The Great Laxey Mine Railway, Laxey: See 50 reviews, articles, and 62 photos of The Great Laxey Mine Railway, ranked No.4 on Tripadvisor among 12 attractions in Laxey. Laxey Gardens We look forward to welcoming friends old and new. The wagons were returned to ground level and restored. In 2006, the former Snaefell Mine waterwheel was restored to working order on the Valley Gardens. It was discovered that parts of the underground section of the railway were still intact, and in one tunnel an entire train (consisting of six open ore wagons) was found, abandoned underground when work in the mine had finished. UK Preserved Railway Stock List Search Page . The photographs is this gallery are in descending order with the most recent images shown first. With thanks to Bryan Lawson of Alan Keef Ltd and Steve Thompson of Clayton Equipment Ltd without whom this information would not have been available. Tod had been a volunteer at the Great Laxey Mine Railway from it's earliest days and had been a valued member of the team. 4-wheel tipping ore truck (not serviceable), static exhibit at Valley Gardens station. We are delighted that the Railway is now running again every Saturday through to the end of September. [4], Around 1905, a replacement locomotive was considered and W G Bagnall were asked for a design. The railway remained in place for the following six years, but in 1935 all parts of the railway above ground, including the locomotives and rolling stock, were scrapped.[2]. 23 talking about this. 25 talking about this. This restored railway runs on a surface section of tramway which once carried ores from the mine and passes through the Island's only railway tunnel. Passengers travel from Valley Gardens station to Mines Yard station, near the entrance to the mines. The steam locomotive is an original and the little train takes one close to the Laxey Wheel so it is worth the small fee if you want to avoid a longer walk. 362 talking about this. £2.2m investment as Conwy Valley Line set to reopen. The railway is operated and maintained entirely by volunteers from the Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust. The restored railway was re-opened in 2004. The Great Laxey Mine Railway is owned by the Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust, a registered Manx Charity, which was formed in 1997 to promote the rich industrial and natural histories of Laxey Village and Lonan Parish. Built in 1854 to pump floodwater from the mine, it is the largest working waterwheel in the world and is the Island's most visited tourist attraction. Great Laxey Mines Railway (Official website), Douglas Head Marine Drive and Electric Tramway, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Laxey_Mine_Railway&oldid=986391109, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Six original ore wagons, now preserved in museum locations on the island. Official page of the Great Laxey Mine Railway. Update on the Laxey Mine Railway battery and steam locomotive fleet. Charity No. The 19 in (483 mm) gauge railway runs from the old mine entrance to the washing floors along a right of way that passes through the Isle of Man's only remaining railway tunnel (another at Dhoon West Quarry is disused) under the 3 ft (914 mm) gauge Victorian Manx Electric Railway and the main A2 Douglas to Ramsey coast road.[1]. 18th March 2018 'News' The Great Laxey Mine Railway – Volunteers Week ‘The Big Event’ 2018. They now operate the line, together with a battery electric locomotive named Wasp, which previously worked in a mine in Cornwall. In the late 1990s momentum began to grow for the restoration of the railway's above-ground section, and in 2000 restoration work commenced. Registered Office: Information Centre and Gift Shop, Mines Road, Laxey IM4 7NH. Also to Energy FM and Manx Radio for their support with letting the public know of our events. There is one spur, on the washing floors site, leading to the engine and carriage sheds. Hotels near (IOM) Ronaldsway Airport; All things to do in Isle of Man; Things to do near The Great Laxey Mine Railway. The railway, a quarter of a mile in length, runs up the valley from the former Washing Floors, now the Valley Gardens, to the main site entrance where there is a picnic site, footpath and information boards explaining the mining features. Replicas of both locomotives were constructed for the re-opening of the line as a tourist attraction. The arrangement of the water tanks was particularly unusual, being a front tank ahead of the smokebox, in order to reduce width. The Great Laxey Mine Railway was originally constructed to serve the Isle of Man's Great Laxey Mine, a lead mine located in Laxey. Built in 1854 to pump floodwater from the mine, it is the largest working waterwheel in the world and is the Island's most visited tourist attraction. The railway is operated and maintained entirely by volunteers from the Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust. He was a regular volunteer often seen guarding trains until he retired from the railway just over a year ago. