Manx Steam Railway Luggage Vans

As noted elsewhere, the Isle of Man Railway was from the outset built principally to carry passengers and their luggage. Accordingly, along with the initial 4-wheel passenger carriages, it took delivery of four luggage, mail and guard's brake vans in 1873/4 with a further two supplied in 1876.  These were all of a 4-wheel design built by the Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Company and provided luggage space, guard accommodation and importantly guard operated hand braking of trains in addition to the locomotives. The vans were fitted with double luggage doors on each side as well as look-out duckets, so that the guard could view the length of the train and loco crew signals without having to lean out of windows.

The luggage vans were allocated the "E" series prefix together with a number. The original E1 was severely damaged in a collision in 1893 which resulted in Metropolitan supplying a replacement luggage van in 1894, re-assigned E1 as its identifier. The following year, the IOMR itself built a luggage van from parts of the broken original E1 and assigned it the next sequential number, E7.

The Manx Northern Railway had its own similar 4-wheel luggage brake vans (although with an additional single door each side) which had a chequered life, as indeed did the IOMR vans. MNR 15 & 16 were supplied from Swansea for the opening of the northern line along with the Cleminson 6-wheel carriages in 1879. Both were withdrawn from service in 1895 to be replaced by two vans built in Ramsey and numbered MNR 18 & 19 (later becoming IOMR's E8 & E9). MNR15 became a goods van (later to become IOMR's Gr7). MNR16 after complete overhaul re-entered service but as MNR20 and upon integration with the IOMR became E10.

As time went by, vans became damaged or unserviceable and were used as good sheds, stores, etc. As a result, gaps appeared in the numbering sequence which resulted in a certain amount of re-numbering.

As a result of increased passenger traffic and luggage volumes, in 1897 Metropolitan supplied two bogied luggage / brake vans of a similar pattern to the carriages being supplied at that time. On each side, the vehicles had two sets of double doors, a lookout ducket for the guard and six high level window lights to provide limited internal illumination for the centre section. Windows in the double doors provided sufficient light for each end section. In addition, three roof mounted oil lamps were fitted. Allocated numbers 27 & 28 in the "F" series, the vans were nicknamed "Empress Vans" being supplied in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year.

Several of the "F" series bogie passenger carriages supplied to the IOMR included a large luggage section. These carriages of which a total of ten were supplied (including the last all new carriage F49) are detailed with the Passenger Carriages page.

Luggage / Brake Van Stock Listing
1873 to 1897  

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