Cosmetic Restoration : No.9 Douglas
Cosmetic Restoration : No.9 Douglas
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Following the success of the project to cosmetically restore No.5 Mona in readiness for the 150th anniversary celebrations the Supporters’ Association followed this project by carrying out similar works to younger sister locomotive No.9 Douglas with work commencing in January 2023 initially on the pony truck while the locomotive was disassembled; steady progress was made by our dedicated volunteer workforce based in the running shed at Douglas Station meeting weekly.
Regular working parties spent many voluntary hours on the project, sourcing the required components from the stores, many of which had been scavenged from the locomotive over many years to keep the remaining fleet operational, restoring them and fitting them, initially focussing on the frames and motion which had to be completed prior to the boiler being reunited with the frames in early 2025. Reassembly then commenced in earnest for a July unveiling which took place here.
Professional painters then moved in to complete the locomotive, which had the early livery with broader lining out detail applied, based upon a very early photograph and including the distinctive lining around the front spectacle plates, the first time this had been seen on a locomotive since prior to the Great War. The locomotive was unveiled with due ceremony as part of the Manx Heritage Transport Festival in July of 2025 and four months later was moved into the Railway Museum for display.
The Supporters’ Association has a long history with the locomotive dating back to an aborted attempt to restore her to service in 1977 which was ultimately abandoned when it was sold to a third party. Happily in 2012 it returned to railway ownership and by 2020 work commenced on decontamination of asbestos; this proved to be the main catalyst for the project, the last of the withdrawan locomotives to be so treated, meaning that all are now in a exhibitable condition.
With the locomotive dismantled following asbestos decontamination, the ideal time to carry out jobs inside the frames was identified as a starting point. They were delivered to the yard by road and placed back on the rails chimney first into the capital; this was in the knowledge that when complete it would reside at the rear of the museum and would be best viewed this way round when completed.
October 2024 and work continues by Association volunteers in the running shed at Douglas Station, the iconic brass dome cover has been returned, the chimney at the time was off-island being used as a pattern for new copper caps; the first traces of the gloss green paint can be seen on the buffer beam, the wheels being similarly treated.
No.9 Douglas at Colby Station en route to Port St. Mary in June 2020 for decontamination work to commence; also pictured is No.5 Mona which underwent similar treatment and has now been cosmetically restored by the Association and is a major exhibit in the Railway Museum where it is hoped both locomotives will ultimately be home. This unusual train was hauled by No.18 Ailsa (just out of shot to the left) with F.45 as brake.
Just prior to unveiling of the completed locomotive at Douglas Station as part of the Manx Heritage Transport Festival in July 2025 with the nameplate covered with a flag. The canvas cab dodger, a feature for many years, was added to complete the period look of the locomotive as a finishing touch.
Based at the rear of the running shed, Supporters’ Association volunteers spent a great many hours working on the locomotive over the course of over a year, here the pony truck has been removed for attention and the locomotive jacked up; to the rear is sister locomotive No.8 Fenella which is withdrawn having last operated in October of 2020 and is now in storage.
Shortly after the boiler and cabs were reunited with the frames in 2024 also showing the glossed green driving wheels as work continues to take shape on the locomotive with a view to it being ready for display in time for the 2025 Manx Heritage Transport Festival when it was officially launched together with the completed Royal Saloon F.36.
In the paint shop at Douglas Station in June of 2025 as work nears completion of the locomotive ahead of its unveiling at the Manx Heritage Transport Festival and the annual general meeting; note the omission of the iconic rear bunker numeral, this was a feature added to the fleet later and the decision was taken to give the locomotive an appearance from its earliest days and not include this detail.
A work neared completion, a first look at the lining detail on the front spectacle plates was posted to our social media pages, this being based upon an early photograph of the locomotive at Port Erin Station in largely original condition. At this time smaller items such as the whistle had yet to be fitted.
No.9 Douglas and Royal Saloon F.36 were moved to the Railway Museum in October of 2025 following their unveiling as part of the Manx Heritage Transport Festival earlier in the year. The train was hauled by No.18 Ailsa making a rare trip along the line, with F.18 and the Well Wagon loaded with lighting-up timber. More images of this move may be found here.
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