Snaefell Mountain Railway - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Snaefell Mountain Railway is an electric mountain railway

Mountain railway

A mountain railway is a railway that ascends and descends a mountain slope that has a steep grade. Such railways can use a number of different technologies to overcome the steepness of the grade...

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...

in Europe. It joins the town of 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...

with the summit of Snaefell

Snaefell

Snaefell is the highest mountain and the only summit higher than on the Isle of Man, at above sea level. The summit is crowned by a train station, cafe, and several communications masts.- Views :...

, at 620 metres (2,034 ft) above sea level

Sea level

Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...

the highest point on the island. It connects with the 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...

(MER) in Laxey. The line is 5 miles (8 km) long, built to gauge

Rail gauge

Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...

and uses a Fell Incline Railway System centre rail for braking on the steep gradients. It is electrified using overhead wires

Overhead lines

Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...

at 550 volt

Volt

The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...

s direct current

Direct current

Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...

, with bow collector

Bow collector

A bow collector is one of the three main devices used on tramcars to transfer electric current from the wires above to the tram below. While once very common in continental Europe, it has now been largely replaced by the pantograph.-Origins:...

Operation

Services operate at regular intervals between April and September, taking 30 minutes for a one-way journey. There is no winter service: the overhead wires on the exposed upper part of the route are dismantled to avoid damage from icing. All passenger traffic is carried in six wooden-bodied electric railcar

Railcar

A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...

s, built in 1895 and numbered 1 to 6. Car 5 was burned out in an accident in 1970 and its body is a replacement built in 1971 to a similar design. The cars were re-equipped in the late 1970s with new bogie

Bogie

A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...

s to a design based on the original, using motors and traction equipment from withdrawn Aachen

Aachen

Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...

tram

Tram

A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

s. Because of the different gauge and the centre rail, vehicles cannot inter-run between the railway and the 3 ft gauge MER

Manx Electric Railway

. Railway vehicles are occasionally worked to the MER workshops at 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...

by swapping their bogie

Bogie

s, and to aid this there is a dual gauge

Dual gauge

A dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail...

siding

Rail siding

A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...

in Laxey. The railway is owned and operated by Isle of Man Heritage Railways

Isle of Man Transport

Isle of Man Transport is an agency of Isle of Man Government that operates public transport on the Isle of Man.They operates following services:* Bus Vannin, Island Wide Bus Service* Isle of Man Railway, Douglas - Ballasalla - Castletown - Port Erin...

, a department of the Isle of Man Government

Isle of Man Government

The Isle of Man Government is the government of the Isle of Man. The formal head of the Isle of Man Government is the Lieutenant Governor, representing HM Queen Elizabeth II, Lord of Mann...

History

The line was originally surveyed by George Nobel Fell, the son of John Barraclough Fell

John Barraclough Fell

John Barraclough Fell , was a British railway engineer and inventor of the Fell mountain railway system.Fell spent the early part of his life in London, living with his parents. About 1835 he moved with them to the Lake District. In 1840, he married a 25-year-old woman named Martha in Kirkstall,...

who invented the Fell system. This survey was for a steam-operated railway using the Fell centre rail for both propulsion and braking, and the scheme was approved by Tynwald

Tynwald

The Tynwald , or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It is claimed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world, consisting of the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council.The Houses sit jointly, for...

in 1888 but not built. In 1895 the Snaefell Mountain Railway Association (SMRA) revived the plans, and adopted the route of the earlier survey. As the line was built entirely on land leased by the association there was no need for statutory powers, and the line was constructed very quickly and opened on 20 August 1895. The line was built from scratch as an electric railway without Fell traction equipment, relying on normal rail adhesion

Rail adhesion

The term adhesion railway or adhesion traction describes the most common type of railway, where power is applied by driving some or all of the wheels of the locomotive. Thus, it relies on the friction between a steel wheel and a steel rail. Note that steam locomotives of old were driven only by...

for propulsion up the steep gradients. However they are fitted with Fell braking equipment for use when descending. In December 1895 the SMRA sold the line to the Isle of Man Tramways & Electric Power Co. Ltd (I.o.M.T.&.E.P.), which owned the M.E.R. Doubt was thrown on this transaction in aftermath after the later collapse of the I.o.M.T.&.E.P., when it was revealed that the SMRA was unregistered, and that most of the board of the IoMT&EP were also members of the SMRA and had voted on the acquisition in contravention of that company's articles of association. The IoMT&EP went into liquidation

Liquidation

In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...

in 1900 as a consequence of a banking collapse. The railway and the MER were sold by the liquidator

Liquidator (law)

In law, a liquidator is the officer appointed when a company goes into winding-up or liquidation who has responsibility for collecting in all of the assets of the company and settling all claims against the company before putting the company into dissolution....

to the newly-formed Manx Electric Railway Co. Ltd, which took over in 1902. By the late 1950s the company was itself in financial difficulties, and it was acquired by the Isle of Man Government in 1957.

Stations

The main station on the line is the interchange with the coastal line

Manx Electric Railway

at Laxey and this is where all departures and arrivals occur; the only intermediate stopping place on the line is at the mid-way position where the line intersects the Snaefell Mountain Course

Snaefell mountain course

Snaefell Mountain Course or Mountain Course is a road-racing circuit used for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix Races held in the Isle of Man from 1911 and 1923 respectively. The racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald...

used by the world famous T.T. races and during race periods trams terminate either side of the road and passengers connect by means of a footbridge.