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}54°14′02″N 4°24′17″W / 54.233795°N 4.404858°W / 54.233795; -4.404858. Thanks to Andrew Scarffe, Sue Jones, Peter Geddes, Joseph Rock, Ian Smith, Liam Miller,  Niamh Murdoch, Paul Marshall and Russell Wear for the use of photographs on the website. By the 1870s there was a clear need for more modern motive power, and the two steam locomotives Ant and Bee were delivered in 1877. half a mile from the village of Laxey and shadowed by the great wheel, the mine lies in a steep sided glen astride the River Mooar in an almost intact condition. 28 talking about this. Replica engine. [4] Both survived the closure of the mine, but were scrapped in 1935, six years afterwards.[4]. Battery electric industrial tunnel engine moved to GLMR in 2009. The railway is operated and maintained entirely by volunteers from the Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust. While in Laxey it is well worth a short trip on the the Great Laxey Mine Railway. You hop on the tram at the Valley Garden Terminus where there is also a small souvenir shop. Copper ore was mined at Bradda Head as far back as the 13th century, Harald, King of Mann (1237–1248) having granted a charter under which the monks of Furness Abbey obtained working rights for this mine. The railway operates two passenger carriages. We would like to thank those organisations who have supported us over the years and there are many of you. walk along the Electric Railway lines in the direction of the wheel. The Great Laxey Mine Railway re-opened with two small steam engines in September 2004 to carry passengers along the restored route. At the Mines Yard terminus of the railway, a series of information boards explain the surviving mining features. The uppermost level of mine workings, known as the adit, was a series of tunnels extending to a mile and a half, which entered the hillside at ground level, and connected the heads of all the working mine shafts. Passengers can now ride in a tiny carriage along the line where loaded wagons of ore were once hauled from the mine. Tribute to the men of Laxey who fell during the Great War. Congratulations, you’re now registered! A regular shuttle service runs on operating days. Although the line runs past the mine entrance, the spur into the underground section has not been restored.[3]. At The Great Laxey Mine Railway passengers can now ride in a tiny carriage along the line where loaded wagons of ore were once hauled from the mine. The railway is a 19 Inch (483mm) gauge railway which runs from the old mine entrance to the former washing floors, passing through the only remaining railway runnel on the Isle of Man. Carriage 2, built by Alan Keef Ltd in 2007. Trevor McCullough and Helen Julie About The Great Laxey Mine Railway Heritage Railway - The railway which used to service the Great Laxey Mine comes back to life with steam engines Ant and Bee and Wasp our electric locomotive. Please take a few minutes to look at the various pages of the website which explain the history of the Great Laxey Mine, the mine railway, how it was restored, its rolling stock and operating days and much more. The 19 in (483 mm) gauge railway runs from the old mine entrance to the washing floors along a right of way that passes through the Isle of Man's only remaining railway tunnel (another at Dhoon West Quarry is disused) under the 3 ft (914 mm) gauge Victorian Manx Electric Railway and the main A2 Douglas to Ramsey coast road. The Isle of Man contains a large variety of minerals. Clearance of blockages and damages in the tunnel enabled the original route to be relaid to a point close to the mine entrance in time for the 2004 re-opening. The Great Laxey Mine Railway is owned by the Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust, a registered Manx Charity, which was formed in 1997 to promote the rich industrial and natural histories of Laxey Village and Lonan Parish. A saddle tank was used and conventional cylinders with connecting rods to the axle. Let us know what news and updates you want to hear about and we’ll send them straight to your inbox. At the bridge over the valley, walk down the footpath on the right to the Valley Gardens from the junction of the main Laxey to Ramsey Road and Captains Hill. Website written by Andrew Scarffe and Ian Smith. [4] This