bee, for 20 inch gauge Great Laxey Mine Railway, Isle of Man...
steam locomotives with the same names originally built in 1877, carry passengers along a restored route once traversed by cars loaded with lead ore pulled by mules.
Laxey Browside Tramway
At the upper terminus, linking the railway to the Laxey WheelLaxey Wheel
The Laxey Wheel is a large waterwheel built in the village of Laxey in the Isle of Man. Designed by Robert Casement, it has a diameter, is wide and revolves at approximately three revolutions per minute.-History:...
, once operated the Laxey Browside Tramway
Laxey Browside Tramway
The Laxey Browside Tramway was a water operated two-car system that transported passengers up the hillside to the Laxey water wheel on the Isle of Man. Consisting of two open cars that operated opposite ends of the small line, it was powered by the water that was also used to turn the mighty water...
but this has long since vanished, replaced with a car park.
See also
- British narrow gauge railwaysBritish narrow gauge railwaysThere were more than a thousand British narrow gauge railways ranging from large, historically significant common carriers to small, short-lived industrial railways...
- Laxey WheelLaxey WheelThe Laxey Wheel is a large waterwheel built in the village of Laxey in the Isle of Man. Designed by Robert Casement, it has a diameter, is wide and revolves at approximately three revolutions per minute.-History:...