17-Sep-2026
We're due to go away again shortly, and we realized we hadn't ridden the steam train since our anniversary trip in mid-July... Gasp... Clearly time for a steam train ride... And luckily, I had a hair appointment in Port Erin that offered an excellent excuse.
En route:
And here's Loch, our gallant little engine:
Next door to Port Erin station there's a lovely little museum dedicated to all things railway. At the moment, it's housing four historic locos, so now is a good time to go (but not before you've topped up with Manx broth from The Whistlestop).
Steam trains and their paraphernalia are just SO photogenic:
There are also loads of old photos of a bit of railway line that's very dear to my heart.
I talk here (and I'm sure I've mentioned it since) about one of my favourite childhood memories, which involved riding the steam train from St Johns to Peel with my mum. Well, here's what it all would have looked like, back in the day:
The Douglas-to-Peel line was opened in 1873, with locomotive Sutherland doing the hauling. He carried a banner announcing "Douglas & Peel United" (which, let's face it, will never be true...)
His maiden voyage
And here he is, still beautiful after all these years
You might be wondering how this post qualifies for the Walking Mannin rubric, given it's all about steam trains and museums and broth. Ah, but you see, we then walked from Port Erin, via Port St Mary and Gansey, to Colby, where we had coffee and parkin with rellies before catching the bus home.
The wind was slamming into Port Erin. Port St Mary remained quiet, and this bit of Gansey was doing the half-and-half
It felt like a "complete" day out. People, exercise, food, and STEAM TRAINS! It'll set us up for the coming weeks away.