Brake Composite F.6
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F.6 is the last bogie carriage of an initial order of six delivered from Brown, Marshall & Co., Ltd., of Birmingham and dating from 1876, the first batch of bogie rolling stock purchased by the railway, having initially opted for four-wheel stock for its opening in 1873. It is of what was to become a standard design of six compartments being 35’ 0” long and 7’ 0” wide with a height of 9’ 4”. Passenger accommodation is provided in five of the six compartments with the final one being for the guard; the two central compartments are designated first class, while two third class compartments are open-backed. The other five carriages of this batch did not feature any first class accommodation.
The Isle Of Man Weekly Times of 11th September 1875 provided details of the first bogie stock, detailing that:-
“...during the past week several new carriages, of novel construction, had been brought into use on the Manx lines of railway. These carriages were 35ft. long and divided into compartments. Vehicles of this length could not travel with perfect safety round sharp curves, if they were to run on wheels fixed rigidly to the framing in the ordinary way, the carriages have been mounted on small trucks or bogies, one at each end of the vehicle. Each of these bogies has four wheels, and as the wheels are within a short distance of each other, the result is that the carriages, which move on a central pivot on each bogie, adapt themselves easily to the curves of the lines, with remarkable smoothness of running.
These carriages are so large that they will convey, with comfort, from 50-60 passengers each. Several of the vehicles are composites, being divided into first- and second-class compartments. The first-class compartments are entirely shut off and divided from each other; they are most comfortably fitted up, and a considerable degree of elegance has been secured by the judicious application of the upholsterers’ and gilders’ arts. The seats, which are covered with dark blue cloth, with blue and crimson braid finishings, are broad, soft, and cosy, the seats being ample enough to accommodate even the proportions of the “claimant” or of Daniel Lambert (an unusually large Leicester Gaol Keeper). The ceilings are fitted up with sycamore and mahogany, the panellings being relieved with gilt mouldings; and there are the usual hat and umbrella and small parcel rests, hat slings, & c.
The floors are covered with Brussels carpeting; and in fact, nothing is wanted to make the passenger comfortable. The second-class compartments are also very nicely arranged. The carriages are built by Messrs. Brown, Marshall, &Co., Ltd., of Birmingham, from designs specially prepared by Mr. Trevithick, the general manager of the Company. They were brought over to the Island in pieces and re-erected on the Company's premises in Douglas. They are a very handsome addition to the Company's stock...”
The carriage survived in traffic until 1965 when its last recorded use was noted, latterly seeing use on the Ramsey Line, though it was available as a spare during the tenure of Lord Ailsa until 1968. Thereafter it was stored in the carriage shed at Douglas Station until the end of the 1971 season when it was moved to St. John’s Station for storage the following winter in the carriage shed. Having retained its wooden brake blocks it was not favoured in traffic and became surplus to operational requirements following the closure of the Peel and Ramsey lines and was therefore moved, in one of the final ever stock movements on the Peel Line before lifting in 1975. Many other items of stock with wooden brake blocks were similarly treated, ending their days semi-derelict in the carriage shed.
It was saved from the scrapman in November of 1974 by railway enthusiast and preservationist the late Peter Rampton with his fellow enthusiast Nigel Bowman travelling to St John’s Station site to negotiate with Millen Metals (the Belfast firm dismantling the railway). A deal was struck on a handshake with scrap dealer Albert Millen, and F.6, together with several other historic carriages became part of what was later known as “Collection X”, and removed from the island shortly afterwards in 1975. It remained in storage for nearly five decades and is the lowest numbered carriage to have not been lost and therefore the oldest passenger carriage to have survived into the the twenty-first century. After many years as part of the private collection, in 2024 the opportunity arose for the Supporters’ Association to purchase the carriage and repatriate it, arriving back on the island in June of 2025 - the project to restore it being announced shortly afterwards and this remains ongoing. Follow one of the links below to find out more or make a donation:-
Restoration Progress
Restoration Complete!
Fleet No.:
Year:
Builders:
Length:
Width:
Height:
Capacity:
Status:
F.6
1876
Brown Marshall
35’ 0”
7’ 0”
9’ 4”
40 / 48
Sold (2024)
Douglas Station outside the old carriage shed in September 1965 with the standard post-war red and cream livery, note the third class doors labelled as well as first and the panelling between compartments.
F.6 at Peel Station showing the first class door designations and wider panelling between the compartments to good effect. The black solebars are painted on, a trait of the earlier bogie stock.
F.6 wearing purple lake livery with off-white upper panels at St. John’s Station in July 1939, the panels between compartments particularly stand out in this scheme, centrally painted fleet numbers.
Still bearing its “sold” marking applied in 1974 prior to removal from the island, this was the condition in which F.6 was viewed by representatives of the Supporters' Association in 2024.
We are indebted to Colin Clifton who provided this image from 1964 of the carriage at Ramsey Station in its latter days of service, this being the coat of paint the carriage was wearing six decades later when repatriated.
F.6 stored on Road One at Douglas Station in storage but ready for use at this stage designated as a spare carriage in case of need, August 1968. Its last recorded use was prior to the tenure of Lord Ailsa.
Beneath the carriage at its present location showing the timber underframing of the earlier bogie stock, of which it is the oldest survivor, including detail of the braking gear.
The condition of the open third class compartments of F.6 in late 2023 showing the “as withdrawn” condition of the carriage with Railway Company seating moquette of the era.
The condition of the open third class compartments of F.6 in late 2023 still bearing the familiar post-war red and cream livery that the carriage wore when last operated during the summer of 1965.
1964 and the leading carriage of a train headed by No.8 Fenella of the carriage at Ramsey Station courtesy of Colin Clifton. The carriage is in its latter days of service, this being the coat of paint the carriage was wearing six decades later when repatriated.
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