The Skarloey Railway (SR) (Sudric: Yiarnraad Scacaloey), nicknamed "The Little Railway", is a narrow gauge (2'3") railway on the Island of Sodor, running for 40 miles from Crovan's Gate to Ulfstead Castle. The line was opened in 1865 to carry copper, and later slate, from the quarries at Ward Fell to Crovan's Gate, and is the oldest continuously operating Sudrian railway.
Since 1951, the railway has primarily operated as a tourist attraction, with the Blue Mountain Quarry being the railway's secondary source of income. These operations are supplemented by local passenger and freight traffic and a MoD contract to transport munitions to DM Skarloey. Major investment has allowed the railway to expand its locomotive and carriage fleets, and improve its running way and facilities. In 1965, an extension was opened around the lake, with a station at Lakeside, and in 1974 the railway completed an extension to Ulfstead Castle, which had been under construction since 1958.
History
Early Years
The Lean Years
Revitalisation
Route
Rolling Stock
Locomotives
Management
General Manager
| General Managers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Notes | ||
| 1 | Frederick Mack (1830-1911) |
1865 - 1904 | |||
| 2 | Robert Sam (1860-1942) |
1904 - 1936 | |||
| 3 | Peter Sam (1881-1971) |
1936 - 1951 | Director (1951-1968) | ||
| 4 | Roger Sam (1915-2007) |
1951 - 1980 | Director (1980-2000) | ||
| 5 | Peregrine Percival (born 1948) |
1980 - 2014 | Director (2014 onwards) | ||
| 6 | Peter Percival (born 1978) |
2014 onwards | |||
Chairman of the Board
| Chairmen of the Board | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Notes | ||
| 1 | Shamus Treboc (1817-1891) |
1865 - 1886 | |||
| 2 | Curtis Lloyd (1842-1936) |
1886 - 1909 | |||
| 3 | Sir Handel Brown (1875-1950) |
1909 - 1950 | Bought railway in 1909 | ||
| 4 | Sir Handel Lloyd Brown (1921-2016) |
1951 - 2011 | |||
| 5 | Sir Handel Q. Brown (born 1957) |
2011 onwards | |||
Chief Engineer
| Chief Engineers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Notes | ||
| 1 | Robert Merrick (1827-1904) |
1866 - 1890 | Formerly of Fletcher, Jenings & Co. | ||
| 2 | Owen Johns (1854-1942) |
1886 - 1919 | |||
| 3 | David Hugh I (1882-1968) |
1919 - 1950 | |||
| 4 | Ivo Hugh (1921-2016) |
1951 - 1991 | |||
| 5 | David Hugh II (born 1950) |
1991 - 2020 | Designer of Ivo Hugh | ||
| 6 | David Hugh III (born 1982) |
2020 - present | |||
Notes
- The Talyllyn Railway in Merioneth, Wales is its twin railway.
| Rolling Stock | Locomotives | Skarloey | Rheneas | Sir Handel | Peter Sam | Rusty | Duncan | Freddie | Duke | Fred | Mighty Mac | Ivo Hugh | Luke | Mark VI |
|---|---|---|
| Coaches | Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice | Ada, Jane and Mabel | Cora | Gertrude and Millicent | Saloon Coaches | Refreshment Coach | |
| Trucks | Slate Trucks | Skarloey Railway Breakdown Train | |
| Non-Rail Vehicles | Madge | Colin | Merrick | Owen | |
| Staff | Chairmen | Sir Handel Brown | Sir Handel Lloyd Brown | Sir Handel Qualtrough Brown |
| Controllers | Frederick Mack | Robert Sam | Peter Sam | Roger Sam | Peregrine Percival | Peter Percival | |
| Engineers | David Hugh | Ivo Hugh | David Hugh II | David Hugh III | |