MER & SMR Fleet List

Below is an updated fleet list of the Manx Electric Railway and the Snaefell Mountain Railway. Photos showing the various batches of cars will appear on a separate page shortly.

Car No.	Builder & Year Built	Remarks
M.E.R. Motor Cars
1	G. F. Milnes 1893	"Unvestibuled Saloons"
2		- no.3 destroyed in 1930 (Laxey Shed fire)
3
4	G. F. Milnes 1894	"Vestibuled Saloons TUNNEL CARS"
5		- nos.4 and 8 destroyed in 1930 (Laxey Shed fire)
6		- no.9 rebuilt as illuminated car in 1993
7
8
9
10	G. F. Milnes 1895	"Vestibuled Saloons"
11		- no.10 rebuilt into goods motor car in 1904; converted into freight trailer in 1918; survives as bogie freight van no.26
12		- no.11 survives today as bogie flat wagon no.21
13		- no.12 rebuilt into motor cattle car in 1903; converted into freight trailer in 1918
14	G. F. Milnes 1989	"Unvestibuled Crossbench"
15
16
17
18
19	G. F. Milnes 1899	"Winter Saloon"
20		- no.22 rebuilt (new body) in 1992 after fire
21
22
24	G. F. Milnes 1898	"Converted Crossbench Trailers PADDLEBOXES"
25		- rebuilt from trailers 40-43 (ex 19-22) in 1903
26		- no.24 destroyed in 1930 (Laxey Shed fire)
27		- nos.25 and 27 now pw cars
28	Electric Railway & Tramway Carriage Works 1904	"Unvestibuled Crossbench"
29
30
31
32	United Electric Car 1906	"Unvestibuled Crossbench"
33
[360]	John Stephenson (Brill) 1907	- second hand from Lisbon in 1996
		- was purchased to be regauged from 2′ 11 7/16" (the car needs a substantial overhaul and is a too wide for the line)
		- never received MER fleet number
		- body used as a shelter at Derby Castle 2000-2001 but removed for storage after getting vandalised
[1010]	Talbot 1956-57	- part of a batch of 6 trams bought in 1976 from Aachen/Germany to re-equip the Snaefell cars and thus never part of the M.E.R. fleet proper
		- body survived as mess-hut at Derby Castle Works until 1985 when it was broken up
		- sister cars 1003-1005, 1009 and 1011 never came to the island and were broken up at London Transport’s Lots Road Power Station
M.E.R. Passenger Trailers
49 (ex no.11)	G. F. Milnes 1893	"Crossbench Open"
50 (ex no.12)		- nos.11-13 later nos.23-25
51 (ex no.13)		- later all renumbered 28-33
52 (ex no.14)		- no.51 restored as no.13 (now again numbered 51)
53 (ex no.15)		- no.52 now pw car
54 (ex no.16)
34 (ex no.17)	G. F. Milnes 1894	"Crossbench Open"
35 (ex no.18)		- nos.34, 35, 38 and 39 destroyed in 1930 (Laxey Shed fire)
36 (ex no.19)
37 (ex no.20)
38 (ex no.21)
39 (ex no.22)
59 (ex no.26)	G. F. Milnes 1895	"Royal Saloon THE DOLL’S HOUSE"
		- later no.32
		- until 1900 this was a 4-wheeler
60 (ex no.27)	G. F. Milnes 1896/M.E.R. 1931	"Crossbench Open"
		- rebuilt after 1930 Laxey Shed fire
40 (ex no.19)	G. F. Milnes 1898	"Crossbench Open"
41 (ex no.20)		- rebuilt into motor cars 24-27 in 1903 (see above)
42 (ex no.21)
43 (ex no.22)
44	G. F. Milnes 1899	"Crossbench Open"
45		- no.44 destroyed in 1930 (Laxey Shed fire)  - no.45 currently in use as Bogie Flat Wagon (body parts survive in store)
46
47
48
40"	G. F. Milnes 1903	"Crossbench Open"
41"		- nos.40" and 41" destroyed in 1930 (Laxey Shed fire)
42"
43"
55	Electric Railway & Tramway Carriage Works 1904	"Crossbench Open"
56		- no.56 rebuilt in 1994-95 as saloon (fitted with wheelchair hoist and demountable seating)
57	Electric Railway & Tramway Carriage Works 1904	"Unvestibuled Saloon"
58
61	United Electric Car Company 1906	"Crossbench Open"
62
40”’	English Electric 1930	"Crossbench Open"
41”’		- replacements after the 1930 Laxey Shed fire
44”’
M.E.R. Freight Stock
Open Wagon 1	G. F. Milnes 1894	- no.1 survives as remains only (possibly now scrapped)
Open Wagon 2
Van (Platform) 3	G. F. Milnes 1894-95	- no.3 without platforms since 1966
Van (Platform) 4		- no.4 rebuilt as mail van in 1993
Open Wagon 6	G. F. Milnes 1897-98	- no.8 see also Generator van no.8 (the chassis now survives as the new tower wagon)
Open Wagon 7
Open Wagon 8
Open Wagon 9
Open Wagon 10
Generator Van 8 (ex Open Wagon 8)	G. F. Milnes 1897-98 / M.E.R. 1998	- rebuilt with goods van body to hide the diesel Generator
		- used with no.33 on the steam railway in 1998 only
		- chassis then rebuilt into new tower wagon (diesel Generator now fitted to new Works car no.34)
Van (Platform) 11	G. F. Milnes 1898-98	- both now without platforms
