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Jon Warnham has published images on his website showing the new Laxey carshed and also action shots of various works equipment:
- www.island-images2.co.uk (external link)
A plan to establish a vintage transport museum on the Isle of Man looks set to take a step forward following further discussions between government departments on how implement the project.
The Manx Transport Trust (MTT) has been awarded permission to use an aircraft hangar at Jurby to house a collection of historic vehicles which include trams and buses currently stored at Homefield Garage in Douglas…
To read the full article click here:
- 30-JAN-2009 www.leisureproperty.com (external link)
The story so far:
- 27-JAN-2009 www.iomtoday.com (external link)
- 1-OCT-2008 www.iomtoday.com (external link)
Manx Heritage Transport Festival 30 July to 5 August 2009
Thursday 30 July
“Welcome to Isle of Man Transport”
Evening Film Show at the Villa Marina presented by the
Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters Association
Starts at 19.30 Admission Free
Friday 31 July
10.20 and 14.20 Douglas to Port Erin, and 12.20 and 16.20 Port Erin to Douglas trains will be the first to be operated by locomotive No. 10 “G H Wood” turned to face Douglas.
Usual fares apply (including Explorer tickets)
Viking Venture
Additional trains from Port Erin to Colby at 11.25 and 15.25, returning at 11.55 and 15.55, hauled by diesel locomotive No. 17 “Viking”. Usual fares apply (including Explorer tickets)
Manx Northern
Special train at 09.00 from Douglas to Port Erin (arr. 10.55), returning at 14.35 and arriving back in Douglas at 16.15, with photo stops at stations en route and crossing service trains at Colby. Operated by ex- Manx Northern locomotive “Caledonia”, MNR Foxdale brake coach F39, and MNR goods van G12. Very limited capacity – special reservation ticket required.
Fare – usual fares apply (including Explorer tickets), plus special reservation ticket (£10).
Port Erin Evening Special
Special train from Douglas to Port Erin at 18.30, returning non-stop at 21.00
Usual fares apply (including Explorer tickets)
Saturday 1 August
All service trains double-headed or banked between Douglas and Port Soderick
Great Laxey Mines Railway in operation. Demonstration ore trains.
The Dhoon Diesel
Special diesel-hauled services on the MER – Laxey to Dhoon Quarry and back at 11.40, 13.40 and 15.10 (one hour round trip). Tram trailer hauled by vintage Ruston diesel locomotive (courtesy of RMS Locotec Ltd).
Special fares apply – Adult £5.00, Child £2.50.
Catch a Cab
Locomotive Cab rides from Laxey to Fairy Cottage and back at 10.25, 11.00, 13.00 and 16.30 (25 minute round trip) on vintage ex-Bord na Móna (Irish Turf Board) Simplex diesel locomotive (courtesy of RMS Locotec Ltd). Very limited capacity. Special fares apply
(adult passengers only) £10.00. Advance reservation only.
National Service
10.10 Derby Castle – Ramsey and 11.40 Ramsey – Derby Castle services operated by
Tram No.16 and Trailer No.60 in the 1957 “Nationalised” green livery.
Usual fares apply (including Explorer tickets).
Northern Lights
Special evening guided tram tour at 18.30 from Douglas (Derby Castle) to Ramsey, arriving back by 22.15 with a 30 minute refreshment break at Laxey on the outward journey and a 45-minute break at Ramsey. Commentary on places and items of special interest en route, with special stops as appropriate. Limited capacity – special reservation tickets required. Usual fares apply (including Explorer tickets) –
plus reservation ticket (£10.00 – inclusive of refreshments at Laxey)
Sunday 2 August
Groudle Glen Railway operating, with a two-train service all day.
Steam, diesel and battery locomotives in use.
Great Laxey Mines Railway operating, including demonstration ore trains.
Steam road wagon on display at Laxey
Miniature railway in operation at the Curraghs Wildlife Park.
MER Society Film Show in the evening (to be arranged)
Coastal Connector
Special MER tram shuttle service between Groudle (for the Groudle Glen Railway) and Laxey (for the Great Laxey Mines Railway) – both of which will be in operation. Operated by an open cross-bench tram hauling MER Mail Van No. 4.
Departures from Laxey to Groudle at 10.30, 12.00, 13.30, 15.00 and 16.30
Departures from Groudle to Laxey at 11.10, 12.40, 14.10, 15.40 and 17.10
Usual fares apply (including Explorer tickets)
Ramsey Ruston
Special tram service with vintage Ruston diesel locomotive hauling a tram trailer from Laxey to Ramsey at 11.15, and returning from Ramsey to Laxey at 13.45. Courtesy of RMS Locotec Ltd. Special fares apply – Adult £10.00, Child £5.00
Double Vision
10.20 Douglas – Port Erin and 12.20 Port Erin – Douglas trains double headed.
Usual fares apply (including Explorer tickets)
Monday 3 August
MER trams 1 and 2 in use. All saloon trailers in use. Mail van No. 4 attached to 11.40 Derby Castle to Ramsey and 13.40 Ramsey to Derby Castle services.
