M is for Isle of Man Transport (Part 4: Snaefell Mountain Railway)

Tuesday 20th June 2023

Welcome to the Snaefell Mountain Railway. Your ride is almost certain to begin in Laxey, the southern terminus of the railway and where it meets, but doesn’t connect on the same tracks with, the Manx Electric Railway as featured in yesterday’s blog in this daily series on the Isle of Man Transport and its myriad of operations.

You could also board the tram at the halfway point called The Bungalow or maybe you walked all the way up the mountain and boarded for a ride down from the mountain summit’s railway terminus.

Riding the railway is an amazing experience as the trams slowly climb up the five miles on a 1 in 12 incline.

The reason the railway’s tracks don’t connect with those of the Manx Electric Railway is due to its slightly wider gauge at three and a half feet rather than three feet. That’s because there’s a special braking system – the Fell mountain railway system incorporating a raised central third rail between the two running rails to provide extra braking from additional brake shoes as needed.

Built in 1895, the line incredibly took just nine months to complete its construction which seems impossible to believe nowadays despite our advances in technology and construction methods.

Current is taken from overhead lines as with the Manx Electric Railway but instead of using trolley poles there are bow connectors which work much better in windy conditions. The wires on the exposed upper part of the route are dismantled during winter to avoid damage from icing.

The railway has five wooden-bodied electric railcars all dating from 1895 although one was rebuilt following an accident in 1971. They’re stored in a depot close to the Laxey terminus.

Like the Manx Electric Railway the timetable runs from mid March to the end of October with seven journeys at the start of the season but soon increasing to twelve for the rest of the time with over 20 running during TT fortnight.

It takes half an hour to reach the summit and there are some great views to be had on the journey including the Laxey Wheel…

… the former Great Snaefell Mine where zinc was mined and the scene of a terrible disaster in 1897 when 19 miners were killed by poisonous carbon monoxide fumes….

… and on a more cheerful note, the large and picturesque Sulby Reservoir.

At the Summit on a clear day you can famously see England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland as well as the Isle of Man itself of course.

I was very lucky on my recent visit to reach the top on an a day with excellent visibility…

… which compared with my last visit in 2016 when it was surrounded by mist – something that can happen quite often and come over very quickly as well as clear quickly too.

At the Summit which is 2,036 feet above sea level, there’s a café to enjoy refreshments before returning back down to Laxey.

Before leaving the terminus the conductor changes the points from the single track terminal turn back line to the dual track up and down the mountain.

The crew also ensure a handbrake is firmly applied particularly following a terrible incident in March 2016 when an unoccupied car (no 3) at the terminus runaway from the Summit and careered down the mountain derailing at Bungalow Station. I’m told by coincidence there was a small delegation from Network Rail visiting at the time and they couldn’t believe their eyes seeing this out of control tramcar careering down the mountain. The car was totally destroyed.

My visit at the end of last month was just as TT fortnight was getting underway and the A18 mountain road was already prepared for motorbike action as we crossed over the level crossing.

I had to do a double take at the same location on my precious visit in 2016 when I saw a London Routemaster on the A18.

No visit to the Isle of Man would be complete without a ride up the mountain, It’s easy to reach Laxey either by bus route 3 or the Manx Electric Railway.

It’s an amazing ride.

Tomorrow’s blog features the most environmentally friendly passenger transport you can get. Not even electric (let alone hydrogen).

Roger French

Blogging timetable: 06:00 TThS but it’s daily for this special Isle of Man Transport Week.