Mid-Sodor Heritage Railway

The Mid-Sodor Heritage Railway is a narrow gauge railway on the Island of Sodor. The railway is offically opened in 1972.

At Arlesdale, it meets the Arlesdale or Small Controller's Railway.

History
With the rediscovery of Mid Sodor Railway No.1 Duke at the former Arlesdale sheds in 1969, interest in the former railway began to resurge, sufficient that in the early 1970s it was proposed to found a Heritage Society dedicated to preserving its memory.

The Mid Sodor Railway Heritage Society was official established with the holding of its first meeting in Ulfstead Castle in 1972, one hundred years to the day that the original company was founded. Equally fitting was that this was the same place in which the meetings leading to the creation of MSR was held, and that the Earl of Sodor, Richard Robert Norramby, was in attendance, just like his Great-Great-Grandfather, John Arnold Norramby. In a further symbolic gesture, Richard was elected by the members as the Chairman of the new society, mirroring John’s chairmanship of the original MSR.

The new society immediately began looking to establish a permanent museum dedicated to the life and times of the MSR, and were fortunate to find a willing supporter in the form of Elizabeth Carpenter, resident of Kirk Machan and independent MP for Sodor East. The political influence of Ms Carpenter and the Earl were together able to secure the society a 99-year leasehold on the former station site at King Orry’s Bridge from the Sodor County Council, who were using it as a lockup for their Highway Maintenance equipment (including a very cantankerous steamroller). In addition to the station, a sympathetic landowner donated to the society the half-mile of trackbed immediately to the west, on which they planned to establish a demonstration line.