It looks as if the vast majority of the Island's surplus railway rolling stock will be preserved when the Homefield depot's lease expires in March 2009.

In his written reply to a Tynwald question,Tourism and Leisure Minister Adrian Earnshaw says his department is discussing the best course of action to take with local interest groups such as the Manx Electric Railway Society and the Isle of Man Steam Railways Association.

Mr Earnshaw says items the department owns which are regarded as historically significant and/or of potential use to the railways will be moved to other DTL premises for restoration.

Edward Oldham reports on what's in store for the rest of the rolling stock (text, below, from attached audio file):

Some items which fit the above criteria are in private ownership, so the DTL is negotiating to try and get them back into the railways' control.

The discussions with local interest groups are about projects they would like to undertake, some for practical restoration and others involving funding for commercial restoration.

Mr Earnshaw says while the DTL would prefer to keep all surplus stock on the Island, two UK heritage bodies have expressed an interest and he thinks a restored MER tram on display at the National Museum would be a good way of promoting our railway heritage.

And he believes there will be a positive outcome for all of the Isle of Man Steam Railway items and a significant number of the MER ones.

(Picture: Inside the Homefield depot, July 2007)