Douglas Cabletrams

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.

Douglas Horsetrams

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.

Snaefell Mountain Railway

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.

Manx Electric Railway

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)