Most of our party of explorers boarded the 09.50 steam train from Douglas on a damp Sat morning to travel the 3¼ miles by vintage train to Port Soderick, the first station towards Port Erin. Motive power was 'Kissack', No13, with five coaches. Port Soderick doesn't have many passengers normally, although I have alighted from a train to walk along the Marine Drive (the course of the old tram route on the cliff tops) back to Douglas. A few travelled to Crogga House by other ways.

John & Jenny Williamson met us, directing the party onto the mile walk up Station Drive and along the road to Crogga. They also kindly ferried the less mobile in their car. We quickly found the 7¼'' gauge railway with two other IOM BLS members who volunteer there, Graeme Easton and Cade Williamson (no relation) who kindly organised it all. The public run, on occasional days by invitation only, is 450yd but there is much rare track in addition. All the volunteers were waiting for us and were well prepared, with much of the stock already removed from the sheds ready for the first manoeuvres of the day. They had also run test trains over every inch of track previously. To cover all the track efficiently we were split into three groups of about eight; there were two parts to the tour with photography, observation of proceedings or shelter from the drizzle in the shed for those not riding at any one time.

Open coaches F4, F5 & F6 ran down to the lake and the far Lakeside terminus, covering the loop and turntable, with Union Pacific diesel 1776. Those who wished to could be hand propelled from the short siding that the fire train usually sits on across the turntable. Older coaches F1 & F2 (with more inset bogies) shunted the four road carriage shed, the wash road and barbecue road each side, with motive power the other American outline diesel Santa Fe 98 (which is actually petrol powered).The latter rake then did the connections from the sheds to the main line, the loop at the top station and propelled back into the loco shed. For ends of line there was no loco in the way, the volunteers were well 'trained' in our requests. Finally, after moving all the stock back from where it came, we did the long loop down towards the lake, including the crossover part way along. These moves were repeated until everyone who wished to do all the track had done so. Every inch of track was covered on this most enjoyable visit and the drizzle did not dampen proceedings. A highlight was the steam trains on the adjacent Port Erin line accompanied by much whistling, tooting and waving on both gauges.

The final part of our visit was a welcome hot drink and biscuits before we thanked our hosts and set off back to Port Soderick for the 13.55 to Douglas behind No4 'Caledonia'. Quite a few of our party enjoyed the rest of the day on the Steam Railway with their 'GO Explore' rovers.

Marked up plan.
[© Martin Brailsford 2022]

The Wash Road - the single track furthest from the running line in a lean-to alongside the Carriage Shed. Very appropriately this was in pouring rain!
[© Stuart Hicks 2022]

BLS fixtures always have a Back Up Plan, here it was back up each of the four Carriage Shed roads.
[© Jenny Williamson 2022]

BLS fixtures always have a Back Up Plan, here it was back up the two loco shed roads.
[© Jenny Williamson 2022]

The end of the shed roads
[© Graeme Easton 2022]

Geoff Treby & Alan Sheppard people powering at the turntable.
[© Graeme Easton 2022]

Aren't the train drivers young these days...?
[© Graeme Easton 2022]

A Douglas to Port Erin train whistles by.
[© Graeme Easton 2022]

Our trips are noted for going the extra mile (well, few feet) and this certainly put a smile on Jenny Williamsons' face... This is the extremity (plus) of the Wash Road - so called because of the washing machine you pass!
[© Stuart Hicks 2022]

Union Pacific diesel 1776 with open coaches F4, F5 & F6 at Crogga Heights station.
[© Stuart Hicks 2022]

One of the organisers, Your IOM Regional Editor, handshunts some wagons to clear the loop. Looking down the main line from Crogga Heights station.
[© Stuart Hicks 2022]

Your GS seems oblivious to being photographed, right is the Barbecue Road (wait here for haircuts?), a dead end siding. The loco shed is ahead.
[© Stuart Hicks 2022]