Brake Composite F.23
Part of a batch of seven simliar composite carriages delivered from the Saltley Works of the Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co., Ltd., in 1896, this carriage survived in semi-regular traffic until the latter days of the Railway Company operations but was latterly in a poor state of repair and stored in the carriage shed at Douglas Station; following withdrawal from traffic the body was removed and scrapped in 1983 and the underframes survived in use as a bogie runner, one of few timber framed vehicles to be used for this role, the steel underframes being preferred. It was used in connection with the dedicated fire train with post and chain fence around its perimeter and fitted with water tanks; years of outside storage took its toll and following several years in the yard out of use the frames were scrapped in 2011.
Fleet No.:
Year:
Builders.:
Length:
Width:
Height:
Status:
F.23
1896
Metropolitan
35’ 0”
7’ 0”
9’ 4”
Scrapped
Above: brake composite F.23 in an approximation of the pre-war colour scheme, the narrow panelling between the compartments is particularly pronounced in this scheme. Some historical sources vary as to the internal arrangement of this particular carriage, though the photographs below showing the carriage in its latter days attest to the fact it was actually a brake composite with two first class compartments in the centre, making it identical to F.15 in traffic today.
(Photo: I.o.M.S.R.S.A.)
A fine study of F.23 at Douglas Station in May 1968with the typical first class designations on the compartment doors.
F.23 looking the worse for wear outside the carriage shed at Douglas Station, date unknown but likely to be c.1971
F.23 looking the worse for wear outside the carriage shed at Douglas Station, date unknown but likely to be c.1971.