Peter Alfred Craine was born in in the island capital and attended Douglas High School for Boys. In 1953 he married June Taylor and they had a son and daughter, David and Diane, as well as four grandchildren.  Peter was a master baker and was interested local trasport and a lifelong supporter of the railway, being one of those involved with the Association from its earliest days.

In 1965 when the then Isle of Man Railway Company announced the closure of the system, it came as a shock for the people of the island. A group of people led by Lord Strange of Tholt-Y-Will placed an advertisement in the Isle of Man Examiner to see if a group could be formed to try and save the Isle of Man Railway.

The first meeting and subsequent meetings took place in the now-demolished Villiers Hotel. It was at this first meeting that I first met Peter, we were both elected to serve on the first committee to be formed under the chairmanship of the late Air Marshall Paterson Fraser. From that day on Peter and I became good friends making every effort we could to try and save the railway. When Lord Ailsa came on the scene we were all extremely relieved that the railway, which was then in its original condition, that he undertook a lease of 21 years with an option to break after five years. 

Peter and I were involved from the start and we were both on the first charter train the Association undertook, the railcars to Kirk Michael. We were both so proud on the opening day in 1967 to travel to Peel and to see all our efforts bearing fruit. Peter and I both knew that after the first year of Lord Ailsa's lease that the railway could not continue in the manner it was being managed. We made our views known to Lord Ailsa, after a while he understood that Peter and I were talking common sense.

Peter loved the railway and was always taking photographs whenever he could and we spent our Sundays painting coaches. Peter was always so please and interested to be of help. When he retired from his own business he became Station Master at Ballasalla and during the winter he re-upholstered many of the various carriages which needed repairs. In latter years we would have train rides which we still enjoyed and went to various railway functions. Peter and I were delighted when it was decided to go back to the “blood and custard” colours.

Peter’s epitaph is that the trains are still running and that we can look back and say that all our efforts were very much worthwhile; goodbye Peter we will all miss you.

Max Crookall