An Isle of Man Steam Railway locomotive has left the island for the first time in just short of 130 years.

Locomotive No 8 ‘Fenella’ was transported to Wales for a special celebration on a preserved railway in Welshpool.

This is the first time the train has left the island since arriving from its makers in Manchester in 1894.

The weekend saw Welshpool and Llanfair Railway in Powys, Wales celebrate the 120th birthday of one of its two original locomotives, ‘Earl’ and ‘Countess’.

Both were built in 1902 at the same Beyer Peacock factory in Gorton, Manchester, as many of the Isle of Man’s steam trains.

Fenella was the last guest engine to be announced for the event after a sponsor arranged for its transport to mid-Wales. It was delivered to the island eight years before the Welshpool and Llanfair locomotives were built.

The Welshpool and Llanfair Railway said on social media that it’s rare for an Isle of Man resident locomotive to be seen publicly in the UK.

Fenella last saw service in late 2020 in a traditional Indian Red livery and is in ‘work-worn condition’ awaiting overhaul. The Welsh railway explained that they though this was most likely the last time it would be displayed in public before its overhaul began.

The ‘Beyer Bash’ saw enthusiasts from across the country flock to see the locomotives on display.

The Welshpool and Llanfair Railway runs on a 2ft 6in gauge track and was at various times owned by the Cambrian Railways, the Great Western Railway and British Railways before closing in 1956 and then being revived by a preservation society in 1963.

As it uses a narrow gauge commonly used in Europe and other parts of the world it has locomotives and carriages from a large number of countries.