Manx Electric Railway rolling stock

Last updated

This page details the rolling stock on the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man, which is unique insofar as the railway still operates with its original tramcars and trailers, all of which are over one hundred years old, the latest dating from 1906. Save for a fire in 1930 in which several cars and trailers were lost, all of the line's original rolling stock remains extant, though many items have been out of use for a number of years, largely due to the decrease in tourism on the island over the last thirty years. Despite this, members of each class are still represented on site today, though not all are in original form or in regular use.

Contents

Motors

"Tunnel" Car No.6 MER No.6.jpg
"Tunnel" Car No.6

A total of 33 motor cars were provided to the railway from its inception in 1893, the last being delivered in 1906, most of which survive today except where noted below. These tramcars are in a variety of styles ranging from closed saloons to open toastracks and were delivered in batches from various manufacturers. Today the serviceable fleet appear in a variety of historical livery styles. There are presently a total of fourteen working cars, notable among which are their original two which hold the Guinness World Record for being the oldest operational tramcars still in regular use on their original line. Also of note is Winter Saloon No.22 which was rebuilt following a fire in 1991, and works car No.34 which began life as a replica works vehicle for the Snaefell Mountain Railway.

Key:Departmental UseIn StorageServiceableScrappedUndergoing Rebuild
No.YearBuilderTypeLiverySeatsLivery NotesNotes
No.1 1893 G.F. Milnes & Co. UnvestibuledMaroon & Cream34As Delivered~
No.2 1893 G.F. Milnes & Co. UnvestibuledMaroon & Cream34As Delivered~
No.3 1893 G.F. Milnes & Co. Unvestibuled~34~Lost 1930 Shed Fire
No.4 1894 G.F. Milnes & Co. Vestibuled Saloon~36~Lost 1930 Shed Fire
No.5 1894 G.F. Milnes & Co. Vestibuled SaloonRed, White & Teak32Early Co., Scheme~
No.6 1894 G.F. Milnes & Co. Vestibuled SaloonMaroon, White & Teak36Late Edwardian Livery~
No.7 1894 G.F. Milnes & Co. Vestibuled SaloonBlue, Ivory & Teak36Original LiveryRebuilt 2008-2011
No.8 1894 G.F. Milnes & Co. Vestibuled Saloon~36~Lost 1930 Shed Fire
No.9 1894 G.F. Milnes & Co. Vestibuled SaloonRed, White & Teak36Non-StandardIlluminated Car
No.10 1895 G.F. Milnes & Co. Vestibuled SaloonAllover GreyNoneFreight LiveryFreight Car - Stored
No.11 1895 G.F. Milnes & Co. Vestibuled Saloon~38~Scrapped 1926
No.12 1895 G.F. Milnes & Co. Vestibuled Saloon~38~Scrapped 1927
No.13 1895 G.F. Milnes & Co. Vestibuled Saloon~38~Scrapped 1957
No.14 1898 G.F. Milnes & Co. Roofed ToastrackMaroon & Teak56Original LiveryRebuilt 2015-2018
No.15 1898 G.F. Milnes & Co. Roofed ToastrackRed & White56~Withdrawn 1973
No.16 1898 G.F. Milnes & Co. Roofed ToastrackRed & White56House-Style
No.17 1898 G.F. Milnes & Co. Roofed ToastrackRed & White56~Withdrawn 1973
No.18 1898 G.F. Milnes & Co. Roofed ToastrackWhite & Red56~Withdrawn 2000
No.19 1899 G.F. Milnes & Co. Winter SaloonMaroon, Cream & Teak48'Original' Livery
No.20 1899 G.F. Milnes & Co. Winter SaloonRed, White & Teak48Former 1970s Style
No.21 1899 G.F. Milnes & Co. Winter SaloonGreen & White48Nationalisation Livery
No.22 1899 G.F. Milnes & Co. Winter SaloonRed, White & Teak48Standard LiveryRebuilt 1991-1992
No.23 1900 I.o.M.T.& E.P. Co. LocomotiveGreen & GreyN/AI.o.M.T. & E.P. Co.Withdrawn 1994 & Stored
No.24 1898 G.F. Milnes & Co. Roofed Toastrack~56~Lost 1930 Shed Fire
No.25 1898 G.F. Milnes & Co. Roofed ToastrackRed & White56~Withdrawn 1996
No.26 1898 G.F. Milnes & Co. Roofed ToastrackRed & White56~Withdrawn 2009
No.27 1898 G.F. Milnes & Co. Roofed ToastrackYellow, Red & WhiteN/ANon-StandardWithdrawn 2003
No.28 1898 E.R.T.C. Co., Ltd. Roofed ToastrackRed & White56~Withdrawn 1970
No.29 1904 E.R.T.C. Co. Roofed ToastrackRed & White56~Restoration 2019-2024
No.30 1904 E.R.T.C. Co. Roofed ToastrackRed & White56~Withdrawn 1971
No.31 1906 E.R.T.C. Co. Roofed ToastrackRed & White56~Withdrawn 2002
No.32 1906 United Electric Car Co. Roofed ToastrackGreen & White56Nationalisation Livery~
No.33 1906 United Electric Car Co. Roofed ToastrackRed & White56House-Style Livery
No.34 1995 Isle of Man Transport Diesel LocomotiveYellow & Black~Non-Standard LiveryDepartmental Use
74421956 Wickham of Ware Diesel Wickham RailcarGreen~Departmental Use [1]

Trailers

Trailer No. 37 MER-Trailer-37.jpg
Trailer No. 37

Similar to the power cars and delivered in batches between 1893 and 1903 with further examples in 1930 replacing stock lost in the shed fire at Laxey that year, the majority of trailers are of the toastrack style, with four being saloons (one of which is a rebuilt toastrack converted for disabled access passengers). A total of twenty-one of these trailers are available and in regular use, each carrying a variety of livery styles to match their power cars when possible. Some have had their bodies removed for departmental use over the years while others have been restored to original condition, carrying original fleet numbers where full restorations have been completed, for instance No.36 now carries the original No.19 number complete with curtains. As built early examples were not provided with a roof but these were quickly added as it proved impractical.

