Skarloey Railway

The Skarloey Railway (abbreviated as SR), also known as The Little Railway, The Narrow Gauge Railway or The Mountain Railway, is a 2'3" (686mm) narrow gauge railway which runs from the North Western Railway's station at Crovan's Gate to Skarloey. Beyond Skarloey, the line continues to a slate quarry.

The railway is owned & run by Mr. George Hugh

History
This narrow gauge railway had its beginnings in 1806 when a horse worked ”plate-way” was laid from Cros-ny-Cuirn to Balladwail. The Crovan's Gate Mining Company had a copper mine in the lower slopes of Ward Fell. The ore was brought to Cros-ny-Cuirn by pack-horses and sent down in wagons to Balladwail for shipment. They relaid this line in 1820 with ”fish-belly” edge rail and extended it up the Benglas valley to the mine. It was called quite simply "The Railroad", for there was no other in the whole Island. It was considered a marvel in its day. From Cros-ny-Cuirn a chain of five successive inclines strode boldly up to Ward Fell and their remains, much overgrown, can still be seen from the road north of the level-crossing at Cros-ny-Cuirn.

Following the Ffestiniog Railway’s lead in 1863 however, improvements were called for. James Spooner was engaged to survey a line suitably graded for steam haulage. It was at first intended that this line, like its predecessors, should be a mineral line only. The valley it served was sparsely populated and it was thought that perhaps one coach in addition to the set of quarrymen's coaches would suffice for local needs. When, however, during the survey, the long-forgotten lake and hidden hollow of Skarloey was accidentally rediscovered, the Board’s thinking underwent a change.

Spas were popular at the period and offered the possibility of a lucrative passenger business. Skarloey's mineral springs and sheltered situation took hold on the minds of some members of the Board, among them Shamus Tebroc who conceived the idea of developing Skarloey as a spa. A hotel and a number of villas were built as a speculation and the gravity worked incline which had been installed for the conveyance of materials was retained and upgraded for coals, merchandise and passengers' luggage.

They renamed the line The Skarloey Railway. A set of the then most up-to-date passenger coaches] were ordered from Brown, Marshall & Co. and the engines, Nos. 1 and 2 were built by Fletcher, Jennings & Co. of Whitehaven and named Skarloey and Rheneas respectively after the two places to which they hoped to attract people with their publicity campaign. At the time of the Railway's opening, its Controller was Mr. Joseph Hugh

For a few years the plan worked, but then, apart from a few keen anglers and a steady trickle of summer visitors, numbers fell. This, though better than nothing, was far from the profitable venture for which the promoters had hoped.

By 1900, there were signs too that the veins of copper were beginning to run out; but miners searching for further copper in the foothills came upon good slate. The Company's main interest was in copper, but they had no objection to using slate as a secondary freight. They lost interest, however, when the copper ran out at last and sold out in 1909 to a Mr. Handel Brown of Cros-ny-Cuirn. Mr. Brown was principal landowner in the valleys and prospective M.P. for Sodor East.

Slate boomed during the First World War, but slumped badly afterwards. Mr. Brown nevertheless kept quarries and railway going for the sake of his tenants. Sir Handel - he was created a Baronet in 1937 - died in 1950 and his son, now Sir Handel II, inherited an estate crippled by death duties. Much as he would have liked to be able to do so, he could not afford to take his father‘s philanthropic view of the dubious bundle of assets he now held. The Railway’s Controller between 1936 and 1951 was who stepped down in favour of his son in the latter year.