new locomotive was never constructed, although Bagnalls did instead build two new boilers for the existing locomotives. The railway was originally hand-operated, with miners pushing small wagons. Trains on the restored line originally departed from the engine sheds, but in 2006 the original station site at the Valley Gardens was cleared, and the two-platform station was restored, with the track relaid on the original formation, including one of the tightest radius bends on a working heritage railway line in the British Isles. By 2006 a majority of the above-ground section of the original railway had been restored, including a running line extending to 1⁄4 mi (0.4 km) in length. Search, Background & Tips: Download Page. Hotels near Snaefell Mountain Railway; Hotels near Lonan Old Church; Hotels near Dhoon Glen; Near Airports. By 2005 the line had been relaid into the old mine yard. The volunteers originally restored the railway's works and locomotive shed (rebuilding the shed on the exact footprint of the original). At the upper terminus, linking the railway to the Laxey Wheel, once operated the Laxey Browside Tramway but this has long since vanished, replaced with a car park. Single-wheel rail barrow - a single flanged wheel allows the barrow to be hand-operated along one rail of the running line. The railway is sign posted and visible from roadside and The Great Laxey Mine Railway was originally constructed to serve the Isle of Man's Great Laxey Mine, a lead mine located in Laxey. There are no intermediate stations or loops. Maintenance Project 2016 The railway is operated and maintained entirely by volunteers from the Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust. Volunteers restored the line (re-building the shed on the exact footprint of the former building) and the line reopened for passenger trips in 2004. Additionally, some rail vehicles are available for use by volunteer permanent way engineers on the railway, for construction and maintenance duties. The railway's terminus is located at the Valley Gardens which was once the site of the Great Laxey Mine's Washing Floors. The train goes through a quite long tunnel and arrives at one of the original mine accesses. Following the periods of hand operation and then pony haulage, a pair of steam locomotives were delivered from Stephen Lewin of Poole in 1877. Six replica ore wagons, built at the Laxey Blacksmith in 2000, in regular service on the restored railway. Re-boilered 2011. Passengers travel in a tiny carriage, hauled by a replica of one of the original steam engines, through the Island's only railway tunnel and along the line which once carried wagons loaded with the metal ores. The railway's freight wagons were originally constructed locally, and took the form of high-sided four-wheeled open ore wagons. This tiny mine railway is worth a visit. You May Like. Ant and Bee were 0-4-0 tank locomotives made unusually narrow, in order to fit within the adit. Both stations have two platforms, permitting the operation of more than one train at busy times. Their two 4×6in inside cylinders had Bagnall-Price valve gear and a geared drive to the rear axle, but coupling rods between the axles. The Great Laxey Mine Railway, on the Isle of Man, will be attending the ‘Volunteers Week, The Big Event’ this coming Saturday, the 24th February 2018.. Directors: Mr A Scarffe, Mr J Sykes, Mrs E Quaggin, Ms J Ball, Mr R Henthorn, Mr T Kenyon, Mr N Dobson. No other railway can boast of a waterwheel at each end! In service. 20 talking about this. Official page of the Great Laxey Mine Railway. Infrastructure. Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust. My Sightings SEARCH PANEL - Select fields to narrow down your search or results General Grouping: or a Specific Category? The Links tab also offers you a path to our facebook page with current photographs of work and events being carried out by the volunteers. In service. Liveried in engineering black and yellow wasp stripes. The Great Laxey Mine Railway - 2021. Official page of the Great Laxey Mine Railway. In 1827 a pit pony was purchased to haul the wagons, and the number of ponies grew as the mines expanded. [4] They were 4 ft 9in high and only 3 ft wide. Within this adit level a railway was provided from 1823, to allow transportation of mined ores from the mine shafts out to the external washing floors and mine yards. The boilers were launch-type, as were commonly used for small locomotives with insufficient space between the frames for a conventional firebox. As you journey through the valley you can enjoy the Snaefell mountain and Great Laxey Mine Railways, Lady Isabella and Lady Evelyn water wheels (Laxey Wheel to its