Last week’s Manx Heritage Transport Festival drew hundreds of visitors and enthusiasts from across the British Isles and beyond, as six days of packed events celebrated the island’s unique and historic transport heritage.

This year’s event was especially poignant, marking 130 years since the opening of the Snaefell Mountain Railway in 1895, which has carried passengers to the island’s highest point for over a century.

One of the standout moments came on Wednesday evening with the official unveiling of engine number 9, Douglas, following a meticulous three-year cosmetic restoration by volunteers from the Steam Railway Supporters’ Association.

Once a rusting shell, the engine has been transformed into a gleaming symbol of Manx railway history thanks to a team led by James Maddrell, Steam Railway Charge Hand at Isle of Man Railways.

The ceremony was attended by Infrastructure Minister Michelle Haywood MHK, Head of Railways Andrew Cowie, Association Chairman William Cubbon, and Mr Maddrell.

The same evening also saw the first public appearance of the newly refurbished ‘Royal Saloon’ carriage F.36 - a luxurious coach previously on display at the railway museum.

It is now intended for special events and potential royal visits.

Festival highlights included guided track tours, photography specials, vintage bus displays, and rare rolling stock in operation, with activities spread across all four of the island’s heritage railways and tramways.

‘We were all thrilled to see hundreds of new customers and families enjoying the six-day festival as well as our regular enthusiast friends this year,’ said the Hospitality and Events Executive Officer Lottie Watterson.

‘The wealth of knowledge and passion from our volunteer bodies is truly inspiring.’

The festival concluded on Sunday at the Jurby Transport Museum, with historic buses including a 1964 Leyland and 1949 Comet taking visitors on shuttle runs.

Next year’s event will mark the 150th anniversary of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway and 50 years since the nationalisation of the buses.