S&M History

1853 - Foundation. Plan to build a branch line to Peel Godred (which never happened) and to link Suddery to Edinburgh. (It never had a junction with Suddery and it never went to the mainland). Construction began on a stretch of track from Rolf's Castle, through Kelsthorpe Road and Crovan's Gate, to Ballahoo.
1855 - S&M No. 1 "Dalton" was the first to arrive, a slow and low-powered one-cylinder engine which can barely climb hills but worked quite well on the flatter parts of the line.
1856 - S&M No. 2 "Neil" was brought on to help Dalton but quickly surpassed him, with Dalton being relegated as a spare engine. Neil worked well and handled almost all traffic for four years until the arrival of Reid.
1860 - S&M No. 3 "Reid" was very similar to Neil, but with a few subtle differences. He was a little back-heavy and rode rough, so he would eventually be converted to an 0-4-2.
1865 - S&M extends southwest from Rolf's Castle to the new harbor built in the fishing town of Kirk Ronan
1865 - Skarloey is transported by Neil to Crovan's Gate, the junction with the Skarloey Railway.
1866 - S&M No. 4 "Rutherford," an 0-6-0 box tank, was brought on as a heavy goods engine which was needed as the line to Kirk Ronan brought increased traffic.
1867 - S&M No. 5 "Samson" was brought on, by this time Neil was getting somewhat worn out.
1870 - By now S&M was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
1871 - Rutherford and Reid have a head-on collision shortly outside of Ballahoo Tunnel, leading to the collapse of the tunnel, many injuries, and the withdrawal of both locomotives. Dalton, Neil, and Samson run the line. Spare parts for both engines (and Neil's spare boiler, the leftover which had been replaced in 1860) are used to combine the remains of the two engines together into one, 0-6-0 No. 3 "Reidford." It was an unreliable engine which never ceased to cause trouble, but it was desperately needed.
1872 - Dalton finally gives out and is withdrawn, and used for spare parts.
1876 - Reidford becomes too unreliable to be used and is scrapped, being used for spare parts for Neil and Samson over the years.
1892 - Beckett arrives and is given the number S&M No. 1. Samson is renumbered No. 3.
1901 - The S&M goes bankrupt and services end. Neil is sold to the Crovan's Gate Mining Company. Samson and Beckett are sold to industrial railways on the mainland. (The remains of Dalton, Rutherford, and Reid would be later discovered as evidence that the S&M had just three engines and they were all scrapped)
1901-1914 - Neil runs slate trains from Crovan's Gate to Kirk Ronan Harbor. When he is away, Skarloey is put on a transporter wagon and hauls the trains himself.
1909 - Crovan's Gate Mining Company, which owns the Skarloey Railway, is purchased by Sir Handel Brown.
1914 - Merger to form North Western Railway.
Some time after 1901 - Neil works himself to bits, and a third rail is laid on the line from Crovan's Gate to Kirk Ronan so Skarloey can pull trains on his own wheels.
1924 - CGMC Slate Quarry is no longer profitable but is still in operation.
1960 - CGMC Slate Quarry sold to the Ministry of Defense, latest time by which Neil, whether repaired and restored or not, could have run slate trains to the harbor.