friends) along with the Victorian pleasure garden and hand weaving woollen mill there is much to entertain and learn within the beautiful landscape. Passengers travel in a tiny carriage, hauled by a replica of one of the original steam engines, through the Island's only railway tunnel and along the line which once carried wagons loaded with the metal ores. Home Category 'The Great Laxey Mine Railway' 'The Great Laxey Mine Railway' No Content Available. Directors: Mr A Scarffe, Mr J Sykes, Mrs E Quaggin, Ms J Ball, Mr R Henthorn, Mr T Kenyon, Mr N Dobson. The railway, a quarter of a mile in length, runs up the valley from the former Washing Floors, now the Valley Gardens, to the main adit entrance where there is a picnic site, footpath and information boards explaining the mining features. Editorial Team Page: Recent Updates. This was similar to the Lewins design, but more conventional. Registered Office: Information Centre and Gift Shop, Mines Road, Laxey IM4 7NH. The Great Laxey Mine Railway: Cute little railway - See 50 traveller reviews, 62 candid photos, and great deals for Laxey, UK, at Tripadvisor. The Great Laxey Mine Railway was originally constructed to serve the Isle of Man's Great Laxey Mine, a lead mine located in Laxey. Laxey Woollen Mills. Located in the village of Laxey, on the eastern coast of the Isle of Man, the restored railway runs along the surface section of the tramway which once carried lead and zinc ores from deep inside the Great Laxey Mine. The Great Laxey Mine Railway is owned by the Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust, a registered Manx Charity, which was formed in 1997 to promote the rich industrial and natural histories of Laxey Village and Lonan Parish. 21st February 2018. A passenger train about to depart from Mines Yard station. In the 1970s the adit level was reopened and explored for historical evidence. Official page of the Great Laxey Mine Railway. The Volunteers’ Week is a celebration, which takes place annually, of the contribution of hundreds, if not thousands, of volunteers make across the Isle of Man. County: or Location? The railway's terminus is located at the Valley Gardens which was once the site of the Great Laxey Mine's Washing Floors. The Laxey Woollen Mills were founded in 1881 by Egbert Rydings, supported by John Ruskin, and were originally water powered. 4-wheel tipping wagon, convertible to flatbed format, unofficially named, 4-wheel light maintenance trolley, unofficially named. Tod will be greatly missed by all those who knew him. At the Mines Yard terminus of the railway, a series of information boards explain the surviving mining features. Owing to the narrow gauge and low clearances the bogie carriages are long and narrow, with passengers sitting on longitudinal transverse benches, and effectively travelling sideways when the train is in motion. 367A The mine closed in 1929. The locomotive was also re-gauged to 19 inch at this time, this being the gauge of the Great Laxey Mine Steam Railway, believed to be the only 19 inch gauge line in the UK. The Great Laxey Mine Railway is owned by the Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust, a registered Manx Charity, which was formed in 1997 to promote the rich industrial and natural histories of Laxey Village and Lonan Parish. Carriage 1, built by Alan Keef Ltd in 2004. A full train of these wagons was discovered underground in the mid-1970s. Latest News. The Great Laxey Mine Railway. Great Laxey Mine Railway, Our thoughts are with his wife Jackie at this sad time. The power cylinders were however mounted inside the frames and the Bagnall-Price valvgear and slide valves mounted outside. In particular we would like to thank Ace Hire in Douglas who have helped with the equipment we have used for the winter season work. Official page of the Great Laxey Mine Railway. The former Great Laxey Mine Railway - a mineral railway rebuilt as a tourist line for the 21st Century. The Laxey Wheel, the Lady Isabella, is just a short walk away from the terminus. The Laxey Wheel, the Lady Isabella, is just a short walk away from the terminus. The Great Laxey Mine was an extensive system of mine shafts and tunnels, which descended to a depth of 2,200 feet underground. This page was last edited on 31 October 2020, at 15:28. Engine and carriage sheds be greatly missed by all those who knew.... Maintenance trolley, unofficially named, 4-wheel light maintenance trolley, unofficially,..., being a front tank ahead of the Great Laxey Mine railway re-opened with two small steam engines September! And new shafts and tunnels, which descended to a depth of 2,200 feet laxey mine railway of. 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