| Isle of Man Railway Museum | |
| Native Name: | Raad-Yairn Vannin Thie Tashtee |
| Coordinates: | 54.085°N -4.758°W |
| Established: | 23 August 1975 |
| Location: | Station Road, Port Erin, Rushen, Isle of Man, IM9 2RR |
| Type: | Railway Museum History Museum |
| Accreditation: | Recommended Attraction www.visitisleofman.com |
| Key Holdings: | No.5 Mona No.1 Sutherland F.36 Royal Saloon F.75 Ducal Saloon Closed Van G.19 |
| Collections: | Various Contributors (Railway Company, Donations) |
| Visitors: | Annually c.25,000 (Based On 2015 Figures) |
| Owner: | Isle of Man Government Department of Infrastructure |
| Website: | http://www.rail.im |
The Isle of Man Railway Museum in the village of Port Erin in the Isle of Man is a small museum of the history of the Isle of Man Railway from its founding in 1873 to the present, including the now-closed lines that served Peel, Ramsey (Manx Northern Railway) and Foxdale, and the remaining open line between Douglas and Port Erin.
The museum first opened in 1975 when the Isle of Man Road Services, a subsidiary of the railway company, relocated to their new garage, which still exists today at the foot of the main platform. At that time, the railway operated only between Port Erin and Castletown, in an experimental season with the goal of reducing running costs. The following year, services were extended to Ballasalla, then returned to Douglas in 1977, since when the full line has operated. The museum building, originally consisting of a metal frame with asbestos cladding, was extensively rebuilt in 1999. A souvenir shop was subsequently added in the goods shed, where locomotives were originally kept overnight. Prior to the museum's opening, the original locomotive shed was used to store unserviceable locomotives. When the museum was rebuilt, the locomotive shed was returned to its original use and the goods shed converted into a shop area and a new porch added.
The museum is next to Port Erin railway station, the southern (or western) terminus of the railway, on Station Road in the village. The main exhibition hall is housed in a converted bus garage that once belonged to Isle of Man Road Services, itself a division of the old railway company which was nationalised in 1976. Since the museum was extensively rebuilt in 1998–1999, part of the old goods shed has been incorporated into the complex, the other locomotive shed still being used as a workshop to maintain the locomotives and for overnight storage purposes. The museum is accessible from the station platform off the train, or from the nearby car park.
The souvenir shop is in the entrance/exit area to the museum and is accessed via Station Road at the foot of the platform. The shop has a small range of memorabilia including books, postcards, stationery, ephemera, replica nameplates and generic souvenirs. The stock of the shop is now a fraction of what was available in the boom of the centenary seasons beginning with the Year of Railways in 1993 and extending to Steam 125 in 1998. Opening dates tie in with the operational dates of the railway itself, usually between March and the beginning of November each year. The shop is in the old goods shed and features a station-type building as a staff/store room as well as old luggage trolleys and framed displays before entering the museum proper. There ia a small admission charge for those without a valid railway ticket.
The following represents and main exhibits of locomotives and rolling stock contained in the museum since its opening in 1975; during events periods and photographic charters certain items of stock are removed and alternatives take their places where avaiable; since 2014 F.75 and G.19 have been plinthed on an isolated section of track, joined on another plinth in 2020 by No.1 Sutherland. Remaining items are rail connected via the station's locomotive shed. It is common for these items to be swapped as required, with F.36 being removed for restoration in 2023 and its place taken by a variety of wagons for example.
| No. | Name | Builders | Year | Exhibited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No.1 | Sutherland | Beyer, Peacock & Co., Ltd. | 1873 | 1976-1997 2020- |
| No.4 | Loch | Beyer, Peacock & Co., Ltd. | 1874 | 1997-2001 In Traffic 2024 |
| No.5 | Mona | Beyer, Peacock & Co., Ltd. | 1874 | 2023- I.o.M.S.R.S.A. |
| No.6 | Peveril | Beyer, Peacock & Co., Ltd. | 1875 | 1997-2020 2022-2023 |
| No.9 | Douglas | Beyer, Peacock & Co., Ltd. | 1896 | I.o.M.S.R.S.A. Due 2025 |
| No.15 | Caledonia | Dübs & Co., Ltd., Glasgow | 1885 | 1975-1993 In Traffic 2024 |
| No.16 | Mannin | Beyer, Peacock & Co., Ltd. | 1926 | 1975-1998 1999-2020 |
| F.36 | Royal Saloon | Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon | 1905 | 1975-1998 1999-2023 |
| F.75 | Ducal Saloon | Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon | 1873 | 1975-1998 2000- |
| N.42 | Six-Wheeler | Swansea Carriage & Wagon | 1879 | 1975-1999 Off-Island |
| N.45 | Six-Wheeler | Swansea Carriage & Wagon | 1879 | 2023-Date Restored |
| M.78 | Drop-Side | Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon | 1925 | 2000-Date Between Uses |
| H.1 | Three-Plank | Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon | 2000 | 2000-Date Between Uses |
| G.1 | Closed Van | Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon | 1873 | 2023-Date I.o.M.S.R.S.A. |
| Gr.12 | Closed Van | Swansea Carriage & Wagon | 1879 | 1975-1998 1999-2023 |
Since it originally opened in 1975, the railway museum has housed a variety of major exhibits. Exhibits in the museum include two engines and two carriages as well as other equipment from the railway. The royal saloon, as used by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1963 and by Queen Elizabeth II in 1972, are preserved in the museum. There is also a large display of photographs, posters and other memorabilia. In addition to the framed exhibits of old posters and the like, further displays are mounted on the walls of the station building itself in the waiting room and booking office. These were once part of the museum and donated by a preservationists group when the facility was first opened.