Wednesday, 18th September 2019 Again, today we are collected by John with his coach and are driven the opposite way down the promenade to Douglas Railway Station. This 3 ft narrow gauge railway is 15.3 miles long, and is all that remains of the more extensive 46 mile network that originally serviced Peel, Ramsey and Foxdale. The steam-hauled journey passes old-fashioned fishing ports and small towns on its way from Douglas to Port Erin. The railway is Manx government owned and still uses the original rolling stock and locomotives. At Port Erin I visited the Steam Railway Museum. From Ramsey we travel by coach to The Sound with views of the Calf of Man. Here we see and hear seals in the sea and basking on the Calf of Man. The coach then takes us on to the town of Castletown. Castletown is the former capital of the Isle of Man. Castletown has a castle called Castle Rushen. This is a very well preserved castle, built by a Norse king in 1265, then fortified and added to by successive rulers between the 13th and 16th centuries.The castle has been used as a fortress, a residence for the Kings and Lords of Mann, the site of a mint and then a prison. Robert the Bruce captured the castle three times. We then visit the Old House of Keys. Owned by the Manx National Heritage it is a museum. A private guided tour takes place and the tourees take part in an […]
Isle of Man
Tuesday, 17th September 2019 The day starts with a leisurely buffet breakfast at the hotel. At 10:00 we gather in the hotel lounge for the brief walk down to the promenade. John, our coach driver, meets us and takes us the short distance along the promenade to the Douglas Electric Tram station. The 10:40 tram takes us to Laxey. At Laxey we change trams . . . . . to travel on the branch line up to the top of Snaefell. Snaefell is the highest spot on the Isle of Man. And on a clear day you can see England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Today is bright and sunny, but at the top it is cold and very windy. Just below the summit is another of the roads that the TT races travel along. After an hour at the top of Snaefell (most of it spent queuing to buy a coffee in the café) we catch a tram back down to Laxey. The route down is not electric powered. It is powered by gravity and as a consequence of this it is a very loud, squeaky journey as the brakes grip the central rail. At Laxey we visit Isobel Wheel. Historically the wheel, which is water powered, was used to pump water from the Laxey mine. The mine, now disused, but visitable, was a lead mine. A steep spiral staircase is used to access the platform at the top. Walking back into the village of Laxey, we pass by the […]
Saturday, 14th September 2019 The tour officially starts on Sunday 15th, when I meet the passengers at Heysham ferry port. The ferry departs at 14:15 and the only train into the port on a Sunday arrives at 12.56. I would be due to meet the tourees between 13:00 and the boarding time of 13:30. Prior to meeting the tourees I need to collect and double check tickets/boarding passes. Because this is a tight turn around and there is the risk that the train could be delayed I need to travel up to Heysham the day before. At Euston station it was nice to see a Virgin Intercity train logo-ed in tribute to my favourite architect. Having caught the 09:30 train I arrive in Lancaster at 11:55. After a short trip outside the station I am back on platform 1 for the short, old, two carriage, EMU to Heysham Port. Heysham Port station has absolutely no charm at all. Arriving at 13:17, I walk to my B&B. After I deposit my luggage I take a taxi into Lancaster. I did my degree in Lancaster, and having only been back once since, and even that was over 30 years ago, it was an interesting afternoon/evening revisiting my old haunts. Sunday, 15th September 2019 The ferry terminal at Heysham opens at 11:30 but my B&B check-out time is 10:00, so I spend some time sitting on my own in a deserted terminal. At 11:30 I am able to collect the tickets for the […]