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.  Previous stock provided to the north line had been six-wheeled and proved temperamental.

Originally allocated the fleet number No.17 which became F.38 upon the takeover by the Railway Company in 1905, this carriage was similar in many ways to F.47 and F.48 supplied by the Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co., Ltd., in 1916 with the solebars being of a slightly different appearance.

Six standard compartments with the two central ones designated first class (sister carriage F.37 was made up of three third class compartments, a guards’ compartment with double doors and two central first class compartments) whereas F.47 and F.48 are all thirds.  They spent much time on their home north line.

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.

From new they were lit by electricity from new, the first carriages to do so on the island.  Upon the 1905 merger it was renumbered into the large F series bogie stock and remained in regular traffic up until 1960, being in poorer condition it was withdrawn and stored, surviving long after closure in storage at St. John's.

It was sold, together with F.37 and other carriages, to the Phyllis Rampton Charitable Trust in 1975 and left the island.  happily both these carriages were repatriated by the railway in late 2022 and F.37 fully restored, F.38 is currently in storage and awaits similar treatment as funds allow.