Van (Platform) 12		- no.12 rebuilt as tower wagon/mobile workshop with ridge roof in 1976-77 (no fleet number carried)
Locomotive 23	M.E.R. 1900	- until 1925 with steeple cab
		- withdrawn in 1944 – now restored but stored without trucks off the line
		- always borrowed trucks from other cars
Van 13	G. F. Milnes 1903-04
Van 14
Van 15	G. F. Milnes 1908
Van 16
Open Wagon 17	G. F. Milnes/Voss 1912
Open Wagon 18
Stone Wagon 19	M.E.R. 1912
Stone Wagon 20
Freight Motor 21	G. F. Milnes 1895 (MER 1904)	ex Vestibuled Saloon no.11
Stone Wagon (Ballast Hopper) 21	G. F. Milnes 1926 (MER 19??)	- no fleet number carried
		- until recently in use as bogie flat wagon (fitted with Challenger Crane)
Motor Cattle Trailer 22	G. F. Milnes 1895 (MER 1903)	ex Vestibuled Saloon no.12
Freight Trailer 23	G. F. Milnes 1895 (MER 1926)	ex Vestibuled Saloon no.13
		- later renumbered no.22
Sheep Trailer 24	M.E.R. 1910/12	- not numbered until 1918
Sheep Trailer 25
Stone Wagon 24	M.E.R. 1926
Stone Wagon 25
Bogie Freight Trailer 26	G. F. Milnes 1895 (MER 1918)	- originally Vestibuled Saloon no.10
Bogie Flat Wagon 52	G. F. Milnes 1893 (MER 1947)	- originally Crossbench Trailer no.52
		- till the end of 1940s used as passenger trailer in the summer and pw trailer in the winter
Tower Wagons (3 in total)	??? 1893/04 (?)	- no fleetnumber carried
		- destroyed in 1930 (Laxey Shed fire)
Bogie Wagons (14 in total)	??? 189?	- no fleetnumber carried
		- twelve in use as Platelayers Wagons, one as Wire wagon and one as Cable wagon
Bonner Rail/Road Wagons (3 in total)	Bonner 1899	- no fleetnumber carried
Tower Wagons (3 in total)	??? 1930s	- no fleetnumber carried
		- last one scrapped in 1998
Works Car 34	M.E.R. 1995-96	- Replica SMR workscar "Maria" (never used as such)
		- rebuilt as MER workscar (inaugurated in June 2004)
Tower Wagon	IoMR 1998	- no fleet number carried
		- built on chassis of Generator Van 8
S.M.R. Motor Cars
1	G. F. Milnes 1895	- no.5 rebuilt with new body (H. Kinnan, Ramsey) in 1971 after fire
2		- all modernised in 1977-79 using control equipment of Aachen/Germany nos.1003-1005,1009-1010 and new bogies supplied by London Transport Acton Works
3
4
5
6
S.M.R. Freight Cars
7	G. F. Milnes 1896	Maria"
		- in use until 1954 (borrowing bogies from a passenger car)
		- a few remains may still linger on at Laxey SMR sheds today
7"	IOMR 1995-96	- Replica workscar "Maria"
		- never really used on SMR
		- running on a pair of the old pre-London Transport passenger car bogies
		- this car has now become MER workscar no.34 (inaugurated in June 2004)
Open Wagon	Hurst Nelson 1895	- no fleet number carried
Tower Wagon	??? 1895	- no fleet number carried
Tower Wagon	IOMR 1979	- no fleet number carried
		- running on a pair of the old pre-London Transport passenger car bogies
Open Wagon 1	IOMR 1981/82	- running on a pair of the old pre-London Transport passenger car bogies
Open Wagon	IOMR 1981/82	- no fleet number carried
		- running on a pair of the old pre-London Transport passenger car bogies
Tipper Wagon	IOMR 1985	- running on a pair of the old pre-London Transport passenger car bogies
		- chassis used for new tower wagon 1998
Flat Wagon	??? 19??	- stored and awaiting new body
Tower Wagon	IOMR 1998	- built onto chassis of Tipper Wagon
Flat Wagon	??? 19??	- history and current state not known
S.M.R. Wickham Railcars for Air Ministry/CAA use
[1]	D. Wickham 1951	- diesel railcar
		- until 1977 owned by Air Ministry
[2]	D. Wickham 1957	- diesel railcar
		- owned by Civil Aviation Authority
		- sold to Wickham Rail in 1991
[3]	D. Wickham 1977	- diesel railcar
		- owned by Civil Aviation Authority
[4]	Wickham Rail 1991	- diesel railcar
		- owned by Civil Aviation Authority

Welcome

This website is all about the IoM’s tramways and railways. Soon we will again show photos from our large photo collection and add more fleet lists. At a later stage we will also add other modes of transport like:

• Groudle Glen Railway
• Laxey Mines Railway
• Douglas Head Incline Railway
• Port Soderick Cliff Lift
• Douglas Holiday Camp Chair Lift

Operating Timetable 2010

The 2010 railway (IMR/MER/SMR) timetable is available online here

Jurby Transport Museum

Details and photos now available on the MTT website.

