Isle of Mull Railway facts for kids
The Isle of Mull Railway was a special narrow-gauge railway on the Isle of Mull in Scotland. It was about 1.25 miles (2 km) long. This railway connected the ferry terminal at Craignure to Torosay Castle. It was known as Scotland's first island passenger railway. The line opened in 1983 and closed in October 2010. Some trains ran during Easter and summer 2011. The railway's agreement to use the land ended in October 2011. The tracks were removed in October 2012.
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History of the Isle of Mull Railway
In 1975, David James owned Torosay Castle. He decided to open the castle and its gardens to visitors. Graham Ellis, a local businessman and railway fan, had a great idea. He suggested building a narrow-gauge railway. This railway would take visitors from the ferry terminal, which was about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away. It would also be a fun attraction itself.
Permission to build the railway was given in 1975. However, construction did not begin until April 1982. The railway line was finished in May 1983. The very first test run happened on May 22nd that year. Regular experimental services began on August 18, 1983. The railway officially opened on June 22, 1984. Before 2010, more than 25,000 passengers rode the train each year.
Closure of the Railway
In 2010, Torosay Castle was put up for sale. Because of this, the future of the railway became uncertain. The Mull and West Highland Narrow Gauge Railway Company announced the railway would close. This formal closure was on October 28, 2010. However, trains did run for a short time in 2011. The company said they would look for a new place to move the railway.
On December 4, 2010, a special "last day" event was held. The ferry company Caledonian MacBrayne helped by offering special tickets. They also gave out posters to remember the day. The very last train was driven by the railway's founders. These were Martin Eastwood and Graham Ellis. Two locomotives, Lady of the Isles and Victoria, pulled the train. Lady of the Isles had a special Balamory Express sign on the front. Every carriage on the line was part of this last train.
The closing of the Isle of Mull Railway was a big loss. Local businesses said it hurt tourism on Mull and the mainland. Chris James, the owner of Torosay Castle, made a comment in a Scottish newspaper. He said he had "let them play trains for 30 years free of charge."
In 2011, it was reported that the castle sale would not happen. The castle would only open for 45 days in 2011. Before, it opened for 245 days. This meant it was not practical to run the railway. The tracks were still there in March 2011. Two locomotives, Glen Auldyn and Lady of the Isles, were moved to the mainland. This was done to keep them safe.
A few trains ran during the Easter 2011 holiday. They also ran from May 27 to September 1, 2011. The final trains ran on September 1, 2011. The steam locomotive Victoria pulled them.
Victoria was moved on September 8 to the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway. This railway is in Staffordshire, England. She is stored there and used sometimes to keep her working.
Plans to Relocate the Railway
In July 2011, there was talk of moving the railway to Balloch. This is near Loch Lomond. The idea was to lay the tracks where an old railway line used to be. This line ran between Balloch Central and Balloch Pier stations. It closed in 1986. The new line would connect to the pier. From there, the paddle steamer Maid of the Loch would operate.
Discussions happened between the railway owners and Scottish Enterprise. A study was done to see if the plan was possible. Local groups and councils were asked for their thoughts. Their response was "very encouraging." However, the plan did not go ahead. This was because the trains would not be big enough. They could not carry all the passengers expected. So, the tracks were removed in October 2012. All parts of the railway were sold. The tracks are now stored in Scotland. All the trains are there too. The only exceptions are Victoria and Glen Auldyn. They are both at the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway.
Railway Stations
The Isle of Mull Railway had two main stations.
- Craignure
- Torosay Castle
Locomotives of the Isle of Mull Railway
There were six different locomotives that ran on the line.
Steam Locomotives
- Lady of the Isles was built in 1981. This engine was a 2-6-4T type. Before coming to Mull, she worked on the Suffolk Miniature Railway. This engine was inspired by another locomotive named Trevithick.
- Victoria was built in 1993 by Mouse Boiler Works. She was a 2-6-2T type. Her design was based on the Victorian Railways NA class locomotives from Australia.
- Waverley was built by David Curwen in 1948. She was a 4-4-2 type. Her original name was Black Prince. She first worked on a railway in Weymouth. Since 2003, Waverley has been at the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway. She was repainted a bright apple green color.
Diesel Locomotives
- Frances was built in 1999 by Mouse Boiler Works. She was a BB wheel arrangement. She had a Perkins diesel engine and weighed 2 tons.
- Glen Audlyn was built on Mull by Bob Davies in 1986. She was also a BB wheel arrangement. She used a Perkins 4108 diesel engine from a Commer van. She was rebuilt in 2013 with a new engine. Now, she is also based at the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway.
- The Green Diesel used to work at the Great Central Railway. She looked like a Class 26 locomotive. She was powered by a Morris Minor engine.
Rolling Stock
The railway had 12 passenger coaches with bogies (sets of wheels). It also had three 4-wheel wagons and three wagons for carrying ballast (stones for the track).
Television Appearances
The Isle of Mull Railway was featured on TV! It appeared in an episode of the CBeebies show Balamory. The filming for this episode took place in the autumn of 2002.