Open wagon attached to some Snaefell Mountain Railway services.
Snaefell Sunset
Special evening tram from Laxey to Snaefell Summit at 19.15, arriving back by 22.00, including a visit to the original 1895 SMR Laxey Station (now a branch line to the Snaefell Tram Depot) en route, and a photographic stop opposite the Great Laxey Wheel. Refreshments available at Snaefell Summit station, where a short astronomical talk will be given by Howard Parkin of the IoM astronomical Society, as well as a short guided tour of the flora and fauna at the summit by John “Dog” Callister.
Connecting tram from Douglas (Derby Castle) at 18.40, arriving back in Douglas at 22.30.
Special fares apply – From Laxey – Adult £10.00, Child £5.00. From Douglas – Adult £12.00, Child £6.00.
Caledonia
10.20 Douglas – Port Erin and 12.20 Port Erin – Douglas trains hauled by former Manx Northern Railway locomotive “Caledonia”.
Usual fares apply (including Explorer tickets).
Tuesday 4 August
Display of unusual railway vehicles at Laxey station, including the NATS (National Air Traffic Services) diesel railcars used on the Snaefell line, a vintage IMR Wickham Railcar, and
on-track machines used by trackwork contractor RMS Locotec.
Evening services operating on the Groudle Glen Railway
Connecting tram service from Derby Castle and back, as per MER timetable.
Special inclusive fares apply for return tram journey and Groudle Glen Railway travel.
£5.00 Adult, £3.00 Child.
National Service
10.10 Derby Castle – Ramsey and 11.40 Ramsey – Derby Castle services operated by
Tram No.16 and Trailer No.60 in the 1957 “Nationalised” green livery.
Usual fares apply (including Explorer tickets).
Maria
12.45 and 14.30 Laxey – Dhoon Quarry and back (one hour round trip) operated by MER diesel-electric tram No. 34 “Maria” and two trailers.
Special fares apply – Adult £5.00, Child £2.50.
Launch and renaming of re-liveried Ruston diesel locomotive (formerly “Bertie”) at Laxey station at 11.15.
The Dhoon Diesel
Special diesel-hauled services on the MER – Laxey to Dhoon Quarry and back at 11.40, 13.40 and 15.10 (one hour round trip). Tram trailer hauled by vintage Ruston diesel locomotive (courtesy of RMS Locotec Ltd).
Special fares apply – Adult £5.00, Child £2.50.
Wednesday 5 August
Tour of the Island by vintage bus – to be arranged.
Evening services operating on the Groudle Glen Railway.
Connecting tram service from Derby Castle and back, as per MER timetable.
Special inclusive fares apply for return tram journey and Groudle Glen Railway travel.
£5.00 Adult, £3.00 Child.
Evening trip from Derby Castle to Ramsey and back with an open cross-bench tram and two bulkhead trailers, to be arranged by TLP Tours.
All Events are subject to availability of stock.
Further details please contact
Isle of Man Transport Customer Services Manager on 01624 663366
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 .
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.
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.
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.
Opened on 21st August 1895 this line was built as an extension to the M.E.R. from Laxey to the summit of Snaefell, the island’s highest mountain. Due to the steep gradients (1 in 12) the line uses the wider 3′ 6″ gauge with a fell rail in the centre for additional braking and runs on the right. The car works and depot (the original structure was replaced in Centenary Year 1995) are situated just above the Laxey terminus but major overhauls are carried out at Derby Castle. For this the cars have to be placed on to temporary bogies. The rolling stock on this mountain railway is very similar to M.E.R. cars 10-13 (long since gone from the fleet) with two bow collectors.
The official opening date of this 3′ 0″ gauge electric railway is 7th September 1893. The line ran from Douglas to Groudle only. The extension to Laxey was opened on 28th July 1894 and on 2nd August 1898 the first passengers could reach the outskirts of Ramsey. The last short extension was in Ramsey to the present day terminus on 24th July 1899. The car works and main depot are situated just north of the Douglas terminus at Derby Castle (this was the name of an amusement park which stood in the grounds of what is now the bunker like Summerland). At Laxey there are two little sheds and Ramsey is home to another little shed and the M.E.R. museum inside the old goods shed. Originally is was planned to extend the line at Douglas along the horse tram tracks to the ferry terminal but Douglas Corporation did not like the idea of overhead wires and poles on the promenade. This is why at Derby Castle one still only finds a little wooden hut (i.e. ticket office) instead of an M.E.R. station. The horse tram depot next door now is the home of the Isle of Man Railways. Incredibly, the whole line is still in use today almost unchanged. Most of the original rolling stock has survived and the newest cars on the M.E.R. date from 1930 (trailers 40″,41″,44″). All cars are double ended and single deck and the motor cars use trolley poles for current collection. They closely resemble American Interurban trams and despite the word railway in it’s name the M.E.R. is really a tramway running almost exclusively on private right of way. Many company titles could be seen on the sides of the cars over years: Douglas & Laxey Electric Tramway, Douglas & Laxey Coast Electric Tramway, Douglas, Laxey & Ramsey Electric Railway, The Manx Electric Railway Co. Ltd., Manx Electric Railway, M.E.R., Isle of Man Passenger Transport, Isle of Man Railways. The M.E.R. was nationalised on 6th November 1956 and today is run by the Isle of Man Government Department of Tourism and Leisure under the umbrella of “Isle of Man Railways”.