Laxey Station
Laxey station
Laxey Station is a station in the village of Laxey on the Isle of Man serving as an intermediate station on the Manx Electric Railway as well as being the lower terminus of the Snaefell Mountain Railway.-Location:...
Bungalow Station
Bungalow railway station
Bungalow Station Bungalow Station Bungalow Station (more commonly The Bungalow is the only intermediate station on the Isle of Man's Snaefell Mountain Railway and is located where the main mountain road intersects the line.-Origins:...
Snaefell Summit Station

There is a spur off the main line above the lower station which leads to the depôt where all the rolling stock is housed and maintained; this complex was completely rebuilt in the winter of 1994/1995 and officially opened it readiness for the railway's centenary. Also in the depôt is a smaller shed which houses the Air Ministry railcars used to access masts at the summit during the winter months when the overhead lines are removed from the top section of the line to prevent frost damage.

In November 2010 works commenced on a project to renew several sections of track on the Snaefell Mountain Railway. Works are scheduled for completion prior to the line reopening for the 2011 season.

Rolling stock

Passenger

The railway operates with six identical tramcars, all of which were built 1895 by George F. Milnes & Co., and delivered in time for the line's opening that year. Of note is Car No. 5 which was severely damaged by a fire on 16 August 1970 and subsequently re-built locally, re-entering service in 1971. It was distinguished by having modern aluminium framed "bus" type windows but these were removed and wooden sliding ones re-fitted during a subsequent re-build in 2003, at which time the tram became the first to carry the railway's name in Manx along its side. The current livery has been standard for over a century, save for a period upon nationalisation in 1957 when certain cars carried an unpopular green and white scheme. The original livery used until 1899 was a cream and brown scheme featuring "tramway" wording rather than "railway" which has since been favoured. Until the addition of rheostatic braking equipment on car roofs in 1970 knifeboard adverts were carried on the roof tops.

Freight

The seventh car was built by the railway was a non-passenger car supplied at opening in 1895. It was based largely upon the passenger cars but without any seated closed accommodation. Numbered 7 in sequence with the other stock and nicknamed "Maria" it was used to convey coal from Laxey to the power station near the Bungalow and traditionally borrowed traction bogies from other passenger vehicles as required. It latterly saw many years at the works depot mounted on barrels until it became completely rotten and beyond saving. A replica was built in 1994 to feature as part of the International Railway Festival celebrating the line's centenary, and this saw limited use on the line and later this was converted for use on the Manx Electric Railway

Manx Electric Railway

and re-gauged to 3' 0" and this now re-numbered as Car No. 34

Manx Electric Car 34

Car No.34 is the only non-passenger tramcar on the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.In late 1994 work began on the construction of a replica of a works car on the Snaefell Mountain Railway No...

on the "low road", the colloquial name for the coastal section to differentiate it from the mountain line. It features a mounted diesel generator for self propulsion when the overhead wires are down.

Air Ministry / Civil Aviation / National Air Traffic Services Vehicles
There have been four different railcars on the line all of which are Wickham trolley

Wickham trolley

The Wickham trolley was a railway engineering personnel carrier, used on British Railways as the type No.27 Gang and Inspection trolley. It was introduced in 1948 and over 600 were built between then and 1990, of which 25 went to the Ministry of Supply / MoD between 1954 and 1960...

s, starting with CAA No. 1 (works number 5864) arriving in 1951, in Air Force Blue livery; it was repainted into yellow and black (CAA colours) in the 1960s and sold to Manx Electric Railway

Manx Electric Railway

in 1977. It has since been sold to private owner and shipped to the UK in June 2007 for restoration. The second car was CAA No. 2 (works number 7642) arriving in 1957 in Air Force Blue livery, again repainted into yellow and black in the 1960s. It was returned to Wickham Rail in 1991 as part exchange for No. 4 and possibly re-exported to Southern Africa. No. 3 (works number 10956) arrived in 1977 and is currently reserve vehicle for the final car, No. 4 (works number 11730) which arrived in 1991 and is currently in use by National Air Traffic Services

National Air Traffic Services

NATS Ltd. is the main air navigation service provider in the United Kingdom. It provides en-route air traffic control services to flights within the UK Flight Information Regions and the Shanwick Oceanic Control Area, and provides air traffic control services to fifteen UK airports and Gibraltar...

. The vehicles were used to maintain the aerial masts at the top of Snaefell mountain.

Departmental

The railway also has a four wheeled wagon used to carry supplies to the summit station which has no road access, this is ordinarily propelled in front of the first morning car which delivers the staff to the station and remains at the summit during the operational day, returning behind the last tram; it is occasionally used on service cars as part of special events period, primarily for photographic purposes. It, and all other stock, has no couplings as the line is continually on a gradient and no runaways can occur.

Incidents

On Monday, 27 July 2009, a vehicle carrying a mechanical excavator came into contact with wires supplying traction power to the Snaefell Mountain Railway and the Manx Electric Railway

Manx Electric Railway

at a crossing in Laxey, according to portal site Manx.net. There were no injuries. Police and MER electrical engineering crews were at the scene of the incident, the report also said. It did not indicate what damage had occurred as a result of the incident. Service resumed the next day after temporary repairs to the overhead lines, which will be permanently repaired over the next couple of weeks, Manx.net said. An investigation into the incident is to take place later, according to the BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Operation

History

Stations

Rolling stock

Incidents

See also

Further reading

External links