Isle of Man Railway 1927-1965

The Isle of Man Railway opened its first routes in the 1870s and by the mid 1920s the narrow gauge railway owned not only an extensive network of railway lines on the Isle of Man but also the majority of the island’s bus services. The railway remained profitable for much of its history, largely operated by steam with the addition of two diesel railcars bought in 1960, but as the 1960s progressed, financial pressures of maintaining locomotives and infrastructure with falling passenger numbers became unsustainable and the railway ceased services in 1965. Nonetheless, this had been one of the most remarkable success stories of a narrow gauge railway in the British Isles.

This photographic history of the Isle of Man Railway, with photographs and other illustrations from its heyday in the 1920s to closure in 1965, some previously unpublished, will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of railways and transport in general on the island.