St. John’s Turntable
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Diameter:
Rails Used
Installed:
Makers:
Location:
35’ 0”
56lb./Yd.
1925
Ransome & Rapier
West Of St. John’s
In 1923 the opportunity arose for the Railway Company to obtain a turntable owing to one having been ordered by the West & South Clare Railway from Ransomes & Rapier some two years earlier but no longer being required by them. As the Isle of Man was the only other 3’ 0” railway in the British Isles, the manufacturers contated general manager Thomas Stowell with a view to is being obtained.
The table was noted as being 35’ 0” in diameter and manufactured at the Waterside Works of the company. In April of 1923 James Bradshaw, the Locomotive Superintendent, visited the works of Messrs Ransomes & Rapier to inspect the table for possible acquisition and noted:-
This turntable was built for the above company about 10 months ago and I understand from the manager of Messrs Ransomes & Rapier Ltd., that the Clare railway company paid [figure unknown] for this turntable but owing to the disturbances which are taking place in Ireland particularly in this week, the Clare Railway Coy, has asked the makers to try and dispose of same we being the only company outside of Ireland having a three foot gauge. Their reasons for disposing of it is that the railway companies say that they have no use for same owing to the destroying of railway property and stock now going on in Ireland.
The turntable in question is of a modern type the two main girders are built up of mild steel plates and sections 7/16 inch thick, with double angle irons top and bottom for strengthening and each girder weighing approximately 2 to 2¼ tons. The centre pillar and suspension centre casting are made of cast iron. The cup and pivot is of a modern type, the checker plates are provided between the rails to prevent any ashes dropping out of the engine ash-pans into the pit. The cross Timbers on the 2 outer portions of the table are not joined...
...There are four rails (56lbs./yd.) provided for the top with clips, bolts and nuts for fixing same to the girders. The circular pathway is provided with bolt rails [?] for the small cast iron wheels for running round on the rails. This turntable has been erected and tested at the above makers works and in accordance with specification dated 9th December 1921 and it has received one coat of oil paint and all bright parts greased and no signs of any rust has taken place. Should we become the purchasers of this table the manager of Messrs. Ransomes & Rapier Ltd., informed me that he would see that all parts were marked to their respective places for re-erection and also furnish us with a drawing showing the details for the circular pathway with say bolts clips spikes as desired. The table would be a very useful asset to us for several reasons such as turning the engine's round about as [...provision can arise...?] also the coaches as at present the one side of the coach gets all the sun and it is also bad for wheel friction and in many cases the tyre flanges get worn owing to running in the one direction. Should we become the purchasers we should require the table put in a dead end of a siding, so that no ordinary traffic would be running over it, only when the table was in use.
Based upon this inspection the board made their decision to obtain the turntable and by 1st April 1925 it was noted by James Bradshaw that following installation at a point west of St. John’s Station:-
I have to report for your information that I took Engine No.14 and bogie coach F.46 out to St. John’s Station on 20th Ultimo for the purpose of testing above turntable. The engine and coach were turned round on this table quite easy by one man when rightly balanced on table. The engine and coach were turned round (three times) separately and everything was very satisfactory. I again went out to St. John’s Station on 31st Ultimo with engine No.12 and the following carriages F.29, F.30, F.31, F.35, F.36, F.45 and 1st and 3rd Saloons [possibly the recently “paired” F.75?]. These carriages were all turned round on the table and everything proved very satisfactory. I will take engine No.15 out, also several of the underframes and turn them round as soon as you feel disposed to run out to see the operation.
Shortly after their arrival on the island in 1961 the two diesel railcars came out from Douglas Station, one behind the other to St. John’s Station which was to decide which one was to be turned on the turntable so that they could be used back-to-back. It was decided that No.19 was to be turned to face Douglas and was duly placed on the turntable and swung round with No.20 remaining as it was. This was the last vehicle to be turned on the turntable as it was ripped out and the pieces moved to Douglas with the intention of installing it there, which was never pursued in the event. Another turntable which was purchased from the County Donegal Railway Joint Committee at the same time as the railcars, was intended to be put at either Peel Station or Port Erin Station, was loaded onto a runner and stayed there until scrapped, it had been made using the frame of a locomotive.
Images evidencing the turned rolling stock are rare, but this view which was captured by Ian MacNab shows one of the Large “F” brakes with the luggage compartment at the western end
Captured by Michael Bishop during a visit in 1966 when the railway was closed, the pit of the table was still visible though the mechanism had already been removed.
This undated view shows the pit after the removal of the table itself and also shows the close proximity of the Peel and Ramsey lines stretching into the distance on the left.
The table whilst evidently still functional, retaining its timber decking which was later lost, the building in the distance is the mart and beyond it the Farmers Arms.
The area was very much overgrown when this image was captured in June of 1963, also showing the timber goods shed serving the long-closed Foxdale Line station beyond to the left.
The table was still in situ in 1967, with some wagfons of the "M" series stowed in the sidings alongside, with what appears to be one of the fish wagons at the end of the siding.
The trackwork to the north of the table which served the Foxdale Line, the station for which can be seen in the distance, with the line serving the timber goods shed to the right-centre.
This view was captured from a train heading west from St. John’s Station in the direction of Peel Station and show the northbound service about to pass over the spur accessing the turntable (behind the locomotive) and the Foxdale Line.
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