As reported last week, Wednesday 30th July proved to be a dramatic day on the Snaefell Mountain Railway when car no. 3 caught light and then car no. 4 derailed just over the main road crossing in Laxey. The full story of the events can be viewed at http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/news/?p=8469 (including comments clarifying just what went on) and we are now able to show you some photos of the two incidents, including the fire on 3 and 4 derailed at Laxey, courtesy of John Wilson.
The fire on no. 3 is put out after the overhead had been isolated.
A close-up view of no. 4's derailed bogie.
A hive of activity as 4 is rerailed as no.1 and one other vehicle look on in the distance. (All Photos: John Wilson)
Changing the subject slightly, what is the opinion on the Laxey station re-vamp which was scheduled for last Winter? There were fears that the character of the station would be changed forever but I haven’t heard any more about it.
The character of Laxey station has changed very little. The only real difference is that the old siding near the main road has been physically disconnected from the running lines and replaced by one in the station itself, located between the cafe and the Mines Tavern. This had its advantage during the Heritage Festival when the restored post van which was used for the commemorative covers was able to be displayed in the station for the day on the Thursday and the Saturday.
The dual gauge connection between the SMR siding and the MER has been removed, but a new section of dual gauge track has actually been laid in the SMR siding, even though not connected. The crossovers for running round are now located out of the station, either side of the Mines Road crossing. The surface in the station is much as it was, clearly the more controversial aspects of the revamp have not been proceeded with, whether this is due to lack of money or because they have listened to objectors, I do not know. Myself, I was quite pleased and relieved when I saw what has been done.
Forgot to add that the ‘landmark’ appearance of the roof of the station building, which hadn’t changed since I were a lad (50 years) still hasn’t; green with LAXEY in big white letters.
Whilst what Ken says in his 19:58 post is true, other detrimental changes have taken place. The charming little kiosks have been removed and (when I was last there) dumped near the substation. The track has been relaid to resemble a standard-gauge dock railway, and the overhead line equipment is similarly oversized and ugly. Ken comments that “The surface in the station is much as it was”, which is true – this means that the staff constantly have to sweep out ballast from the ridiculously wide rail-grooves.
I’m delighted that our (IoM) Government is still spending money on our transport heritage: I just wish that there had been a ‘lighter touch’ when choosing rail and OHLE, instead of going for what was presumably the cheapest option.
Thanks for your replies. There are some nice photos on the late Richard Lomas’s blogspot which show some of the features.
http://tramways.blogspot.co.uk/
Well Chris, you asked for ‘opinions’ and you now have 2, not exact but not widely disagreeing ones! This may sound like sacrilege to Geoff, but I never thought of (or missed) the kiosks. He is right about the grooved rail looking rather large, but I didn’t think it detracted unduly from the appearance of the site unless you were studying the rails. The OLE does also look different, but as I’m used to looking at Metrolink stuff it probably didn’t hit me the same as it has Geoff, who I presume lives on the Island. On the plus side, the ‘definite public crossings’ have not happened. What was meant by ‘modern street furniture’ I don’t know unless it meant the new OLE. To me the fact that a section of ‘dual gauge’ was replicated was a plus and a gesture to the history of the station, although I must admit it looked strange with new type track used. As I said the plans with the pedestrian access have not happened – pedestrians are still able to wander along the side of the Mines Tavern in the middle of the track with their backs to approaching trams! Some of the aspects of course are purely a matter of personal taste, but my opinion is that compared to the nightmare scenarios that were being portrayed before the work started, the finished job still gives the same general impression. And of course as enthusiasts we have to remember that most visitors are not enthusiasts (outside of special events) and probably won’t even notice that anything has changed!
Maybe I’m a ‘geek’, but just follow the link provided by Chris yesterday and compare the new track and OHLE in Laxey with the traditional kit at Ramsey. The phrase ‘modern street furniture’ referred, I think, to horrible and totally inappropriate stainless-steel seats and bollards, and the like: as Ken says, thank goodness they haven’t appeared!