Sea Lion (locomotive)
Encyclopedia
Sea Lion is a steam locomotive built in 1896 to supply the motive power to the Groudle Glen Railway
on the Isle of Man
and the locomotive still provides the main traction there today. The locomotive was built by W.G. Bagnall & Co., Stafford
and delivered to the line in May of that year, providing sole motive power until joined in 1905 by sister locomotive Polar Bear. When delivered to the railway, the locomotive carried an olive green livery with vermilion and yellow lining and the name carried on the side water tank in gold leaf with blue shadowing, with distinctive round "spectacle" cab windows back and front. These were changed over to rectangular windows very early in the engine's career to improve driver visibility however. One distinctive feature was a displacement lubricator mounted atop the highly polished brass dome. The locomotive was fitted with unusual valve gear
patented by E.E. Baguley
and is one of only two locomotives to remain in existence with this (the other being Rishra on the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway. By the 1920 season the locomotive was deemed too costly for repair and the line purchased two battery electric locomotives that inherited their steam engine names. The modern engines proved to be financially disastrous and within a few short years "Sea Lion" had been returned to the works for re-build. It continued to operate the line until closure at the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.
When the line eventually re-opened in 1950 it was decided to operate with Polar Bear only owing to decrease in demand and the poor condition of Sea Lion which had been stored in the open air for some time. The railway survived until 1962 but by this time Sea Lion was virtually derelict having had many of her brass components removed or stolen. She was saved from scrapping by local preservationist John Walton
who transported her to his Steam Centre in Kirk Michael where the engine lay in the car park as an exhibit. When he moved to Loughborough
he took the locomotive with him. When the project to restore the railway began, the remains of the locomotive were transported back to the island for restoration and ultimately operation on her original metals and a campaign to have the engine restored was begun. The apprentices of British Nuclear Fuels
however stepped in and the engine was taken to Sellafield
in 1986 where the restoration was carried out.
By 1987 the engine had been transported to the nearby Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway where a section of 2' 0" track was laid and the engine turned a wheel under its own steam for the first time since 1939. Thereafter it was returned to works for completion and painting before arriving at Groudle Glen
that September to the delight of the railways' restorers, the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association
. The engine first performed passenger duties that Christmas, appearing in original olive green colour scheme and entered service thereafter. Reboilering was completed in 2003 at which time the locomotive was repainted into the darker brunswick green that it carried in the 1920s and it is this guise that she remains in service today. To honour one of the line's engineers, a plaque in his name, Alastair Lamberton, was erected inside the cab in 1999, and the rebuild plates were also removed from the exterior as part of the reboilering, making for a more authentic appearance. Sea Lion carried a back lamp bracket between the cab windows which is inaccurate (although correct on Polar Bear) as hers was originally on the waistband of the cab sheet.
Sea Lion visited the Ffestiniog Railway
in 1997, and made a visit to Amberley Museum
in 2005 to celebrate Polar Bears centenary. This visit was immediately followed by a return visit of Polar Bear back to the GGR.
Groudle Glen Railway
The Groudle Glen Railway is a narrow gauge railway north of Douglas in the Isle of Man which is owned and operated by members of the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association and operates on summer Sundays; May to September and Wednesday evenings in July and August along with a number of...
on the Isle of Man
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...
and the locomotive still provides the main traction there today. The locomotive was built by W.G. Bagnall & Co., Stafford
W.G. Bagnall
W. G. Bagnall was a locomotive manufacturer from Stafford, England. It was founded in 1875 by William Gordon Bagnall and ceased trading in 1962 when it was taken over by English Electric Co Ltd. The company was located at the Castle Engine Works, in Castle Town, Stafford...
and delivered to the line in May of that year, providing sole motive power until joined in 1905 by sister locomotive Polar Bear. When delivered to the railway, the locomotive carried an olive green livery with vermilion and yellow lining and the name carried on the side water tank in gold leaf with blue shadowing, with distinctive round "spectacle" cab windows back and front. These were changed over to rectangular windows very early in the engine's career to improve driver visibility however. One distinctive feature was a displacement lubricator mounted atop the highly polished brass dome. The locomotive was fitted with unusual valve gear
Baguley valve gear
The Baguley valve gear is a type of steam engine valve gear invented by Mr E. E. Baguley the draftsman of the W.G. Bagnall company of locomotive manufacturers. It was patented in 1893....
patented by E.E. Baguley
Ernest E. Baguley
-Employment:Baguley served an apprenticeship with R & W Hawthorn Leslie, initially at their Tyneside shipyard and later at their Forth Bank, Newcastle, locomotive works. In 1890 he moved to Stafford and became Chief Draughtsman for W G Bagnall Ltd...
and is one of only two locomotives to remain in existence with this (the other being Rishra on the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway. By the 1920 season the locomotive was deemed too costly for repair and the line purchased two battery electric locomotives that inherited their steam engine names. The modern engines proved to be financially disastrous and within a few short years "Sea Lion" had been returned to the works for re-build. It continued to operate the line until closure at the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.
