The success of the year in general and many of the events in particular will be no surprise to readers of MTR or members of the MERS. The scenario of the years events, first published in Manx Transport Review No.58 back in 1990, highlighted the potential for all to see. After an interminable period when little if anything seem to be getting done and it seemed that if current progress were to be maintained, the event would have proved stillborn ( the saga of the logo was a classic example), sections of the Transport Tepartment suddenly galvanised themselves into action and seized the opportunities with both hands. Manx Transport Review has since not been unforthcoming with its praise, especially for events coordinator Alan Corlett. The program of events created by the Railways Department was universally hailed as success. Visiting journalists and enthusiasts raved about the opportunities the “Year" offered and as the weeks passed by, the satisfaction rating by departing Isle of Man visitors, can rarely have been equalled in recent times. The average Year of Railways visitor arrived, participated and finally departed in something close to an aura of delight in some cases bordering on ecstasy. What follows is a review of some of the main events connected with the Year. Most of those organised by the transport department were “winners" to a greater or lesser degree. Part II will deal with the losers and lessons for 1994 and beyond, where fine tuning might have made for an even more melodious outcome and how the success of 1993, might be built upon to ensure that the effects of the Year of Railways do have a worthwhile and lasting effect on mice tourism - and MER - for years to come.
Year of Railways 1993 REVIEW Reprinted from Manx Transport Review No 66 Spring 1994
