Foxdale Railway


The Foxdale Railway was a narrow gauge branch line which ran from St. John's to Foxdale in the Isle of Man. The line ran from an end-on junction with the Manx Northern Railway west of St. John's, then passed to the north of the Isle of Man Railway station before curving south and crossing the IMR's line from Douglas via an overbridge to the east of the station. The line had a fairly constant incline through Waterfall(s) Halt, the only intermediate station, to the terminus in Upper Foxdale. The tracks extended beyond Foxdale into the mine workings area.

Stations

The terminus structures were identical and both survive today; the diminutive mid-way request stop, named either "Waterfall" or "Waterfalls", was served only by a small shelter and was briefly fitting with a siding. There were also at one early time plans to extend the line to join with the Isle of Man Railway's Port Erin line at Ballasalla Station, but these came to nothing, plans were however drawn up for this arduous route. At Foxdale the line was extended beyond the limits to serve the mine workings with temporary track, notably for use transporting spoils for use in creating the Royal Air Force base at Andreas in 1940. The railway had a lucrative contract for providing these spoils and it proved to be the last purposeful work carried out on the line, spoils being taken for onward travel along the north line to be used in runway construction.

1886-1940

The railway initially used the Manx Northern Railway station at St. John's, situated to the west of the IMR station. Later, in 1886, the Manx Northern Railway abandoned this and built a new platform and station building on the alignment of the Foxdale Railway more closely adjacent to the IMR station. Foxdale line trains used this facility until 1927, after which trains reversed in and out of the IMR station. Upon the opening of the railway, the Manx Northern Railway ran some services from Ramsey to Foxdale, but passenger traffic on the line was always light and these services gave way to local shuttles between St. John's and Foxdale. Latterly, passenger services consisted of a loco and one coach. The coach used was specifically made for the branch and survives today. The line was officially opened by the Foxdale Railway Company Ltd. on allowing rail access to the lead mining workings around the village of Foxdale. The company had close ties to the Manx Northern Railway, many of whose directors were also on the board of the smaller company. The line was leased from the outset by the Manx Northern Railway.
Shortly after the line had opened, the lead mining industry started to decline and in the Foxdale company went into liquidation. The fortunes of the Manx Northern Railway were closely tied to the Foxdale line due to the terms of the lease being favourable to the smaller concern. Much of the Manx Northern Railway's freight revenue originated in Foxdale, with loaded wagons of lead being transported to the harbour in Ramsey and coal and mine supplies ferried back to the mines. The Manx Northern Railway operated the line on behalf of the liquidators until, following an investigation by a Tynwald committee, the Isle of Man Railway took over all operations on the Manx Northern Railway including the Foxdale line on. The IMR was then authorised to purchase both the Manx Northern Railway and the Foxdale line a few months later on. The last lead mine in the area closed in 1911 and from then on only spoil trains and the infrequent passenger and general goods services used the line. From, tickets were no longer sold at Foxdale Station, the station building being converted into a private dwelling during the 1920s. The last regular passenger train worked the branch in 1940, after which the service was replaced by buses. The line saw troop specials during World War II as well as spoil trains and the occasional passenger service, run due to bus shortages.

1960-Date

The last train reported to have used the branch was an engineering working in which removed rails and other material from Foxdale to be used elsewhere on the system. The rails were finally removed during the mid-1970s and much of the route is now a designated public walkway. The viaduct beyond St. John's was removed in 1975 and a further bridge along the line later as part of road-widening scheme. Only the overbridge at St. John's Station remains in situ today, as do both terminus buildings. The station building at St. John's is now a private dwelling having been the residence of well-known station master George Crellin until his death in the year 1976 after the railway closed. The station at the other end of the line is extant; it was used as a youth club for local children for a number of years before becoming the home of the Foxdale Heritage Centre; it also served for a period as the headquarters of the Manx Flux Co., Ltd. The stanchions of the former viaduct remain and there are still some rails visible in the road at the outer terminus. The famous "scissors" crossing behind the station is still said to be in situ, although unknown to most people as it is buried underneath a bank of hardcore from the mines. Foxdale may have the distinction of being the station on the Island's closed network which has most of its original station trackwork surviving. For several years after trains ceased the area was surrounded with mines "deads" leading it to gain the nickname "the back of the moon".

Stock

The Manx Northern Railway purchased a more powerful locomotive to work goods services over the branch and its steep gradients which was given the name Caledonia owing to the company chairman's Scottish ancestry. It was the only locomotive purchased for the line and remains extant and operational on the remaining south line of the railway today. Similarly, only one carriage was purchased, the unique Foxdale Coach which too is a remarkable survivor and remains in use on the railway today. The two are often paired to make a recreation Foxdale Line train during the railway's annual events periods each summer. There were initial proposals for a second locomotive to the same design as Caledonia, to have been named Atlas in conjunction with a proposed extension south but owing to the fortunes of the line this never came to fruition. Goods stock was commonly used on the line, these being from both the Manx Northern Railway and later, after amalgamation, the Isle of Man Railway. After the merger the familiar Beyer Peacock locomotives of the Isle of Man Railway also served the line with photographic references showing No.1 Sutherland, No.4 Loch, No.5 Mona, No.6 Peveril, No.7 Tynwald and No.8 Fenella all at work on the line, leading to a theory that only the smaller locomotives were used on the branch as well as occasionally the six-wheel carriages.