From the MEWS archive and the early days of MEWS, this model Isle of Man Railway locomotive was photographed at a Harrogate exhibition.

The Isle of Man Railway is a narrow gauge steam  railway connecting Douglas with Castletown and Port Erin on the Isle of Man. The line is 3 ft  narrow gauge and 15.5 miles long. It is what remains of a much larger network of more than 46 miles that also served the western town of Peel; the northern town of Ramsey, and the mining village of Foxdale. Now in government ownership, it uses the original rolling stock and locomotives.

Formed in 1870 with the first line following three years later, the Isle of Man Railway Company operated services until 1977. The railway is now marketed as the ‘Steam Railway’ to differentiate it from the Manx Electric Railway. It was known as ‘Isle of Man Railway’ until closure in 1965. From 1969 to 1972, it operated as the Isle of Mann Victorian Steam Railway Company Limited, before reverting to ‘Isle of Man Railway’. When nationalized in 1978 it became ‘Isle of Man Railways’.

The locomotives of the Railway were supplied by Beyer Peacock, between 1873 and 1926. Locomotive No. 4 was delivered in 1874 for the opening of the Port Erin line.  It was named after the island's Lieutenant Governor, Henry Brougham Loch.  As originally built Loch was a small-boiler locomotive, although it had larger water tanks and bunkers than the original three locomotives. It was rebuilt with a larger boiler in 1909.