When the line eventually re-opened in 1950 it was decided to operate with Polar Bear only owing to decrease in demand and the poor condition of Sea Lion which had been stored in the open air for some time. The railway survived until 1962 but by this time Sea Lion was virtually derelict having had many of her brass components removed or stolen. She was saved from scrapping by local preservationist John Walton
John Walton
John Walton is the name of:* John Walton , Georgia Continental Congressman, signer of the Articles of Confederation* Sir John Lawson Walton , British MP and Attorney General of England and Wales...
who transported her to his Steam Centre in Kirk Michael where the engine lay in the car park as an exhibit. When he moved to Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
he took the locomotive with him. When the project to restore the railway began, the remains of the locomotive were transported back to the island for restoration and ultimately operation on her original metals and a campaign to have the engine restored was begun. The apprentices of British Nuclear Fuels
BNFL
British Nuclear Fuels Limited was a nuclear energy and fuels company owned by the UK Government. It was a former manufacturer and transporter of nuclear fuel , ran reactors, generated and sold electricity, reprocessed and managed spent fuel , and decommissioned nuclear plants and other similar...
however stepped in and the engine was taken to Sellafield
Sellafield
Sellafield is a nuclear reprocessing site, close to the village of Seascale on the coast of the Irish Sea in Cumbria, England. The site is served by Sellafield railway station. Sellafield is an off-shoot from the original nuclear reactor site at Windscale which is currently undergoing...
in 1986 where the restoration was carried out.
By 1987 the engine had been transported to the nearby Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway where a section of 2' 0" track was laid and the engine turned a wheel under its own steam for the first time since 1939. Thereafter it was returned to works for completion and painting before arriving at Groudle Glen
Groudle Glen
Groudle, a glen on the outskirts of Onchan on the Isle of Man, is formed in a valley leading to the sea at the small port of the same name. It was a remote hamlet boasting only a handful of small cottages until linked to the Manx Electric Railway in 1893, at which time it was developed as a...
that September to the delight of the railways' restorers, the Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association
Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association
The Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association is a railway preservationist group dedicated to the continued operation of the Isle of Man Railway on the Isle of Man Since its inception in 1966 the group have provided volunteer workers and a watchdog role and commenced its own project in the...
. The engine first performed passenger duties that Christmas, appearing in original olive green colour scheme and entered service thereafter. Reboilering was completed in 2003 at which time the locomotive was repainted into the darker brunswick green that it carried in the 1920s and it is this guise that she remains in service today. To honour one of the line's engineers, a plaque in his name, Alastair Lamberton, was erected inside the cab in 1999, and the rebuild plates were also removed from the exterior as part of the reboilering, making for a more authentic appearance. Sea Lion carried a back lamp bracket between the cab windows which is inaccurate (although correct on Polar Bear) as hers was originally on the waistband of the cab sheet.
Sea Lion visited the Ffestiniog Railway
Ffestiniog Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
in 1997, and made a visit to Amberley Museum
Amberley Museum Railway
The Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre Railway is a gauge railway based at the Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre, Amberley, West Sussex. It has a varied collection of engines and rolling stock ranging from gauge to gauge...
in 2005 to celebrate Polar Bears centenary. This visit was immediately followed by a return visit of Polar Bear back to the GGR.
See also
- Groudle Glen Railway fleetGroudle Glen Railway FleetThis is a general list of rolling stock and locomotives currently or formerly on the Groudle Glen Railway on the Isle of Man.-Steam:*Sea Lion built by W. G. Bagnall in 1896, works no. 1484, still working...
- Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' AssociationIsle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' AssociationThe Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association is a railway preservationist group dedicated to the continued operation of the Isle of Man Railway on the Isle of Man Since its inception in 1966 the group have provided volunteer workers and a watchdog role and commenced its own project in the...
- Manx Electric Railway stationsManx Electric Railway stationsThere are many local stopping places on the Manx Electric Railway and, as such, trams may stop wherever it is convenient to do so; listed to the right are all the acknowledged stopping places. The primary stopping places that have station areas built around them are as follows, and are those...
- 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...