Downloads

Along the MER right of way you can see various notices nailed onto plaster wood. We have replicated one of these notices for you to download! You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader® software to open the file.

• MER sign (click here to open file)

Falcon Cliff Hotel Lift (Douglas)

Not a tramway or a railway but never-the-less a most interesting little line with a long history & a remarkable survivor. The Falcon Cliff Hotel stands some 250 feet above the Central Promenade in Douglas. In 1887 a Cliff Lift was built to give better access to the hotel. The double-track 4′ 0″ gauge Incline Railway was dismantled in 1896 and re-erected at Port Soderick. A second Public-Lift was built in 1932 by William Wadsworth Ltd. (rebuilt in 1937 and converted from D.C. to A.C. operation in 1950). The Cliff Lift is an elevator with the passenger cabin being propelled in a steel channel on an incline of 60 degrees. It has been out of use for a number of years now but everything is still there today.

Isle of Man Railways

Today there is only one steam railway left in the IoM – the line from Douglas to Port Erin. The first steam railway to open in 1873 was the 11 ½ mile long Douglas to Peel line built by the Isle of Man Railway Company (IMR). A year later the 15 ½ mile long Port Erin line was opened. The company had wanted to build a line to Ramsay but could not find enough funds. In 1877 a separate company (the Manx Northern Railway) was formed to build a line from St. Johns to Ramsey (16 ½ miles) – this was achieved by 1879. The last railway to be built (and the first to close in 1945) was the short Foxdale Railway which was later incorporated into the MNR. The collapse of Dumbell’s Bank in 1900 resulted in financial uncertainty for many companies in the IoM and in 1903 the MNR had to sell out to the IMR. 1965 was almost the end for the railways. UK holiday makers had discovered cheap holidays abroad and the passenger numbers on the IMR had fallen accordingly. Freight service has also almost completely disappeared. No trains ran in 1966. The Marquis of Ailsa leased the IMR for 21 years from 1967 and services started again to run, though the Peel and Ramsey lines closed in 1968/9. The IMR still lost money and the Marquis was able to terminate the lease after 5 years (as per the original contract). Today the IMR is run by the IoM government (like the MER and the SMR).

Queens Pier Tramway (Ramsey)

The 3′ 0″ gauge Pier Tramway opened in July 1886 but the pier and tramway closed in 1981. For many years only baggage cars were used on the pier and these were pushed by hand. After that both passenger and baggage cars were operated by the petrol loco. The last steamers used the pier in 1970 and the pier was closed many years ago.

Douglas Head Marine Drive Tramway

From 1896-97 to 1939 the Douglas Southern Electric Tramway (4′ 8 1/2″ gauge) took passengers from Douglas Head (reached by Ferry and Incline Railway) to Port Soderick (where a Cliff Lift could be used to reach the beach below – see also Falcon Cliff Hotel Lift). After closure the rolling stock remained in the depot until 1951-52 before being scrapped (only one car survived this fate). This line was unique on the IOM using conventional standard gauge double deck cars. Almost nothing remains of this lovely little line and its connecting Incline and Cliff Lift. To see the sole remaining car one has to travel to the National Tramway Museum in Crich, Derbyshire, where it is now on static display.

Douglas Horse & Cable Trams

Horses have been pulling tramcars along Douglas Promenade daily since 7th August 1876 and from November 1927 onwards still do so every summer (mid May to Mid September). Many cars in the fleet have been scrapped as the tourist trade diminished over the years but the surviving examples now seem to have a secure future. The company was originally owned by Mr Thomas Lightfood but was sold to the Isle of Man Tramways in January 1882. In March 1894 the line came under the control of the Isle of Man Tramways and Electric Power Co. who also owned the Douglas to Laxey electric tramway. After the liquidation of the I.O.M.T.& E.P. Co. in 1902 (after the desasterours failure of Dumbell’s Bank in 1900) Douglas Corporation purchased the horse tramway and the cable tramway from the receivers. The Corporation sold it’s bus operations to the Government in 1976 and it remains to be seen how long the 3′ 0″ gauge tramway will continue independent from the other lines on the island (i.e. M.E.R. and Steam Railway). At the terminus and depot (opened as late as 1894) at Derby Castle it meets the M.E.R. but there is no track connection.

The cable tramway ran through upper Douglas from 15.8.1896 to 19.8.1929. Originally, both ends of the line met the horse tramway on the promenade but the track connections were never used. The depot in York Road (which unfortunately got demolished only a few years ago) was also used as the workshop for the horse tramway. Only one car survives today and can be found inside the tram depot. Outing of this car on the line are extremely rare these days unfortunately. The Horses are still frightened of the vehicle and the car has to stop whenever a horse tram passes.