Until now, there were no known photographs of the third locomotive to enter traffic on the Malta Railway. Manning Wardle-built No.3 Arrived in 1884 and continued in service until 1927, but was thought to have alluded the camera for 43 years… until now.

This is a published photo of Museum station, having appeared in the second edition of Rigby’s book on the railway, and since online; however, the identity of the little Manning Wardle engine has remained obscure. Now, using the spotters-guide to these engines I produced last year, it’s clear from the circular cab windows and roof design that this is a different engine from the earlier two engines of her class.

The photograph is interesting too for the animated scene revealed on the station platform. A large number of army soldiers crowd the platforms, no doubt from Mtarfa Barracks. They are dressed in off-duty “walking-out” dress, but this looks to be some sort of organised event. A train of four carriages has arrived at the station and railway staff are visible manoeuvring four additional carriages to the rear of the train from the siding by hand to make up a special formation for the return to Valletta. It could be a summer Sunday as groups of smartly dressed, but unaccompanied, children are also on the platform, perhaps whiling away their time after church by following the unusual proceedings at the station.

Here then is the only known documented image of the elusive No.3!