Take the slow train to the real-life Sodor
IT’S official. I’m a whistleblower. And I have to say, it feels good.
Don’t get me wrong – I haven’t uncovered a wrongdoing. Simply, I have fulfilled a lifelong ambition to stand at the throttle of a steam engine and pull that whistle until its shriek let everyone on the Isle of Man know there was a train a-steamin’ and a-rollin’ along the tracks.
Hands up if you’ve ever wanted to do the same? Take a trip with Great Rail Journeys and you might just end up behind that blazing coal firebox with a big grin all over your face.
The six-day Vintage Railways Of The Isle of Man guided tour is just one of the many adventures you can take with the company.
Although I live in the Yorkshire Dales, I’d never thought to head to neighbouring Lancashire and catch the Isle of Man Steam Packet ferry (steam-packet.com) from Heysham.
Sailing into the quaint seaside port of Douglas felt like stepping back in time. Yet I was delighted to discover that our hotel, the Claremont (claremonthoteldouglas.com), offered a contemporary feel, with stylish decor, sea-view rooms and an excellent restaurant.
Our first stop the next morning was on the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway (douglashorsetramway.im), which has run since 1876. We headed to Derby Castle, where we clickety-clacked on the 125-year-old Manx Electric Railway (manxelectricrailway.co.uk) to Laxey.
Enthralled by the evocative sounds and stunning scenery, no wonder the Reverend W Awdry, creator of Thomas
The Tank Engine, is said to have got inspiration here for his locomotives’ location, the fictional island of Sodor.
Swapping seamlessly to the electric Snaefell Mountain Railway at Laxey, I was overwhelmed by this master of Victorian engineering as our vintage wooden train bravely tacked its way up seemingly impossibly steep gradients to the island’s highest summit, 2,036ft above sea level.
The name Snaefell (or Sniaull in Manx) comes from the Norse for Snow Mountain. Even in April, there is still a dusting of snow and a bracing wind here but you also get a breathtaking panoramic vantage point over seven kingdoms – England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Mann, Heaven and Neptune’s Realm.
We never tired of the wild and windswept seascapes, whether from the top of the Great Laxey Wheel or from the ramparts of Peel Castle.
Our group enjoyed learning about the quirky history of this self-governing, family-friendly island in interactive attractions such as the Old House of Keys and House of Manannan.
It’s one of the few places in the world where, on the narrowgauge Isle of Man Steam Railway (iomsrsa.org), which puffs 15 miles from Douglas to pretty Port Erin, you may be lucky enough to step up to the footplate, stoke the fire and blow the whistle until your heart’s content.
Vintage Railways Of The Isle Of Man with Great Rail Journeys (greatrail.com) costs from €770pp. The six-day trip includes a stay at a four-star hotel, all rail and excursions, and selected meals. For more information, go to visitisleofman.com or manxnationalheritage.im.