M.N.Ry. No.16 (F.37)
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One of two unique composite carriages provided to the Manx Northern Railway by Hurst-Nelson & Co., Ltd., of Motherwell, Scotland in 1899, these were the most superior bogie stock the railway possessed. Originally allocated the fleet No.16, becoming F.37 upon the takeover by the Railway Company in 1905.
This carriage was similar in many ways to F.45 and F.46 supplied by the Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co., Ltd., of Saltley Works in Birmingham in 1913, being a composite with guards’ compartment at one end, two central first class areas with the remainder made up of third class compartments.
The carriage can be distinguished from its Metropolitan counterparts by the different arrangement of solebars, varying beading detail, longer grab rails and more plush interiors. They were the only stock on the island to have slam-lock door handles, akin to those used on British Railways
Both were lit by electricity from new from new, the first carriages to do so on the island. Upon the 1905 merger it was renumbered and remained in regular traffic up until 1969, where it spent its final time in service as a spare carriage on the south line, stored on the Birkenhead when not in use.
It was sold, together with F.38 and other carriages, to the Phyllis Rampton Charitable Trust in 1975 and left the island that year. Happily both the Hurst-Nelson carriages were repatriated by the railway in late 2022 and work began on F.37 while here sister is currently in storage.
As delivered from their Motherwell works, Hurst-Nelson outshopped F.37 in a scheme not dissimilar to the original livery of the Isle of Man Railway rolling stock, being purple lake with off-white upper panelling and lettering decals in the upper panels, restored to place in 2026.
The works photograph of this carriage shows it fitted with a roof board bearing the legend Douglas & Ramsey, this was still displayed in the railway museum until its refurbishment of 1998/1999 after which it disappeared. The panels between each compartment picked out in off-white also made it stand out.
Returning to traffic in 2026 following extensive restoration, the carriage was first run on test on the evening of Wednesday 27th May with No.4 Loch as motive power for a run of the whole line to Port Erin Station and return, following the end of services for the day. It is planned to enter regular traffic during the season.
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No.16
F.37
40
1899
7’ ¾”
35’ 6”
8’ ½ ”
Store
2025
April 1950 at Douglas Station and F.37 is in the standard post-war red and cream livery; showing the ducket window arrangement.
F.37 on road one at Douglas Station in June 1968 showing the similarity to Metropolitan stock of the Railway Company.
Official works photograph prior to dispatch from Hurst-Nelson in Motherwell with the through coach Douglas & Ramsey roof board.
In July 1967 at St. John's Station, note the different arrangement of lookout windows in the bulkhead and section of solebars.
The official 1899 works photograph prior to dispatch from Hurst-Nelson in Motherwell with the compartment doors open.
No.13 Kissack shunting F.37 in August 1961 at Douglas Station, showing the first class designations on the compartment doors.
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