“Pairs” Carriage F.57

Purchased as two four-wheel carriages in 1873 from the Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co., Ltd., of Saltley Works in Birmingham and later allocated fleet numbers B.20 and B.16, by 1880 these two carriages had become close coupled and were later mnounted on a new steel underframe, again supplied by the Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co., Ltd., in 1919 to become F.57.  The carriage in this form survived in service and was the subject of an aborted rebuild attempt in 1983 after it was partially set on fire while on a service train at Santon Station by a stray cigarette end; ultimately the rebuild was abandoned and the carriage stored in the yard at Douglas Station.  its last use was as part of an emergency services exercise in the Nunnery Cutting in March of 1995 (as pictured below) after which it was scrapped, although the underframe survives today as a bogie runner in storage at Douglas Station.

Fleet No.:

Capacity:

Built:

Width:

Builders:

Status:

F.57 (B.20 & B.16)

48

Paired 1919

7’ 0”

Metropolitan

Scrapped

July 1969 at Port Erin Station F.57 at the buffer stops of the bay platform, a typical latter days look of one of the "pairs" in traffic.

March 2023 and a pre-season test train at Port Erin Station, now a runner, F.57 used to transport firewood for the season.

March 1995 in the Nunnery Cutting showing the poor condition of partially restored F.57, her last use prior to scrapping the bodies.