Groudle Glen Railway Fleet

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This is a list of rolling stock and locomotives currently or formerly on the Groudle Glen railway on the Isle of Man.

Contents 1 Locomotives 1.1 Steam 1.2 Diesel 1.3 Battery 2 Rolling stock 2.1 Four wheeled coaches 2.2 Bogie coaches 2.3 "Fauld" wagons 2.4 Other stock

[edit] Locomotives

[edit] Steam

• Sea Lion built by W. G. Bagnall in 1896, works no. 1484, still working
• Polar Bear built by W. G. Bagnall in 1905, works no. 1787, now at Amberley Chalk Pits Museum
• Jack built by Andrew Barclay & Sons Co. in 1925, bought in 1994 and sold privately in 1997
• Annie built by Richard Booth to design of W. G. Bagnall, no. 1911, works no. 1922, working

[edit] Diesel

• Dolphin built by Hunslet Engine Company for Robert Hudson Ltd in 1952, works no. 4352 undergoing overhaul
• Walrus built by Hunslet Engine Company for Robert Hudson Ltd in 1952, works no. 4353, in service
• Parracombe built by Baguley in 1947, works no. 3232, arrived on the railway 2007

[edit] Battery

• Sea Lion built by Wingrove & Rogers in 1920, works no. 313, involved in crash circa 1922 and scrapped
• Polar Bear built by Wingrove & Rogers in 1920, works no. 314, modified to include bogies and battery truck, scrapped in the 1920s.
• Polar Bear replica built by Alan Keef in 2003 on original chassis, working

[edit] Rolling stock

[edit] Four wheeled coaches

All of the railway's coaches were supplied by G.F. Milnes & Co. of Birkenhead and were of similar design. They resemble a smaller version of the trailers used on the Manx Electric Railway and were originally either varnised or painted a dark colour (contemporary postcards make it difficult to tell which) but the restored versions are varnished and carry no lining out, which is evident from early views.

• "A" Coaches, the original four-wheeled "toastrack" coaches supplied with "Sea Lion" in 1896 were never originally numbered but are known as the "A" coaches; there feature stone guards at rail level and a more plain valence design when compared to other coaches.
• "B" Coach was ordered owing to popularity of the line in the early years. This coach was slightly different from the others, having higher windows, different style valences, and is always known by it's letter owing to these small differences; it remains to be re-built but several parts are in store.
• "C" & "D" Coaches un-numbered originally made up the final four coaches and arrived with Polar Bear in 1905 referred to as "C" and "D" type, the only major difference being the small style changed of valancing

There are three restored coaches with "Polar Bear" at Amberley Chalk Pits and a further replica which serves as a disabled car, and three rebuilt coaches at Groudle itself, built by the company. A further original rebuilt coach is at the West Lancashire Railway but made a return to Groudle in 1996. The railway also has some component parts to assemble the "B" coach and a further 1905 type coach which ultimately will mean that there'll be more restored coaches than there originally were!

[edit] Bogie coaches

The first two coach bodies are built on the frames of coaches originally purchased from Doddington in 1982, the original bodies being unfit for future use and considerably different from the more traditional version now applied. The coaches all feature a valance along their lengths using the same pattern as the original 1905 type coaches to give them a more authentic appearance. The coaches are numbered one to three but their fleet numbers are not immediately apparent as they are only painted on one end on the underframe.

• No. 1, built in 1986, roof added in 1988 still in service
• No. 2, built in 1987 by the railway with roof, still in service
• No. 3, built in 1994 to be all-weather car but project remains incomplete.

The third coach, used at peak times, is slightly different from the original two, owing to the proposed all-weather appearance which has not been executed. All the coaches are painted in a maroon livery, the original two carrying G.G.R. lettering until repaint in 2001 when this was lost; however in 2007 all three coaches were fitted with the new railway crest; interiors are black painted bench seating with black (changed from grey in early 2008) floors, featuing a hand-brake at one end of the vehicle.

[edit] "Fauld" wagons

The railway purchased a set of so-called "bomb" wagons in 1982 which had previously seen use at RAF Fauld. They provided limited passenger accommodation prior to the arrival of bogie coaches and since this time have been used on works trains, but latterly their poor condition has seen this role further limited.

• No. 1, drop-side ballast wagon, still in use
• No. 2, tool van, with drop-sides removed, in use
• No. 3, storage van, later stripped to flat, in store
• No. 4, used as coal wagon for storage only, in store
• No. 5, never used in service, used as coal store without brakes, in store
• No. 6, bought but never arrived on railway, used for spare parts and scrapped in 1984

Of the remaining active vehicles, it is hoped to restore two or more for regular winter works service in the coming years, in conjunction with the line's new bogie runner; to this end, all the vehicles remain on site on the railway in various states of repair, with parts stored for possible restoration in the future.

[edit] Other stock

• "V.C.1" Runner constructed from the frames of three four-wheel runners, with removable sides added 2007 for the purposes of carrying ballast and other materials; in use but to date does not carry fleet number
• Four-Wheel Flats retrieved from local saw mill upon closure, one extant but in dismantled form, three used to make bogie runner above, none of these remain in service in their original form and the sole remaining original version remains partially dismantled and in store on the railway.
• Works Van, arrived in 2004 from Lochaber Narrow Gauge Railway and still in use, painted in winter red livery and stored in purpose-built shed in summer months.
• Tipper Wagon built by Allens Of Tipton and only used for storage of locomotive ash in latter times, remains extant on site (was numbered No. 7 but lost numbering during re-paint in 2008 and is now lettered "Loco Dept.") not rail connected to the line at Lhen Coan station.