During the Second World War the old mines had been commandeered for ammunition dumps and the line was worked to the limit providing slate for blitzed houses and pit props for mines. The borrowed locomotives and stock had now gone and his own locomotives, rolling stock and track were shockingly run down. Mr George Hugh managed this railway well this was backed up by his foreman Mr. Peter Sam, believed in the line and was convinced that it had a future. They persuaded Mr. Hugh to delay closure for a year. During that year Rheneas, the one serviceable locomotive, was carefully nursed and carried the whole burden of traffic; but this epic heroism would have availed little had it not been for two discoveries:

(i) In the hills near Rheneas of a new and hitherto untapped bed of slate entirely free from metallic impurities and thus in demand for many other purposes besides roofing, and

(ii) The discovery among the muniments of Ulfstead Castle in 1953 of a tattered copy of a document hitherto believed lost, The Book of Sir Harald, an epic poem in Sudric about the exploits of Sir Harald Marown, Regent of Sodor (1263-1275), a careful study of which suggested that Skarloey was the “Secret Sanctuary” to which on occasion he retired and from which time after time he emerged with devastating force to fight invading Scots to a standstill. When ”digs” undertaken by the Sodor Archaeological Society found supporting evidence, interest grew and passenger traffic with it.

Falcon and Stuart (formerly Nos. 3 and 4 of the Mid Sodor Railway) were bought in 1952 from the Sodor Aluminium Company and renamed Sir Handel and Peter Sam respectively. As revenue further increased, Skarloey and Rheneas were rebuilt, the line was gradually relaid, two other locomotives, Rusty and Duncan, were acquired and rolling stock rebuilt and added too.

The railway's revival was such that in 1963 it was decided to extend round the lake as a tourist attraction. This was partly funded by the sale of the old slate quarry to the Ministry of Defence in 1960. This loop-line was opened in 1965 at the railway's centenary and has proved its worth. In 1966, the Railway left private ownership when a Share Issue was floated and it became a Company.

In 1969, another former Mid Sodor Railway locomotive, Duke was discovered and brought to Crovan's Gate. Now rebuilt, he forms part of the SR locomotive stud and they are thus in the happy position of having locomotive power to spare. They were thus able to help the Talyllyn Railway out of a difficulty. In 1982, the Talyllyn's No. 3, Sir_Haydn, urgently needed repairs and was likely to be away for some time. Hearing of this, the manager at once offered the loan of his No. 3 as a replacement. Sir Handel performed his duties on the Talyllyn for two years to everyone's satisfaction and returned to his home shed.

Operations and Route
The Skarloey Railway starts at Crovan's Gate. It passes under a road bridge by the Thin Controller's house. Some thirty chains beyond the bridge the line climbs sharply before levelling out for the last mile to Cros-ny-Cuirn. This is the stretch where Duncan came off the rails. Before Cros-ny-Cuirn, the line goes to a crossing located by Mr Hugh's Cottage. Just north of the station the line swings over the road in a level crossing (incorrectly illustrated as a road bridge). Road and rail run side by side for two miles (where Sir Handel and George had their incident) until first the road and then the railway swing west across the river. When road and rail divide, the road dips sharply and swings west (Sir Handel is seen there in Home at Last) to cross the river by a hump-backed bridge. The railway, without change of gradient, crosses by a girder bridge (Skarloey is seen crossing this bridge in Home at Last). Two miles of lonely moorland follow. It was here that Rheneas' valve gear jammed. After a mile and a half, the line reaches Glennock.

Beyond Glennock, the line swings north once more through arable and pasture land, passing scattered cottages and farms. From each house there is usually a well marked path leading to a stile or gate in the lineside hedge. These are unofficial, but traditional Request Stops for certain trains and are well used on Market Days. It was on this stretch, that Skarloey in 1865 "bounced" the Manager off the footplate into a bush. Still gently climbing, the line crosses the river again by another girder bridge and enters to a tunnel. North of the tunnel the line runs along a ledge and is subject to "wash-outs" after heavy rain. Here, Peter Sam's crew found a drain pipe along the line. The line crosses the viaduct, until it reaches Rheneas.

After Rheneas, the line comes to Lakeside Junction (also named Quarry Siding), where the loop line was opened. The loop line runs round and above the lake on a ledge cut in the hillside among the trees. There is one station, Lakeside, which serves a picnic area. The line ends at the top station at Skarloey. Beyond there are a run round loop, sidings, locomotive and carriage sheds.

Passing a tumble-down gate, the line reaches the slate quarries.

The line's main traffic consists of passengers, local and tourist, and slate.