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Knockaloe Engine Shed (Read 639 times)
Donegal Danny
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Knockaloe Engine Shed
Jan 30th, 2010 at 8:28pm
 
One for the pot.
There is a long narrow building amongst the farm buildings at Knockaloe that was (is) known as the engine shed.
I remember looking at the first few rafters back from the door and noticing them being being higher than most of the rest. Although this suggests accomodation for a locomotive, the construction is the same at the other, western, end. Annecdotal evidence was that , despite the name, the shed was never used to house an engine.
As the editor is want to suggest; Discuss.
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The Editor
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Knockaloe Engine Shed
Reply #1 - Jan 31st, 2010 at 2:36am
 
thus...
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Editor: Manx Steam Railway News
Station Master: Castletown
 
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DLJ
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Re: Knockaloe Engine Shed
Reply #2 - Jan 31st, 2010 at 4:45pm
 
The site had a power house /engine shed used to supply electricity, which was probably this building.  The higher rafters could be to house a boiler.  The building's roof is clearly not original, so it's hard to tell if had a chimney or suitable vents in the roof to steam a locomotive.

Personally, I can't see the reason to house a locomotive on the site and you would need a water tank at the very least.  It was more likely that the 'Cale' was kept at Peel as most of the traffic for Knockaloe arrived at Peel.  Possibly, the Peel engine shed extension was for this very reason to house the 'Cale' - it looked originally only temporary and hastily constructed (date erected?).   

Although, never say never, and it would be nice to find out if it was a shed to house a locomotive.  Maybe, one day, somebody will find an old photograph in their attic.
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Donegal Danny
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Re: Knockaloe Engine Shed
Reply #3 - Feb 1st, 2010 at 11:11am
 
I agree with you on all the points you make David although it's the first time I've heard of power generation as a possible use. As you probably know, there is a tall chimney somewhat remote from the building in question but I don't know if this predates the camp or not.
Regards.
Jon
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DaveM44
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Re: Knockaloe Engine Shed
Reply #4 - Feb 16th, 2010 at 6:12pm
 
JIC Boyd in his history of the IMR refers to the shed in volume 3.  He states that although shown on the plans of the camp circa 1915 it is NOT shown as rail connected.  Are there photographs that actually show it ever being rail connected? He thinks that it was used to store farm implements.  The roof trusses at the east end were modified to provide more clearance, but was this for Caledonia or some piece of farm machinery?
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Donegal Danny
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Re: Knockaloe Engine Shed
Reply #5 - Feb 16th, 2010 at 8:28pm
 
The roof trusses at the East end are, indeed, raised but so are the ones at the West end. As has been said, this could well have been for farm machinery.
Whilst there seems to be plenty of argument against it being an engine shed, it's construction as an agricultural building is similarly perplexing.
In my experience it has been used as a potato store and as an implement store but it's shape makes it somewhat inconvenient to use, particularly for the later.
My opinion, and it can't be anymore than that, is that it may have had a railway use, possibly train storage and /or transhipment to and from railway vehicles. The liklehood is, without certain photographic or recorded evidence, we can only guess at it's intended use.
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