Distances (miles) & tram stops:
- 0.00 DERBY CASTLE (pole no. 1)
- 0.27 Port Jack (pole no. 16/7)
- 0.46 Onchan Head (pole no. 33/4)
- 0.?? Cafe Royal (pole no. 46/7)
- 0.67 Majestic (pole no. 51/2)
- 1.07 Braeside (pole no. 57)
- 1.?? “unnamed” (pole no. 59/60)
- 1.23 Far End (pole no. 66)
- 1.57 HOWSTRAKE (pole no. 87)
- 2.09 Groudle Old Road (pole no. 107)
- 2.24 GROUDLE (pole no. 116/7)
- 2.62 Lhen Coan (pole no. 1??)
- 2.71 Eskadale (pole no. 147/8)
- 3.46 BALDROMMA/Halfway (pole no. 178/9)
- 3.69 Scarff’s Crossing (pole no. 193)
- 4.02 Ballamenagh (pole no. 198/9)
- 4.29 BALDRINE (pole no. 215/6)
- 4.?? Sunnycott (pole no. 220/1)
- 4.58 GARWICK GLEN (pole no. 243/4/
- 4.67 Ballagawne (pole no. 257)
- 5.31 BALLABEG (pole no. 282)
- 5.72 Lamb’s Crossing (pole no. 304/5)
- 5.79 FAIRY COTTAGE (pole no. 307/8)
- 6.10 Preston’s Crossing (pole no. 312/3)
- 6.24 SOUTH CAPE (pole no. 320)
- 6.30 Miller’s Crossing (pole no. 325)
- 6.?? Laxey Car Sheds (pole no. 344/5)
- 7.01 LAXEY (pole no. 356)
- 7.11 DUMBELL’S ROW (pole no. 371/2)
- 7.60 Minorca (pole no. 409)
- 8.07 Laxey Old Road (pole no. 424)
- 8.58 Skinscoe (pole no. 458)
- 8.?? Ballamoar “Bottom” (pole no. 462)
- 8.?? Ballamoar”Top” (pole no. 465)
- 9.37 Ballaragh (pole no. 488/9)
- 10.14 DHOON GLEN (pole no. 530/2)
- 10.28 Burn’s Crossing (pole no. 540)
- 10.?? Dhoon Farm (pole no. 549/50)
- 10.49 DHOON QUARRY (pole no. 555/6)
- 10.67 Thalloo Mitchell (pole no. 563)
- 10.76 Brown’s Crossing (pole no. 567/8)
- 11.18 Ballellin (pole no. 579)
- 11.27 Ballig (pole no. 587/8)
- 11.48 Ballasholague (pole no. 602/3)
- 11.59 Looneys/Corkills crossing (pole no. 607/8)
- 11.66 GLEN MONA (pole 611/2)
- 11.76 Dhoon School/The Garey (pole no. 616/7)
- 12.06 Ballagorry (pole no. 623/4)
- 12.35 Watson’s Crossing (pole no. 635)
- 12.52 Dolland (pole no. 644)
- 12.60 BALLAGLASS GLEN (pole no. 654/5)
- 13.11 CORNAA (pole no. 688/9)
- 13.?? Murray’s Road/Crowcreen (pole no. 699)
- 13.63 BALLASKEIG (pole no. 718)
- 14.06 Ballafayle Corteen’s (pole no. 730/1)
- 14.?? Ballacannall (pole no. 733/4)
- 14.27 Ballafayle Kerruish’s (pole no. 745)
- 14.38 Rome’s Crossing (pole no. 752/3)
- 14.66 BALLAJORA (pole no. 762/3)
- 1?.?? Ballajora Quarry (pole no. 777)
- 15.10 DREEMSKERRY (pole no. 780)
- 15.30 Crowville (pole no.789)
- 15.49 Dreemskerry Farm (pole no. 795)
- 15.72 LEWAIGUE (pole no. 811/2)
- 16.45 BELLEVUE/Port-e-Vullen (pole no. 846)
- 17.14 BALLURE (pole no. 869/70)
- 17.?? Queens Valley (new stop added 2007, pole no. 880)
- 17.29 Walpole Drive (pole no. 884/5)
- 17.46 Queens Drive (pole no. 890)
- 17.?? Ballastowel (pole no. 898)
- 17.67 RAMSEY PLAZA (pole no. 903)
