Events

Railway Museum, Port Erin

Simulator drives are available from 10am to 4pm on days the steam railway operates.

To book call +44 1624 836985.

Two driving experiences suitable for all ages*

Driving training level 1 - £5

• Learn to drive No 21
• Move carriages from Port St Mary to Port Erin
• Shunt carriages at Douglas Station

Session lasts 15 minutes.   

Driver training level 2 - £10

For the enthusiast.  Complete all level 1 tasks plus extend your driver training to drive from Douglas to Port Soderick and back.

Session lasts 30 minutes.

*Younger children should be accompanied by a responsible adult. Some  wheelchairs can be accommodated. Drivers need to operate a hand held control
and must not touch the screens. Advance bookings should arrive a minimum of 5 minutes ahead of time. Drive times cannot be held for latecomers.
Please note, the Drive the Diesel No. 21 simulator experience is for leisure purposes only and does not qualify certificate holders to drive any locomotive.

Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August 2020

Island at War returns for 2020 with a huge line up of 1940s nostalgia!

Keep up to date with this page and our Facebook page /IoMTransport for all the latest information on the event.

Open midday to 4pm every Sunday when the MER is operating. 

The museum is located adjacent to Derby Castle tram sheds.

Admission is free.

The Manx Electric Railway Museum was opened by volunteers on 1 June 2014. 

Its collection was brought together by Derby Castle workshop supervisor Steve Hall. The museum has a wealth of historical artefacts that were discovered in tidy-ups of the workshops or in people’s sheds. Others were in storage at Banks Circus – Public Transport headquarters.

The museum has information boards about the beginnings of the trams and items for people to handle including an old controller and armature – part of a tram’s motor. 

IoM Railways regrets that access to the museum is not suitable for people with disabilities. There is no public parking adjacent to the site, which is a short walk from the north end of Douglas promenade. 

Wednesday 29 July – Sunday 2 August

Our annual Manx Heritage Transport Festival returns for 2020 with an array of unique events and special railway services.

This year Caledonia will go on tour visiting Laxey Station and Knockaloe!

For further information please see our leaflet and keep up to date with our Facebook page /IoMTransport. 

Monday 11 May to Saturday 16 May

Our annual education week returns to schools across the Isle of Man to educate school children engineering on steam railways. Author Chris Vine gives the children a fascinating insight into the engineering world and conducts track building workshops with them.

On Saturday 16 May a special day will be held in Castletown to celebrate the children’s success throughout the week and run a miniature steam engine on their track!

Keep up to date with this page and our Facebook page /IoMTransport for all the latest information on the event.

An experience on our heritage railways will ensure that your event stands out from the rest. Whatever your milestone, be it an anniversary, birthday, corporate event or any celebration, we can help you celebrate in style and make your day truly memorable.

A spectacular journey through beautiful Manx countryside, aboard one of our steam trains, the Manx Electric Railway or Snaefell Mountain tram will ensure your event is talked about and remembered by all.

You and your guests can book a private train, hire the Dining Car, Victorian tram or Snaefell Dining experience for the event, specially scheduled to suit your plans.

All packages can be tailored to meet your requirements, contact us on HireMe@gov.im and we will see what we can do to deliver a truly extra special event.

Group travel

Discounts are available for parties of 20 or more people travelling together. Contact the Charter Co-ordinator, David Thornton, David.Thornton@gov.im

Established in 1975 the Railway Museum charts the history of the Steam Railway from its inception in 1873, including the now disused lines to Peel, Ramsey and Foxdale. It can be found next door to Port Erin Station at the southern end of the line.

It is home to a fine collection of steam locomotives plus the Royal Train carriage which carried The Queen and Queen Mother in 1963 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1972. There are also memorabilia, posters and interpretive displays. 

Open from 9.30am to 4.30pm on days the Steam Railway operates.

Admission is £2 adults, £1 children. Free admission with a Go Explore Heritage card. 

Expert guides from our Heritage Railway Volunteers are generally on hand on Sunday mornings from 11am to 1pm to offer informative tours of the museum. Additionally, guides are available on Thursday evenings between 7.30pm and 9pm from 17 May until 27 September 2018.

The museum also boasts an extensive souvenir shop that is home to the Isle of Man’s only railway simulator. Unveiled in summer 2016, the Drive the Diesel simulator experience costs £5 for a 15 minute session or £10 for the enthusiast level training.

Friday 21 August 2020

The Snaefell Mountain Railway marks its 125th anniversary on the 21 August 2020 and to mark the occasion we will host a day of special events between Laxey Station and Snaefell Summit.

Keep up to date with this page and our Facebook page /IoMTransport for all the latest information on the event.

May to October 2020

Through 2020 our Summit events offer a tempting selection of themed and fine dining events paired with spectacular views from the Island highest point. So relax, raise a glass and enjoy as you soak in the spectacular views from Snaefell.

View the full itinerary.

The Ultimate Driving Experience on the Isle of Man is driving a Victorian steam train or electric tram.

The continued success of the Ultimate Driving Experiences is down to enabling members of the public the chance to experience driving one of our historic electric trams or steam locomotives.

Each event is run over one day and includes safety briefings, history and theory tuition and the chance to drive one of our trams between Laxey and Ramsey, or a steam train from Castletown to Port Erin.

To book call  +44 1624 697419. As there are limited dates available, bookings are made on a first come first served basis.

Below are some customer testimonials, after experiencing the Ultimate Driving Experience.

• 'Thank you for such an unforgettable day, if we lived in Laxey we would undoubtedly sign up for additional courses (but it's a long way from Seattle).'
  
  
• 'The UDE was everything that I could have possibly hoped for, the format of the day was perfect, and I cannot think of any way that it could be improved.'
  
  
• 'I've just got back from a splendid day playing with No 7 on the MER.'
  
  
• 'Just returned home to Sweeden from a short holiday, of which the highlight was undoubtedly the UDE on the MER.'
  
  

March – November 2020

It’s full steam ahead for great gastronomical experiences with the Isle of Man Railways during 2020.

Built in 1905 and restored to service in 2013, the plush Dining Car is one of only a handful of fine dining narrow gauge dining cars in the world. The sumptuous surroundings of its saloon carriages hark back to the Pullman-style fine dining of yesteryear although there is nothing old fashioned about the fabulous food served on board.

Mouth-watering menus offer the best of seasonal home grown produce teamed with carefully chosen wines, beers of soft drinks from the bar car. Choose from Classic Favourites, Theme Steam and Dining Cars of the World series or try one of the family events and lunches.

You can also book the Dining Car for wedding parties, corporate and other private hire events, which can be tailored to individual requirements.

View the full itinerary here.