Little Isabella Little Isabella Little Isabella is a rustic water wheel, situated in Groudle Glen on the Isle of Man, that was originally built in 1893 with the arrival of the Manx Electric Railway to the glen. It has been dubbed the "Little Isabella" owing to its alleged resemblance to the Laxey Wheel in nearby Laxey which was opened in 1854 by Lady Isabella, the wife of the then Lieutenant Governor of the island. In its time the wheel has been used for various purposes, including pumping water to the Groudle Hotel (designed by Hugh Ballie-Scott) and providing power for the fairy
SS Ellan Vannin (1854) by two oscillating marine engines with tubular boilers, built by Messrs. Fawcett, Preston & Co. (similar to those installed in the "Countess of Ellesmere") which developed , driving two paddle wheels of 16' diameter which were fitted with feathered floats. The paddle floats were "feathered" so as to help to reduce vibration which could be common in early marine steam engines. She was divided into five water tight compartments had accommodation for 100 tons of cargo and a bunker capacity for 40 tons of coal. "Ellan Vannin" was said to be a remarkably handsome vessel, having a smart rakish appearance,