Key:Departmental UseWithdrawn & StoredServiceableLost 1930 FireUndergoing Rebuild
No.YearBuilderTypeLiverySeatsLivery NotesNotes
No.34 1893 G.F. Milnes & Co. Toastrack~44~
No.35 1893 G.F. Milnes & Co. Toastrack~44~
No.36* 1893 G.F. Milnes & Co. ToastrackMaroon & Teak44*As "No.19"Curtains Fitted 2023
No.37 1893 G.F. Milnes & Co. ToastrackRed, White & Teak44Lined 'House' StylePaired Car 2
No.38 1893 G.F. Milnes & Co. Toastrack~44~
No.39 1893 G.F. Milnes & Co. Toastrack~36~
No.40 1930 English Electric Co. ToastrackRed, White & Teak44StandardReplacement
No.41 1930 English Electric Co. ToastrackRed, White & Teak44StandardReplacement
No.42 1903 G.F. Milnes & Co. ToastrackRed, White & Teak44Standard
No.43 1903 G.F. Milnes & Co. ToastrackRed, White & Teak44Standard
No.44 1903 G.F. Milnes & Co. ToastrackRed, White & Teak44StandardPaired Car 22
No.45 1896 G.F. Milnes & Co. NoneBlack & YellowN/ANon-StandardFlatbed Trailer
No.46 1899 G.F. Milnes & Co. ToastrackRed, White & Teak?Standard
No.47 1899 G.F. Milnes & Co. ToastrackRed, White & Teak?Standard
No.48 1899 G.F. Milnes & Co. ToastrackBlue, Cream & Teak?Original StyleMatches Tunnel Car 7
No.49 1893 G.F. Milnes & Co. ToastrackMaroon, Cream & Teak44Restored To OriginalPaired Car 1
No.50 1893 G.F. Milnes & Co. ToastrackRed & White44Plain 'House' StyleUndergoing rebuild [2]
No.51* 1893 G.F. Milnes & Co. ToastrackMaroon & White44Original Livery*As "No.15"
No.52 1898 G.F. Milnes & Co. FlatbedBlack & YellowN/ANon-StandardFlatbed Trailer
No.53 1893 G.F. Milnes & Co. ToastrackWhite & Red44Plain 'House' StyleLast Used 1978
No.54 1893 G.F. Milnes & Co. ToastrackWhite & Teak, Red Dash44Plain 'House' Style
No.55 1904 E.R.T.L. Co. ToastrackRed & White44Isle of Man RailwaysLast Used 1997
No.56 1904 E.R.T.L. Co. SaloonRed, White & TeakVariesStandard LinedDisabled Access
No.57 1904 E.R.T.L. Co. Winter SaloonRed, White & Teak321970s style
No.58 1904 E.R.T.L. Co. Winter SaloonRed, White & Teak32Edwardian style
No.59 1895 G.F. Milnes & Co. Winter SaloonBlue, Cream & Teak18As BuiltRoyal Trailer
No.60 1896 G.F. Milnes & Co. ToastrackRed & White44Standard Lined
No.61 1906 United Electric Car Co. ToastrackRed & White (Teak Dash)44Standard Lettered
No 62 1906 United Electric Car Co. ToastrackGreen & White44Nationalisation LiveryMatches Toastrack 32

Others

Car No. 34 (Snaefell No. 7 Maria) MER-Tram-34.jpg
Car No. 34 (Snaefell No. 7 Maria)
Bertie
a contractors' locomotive used when relays were being undertaken, since moved to UK.
Bungle & Zippy
hired second-hand from Bord na Móna in 2008 and refurbished on-island for further use on the railway, since returned to UK.
Bonner Wagons
road-rail dual purpose wagons dating from the earliest days of the line, none of which are extant today.
Aachen 1010
a Talbot/Kiepe bogie car from Aachen’s series 1001-1011, built in 1956-1957 and retired in 1974; bought for use but never converted, spending much of its life as a storage car at the railway's depot.
Car CCFL 360 in 1977, still in regular service in Lisbon. CCFL360(1977).jpg
Car CCFL 360 in 1977, still in regular service in Lisbon.
Lisbon 360
a Brill-Stephenson 1907 bogie car in that city’s unusual track gauge of 900 mm (2 ft 11+716 in), bought for conversion to Manx Electric Railway’s almost identical 3 ft (914 mm) gauge, — conversion never implemented due to clearance difficulties; it was used as a passenger waiting shelter for a spell; vehicle now in off-site storage on the island. [3]
Dreadnought Trailers
bogie open wagons with removable sides used for a variety of non-passenger purposes, but particularly associated with stone traffic from Dhoon Quarry, now all scrapped. General 12 ton capacity bogie vehicles.
Four Wheel Goods Vehicles
from 1894 onwards the Douglas and Laxey Electric Tramway and its successors operated a fleet of small four wheel goods wagons, mainly of 5 ton, and 6 ton capacity. There were a total of ten opens and eight vans built by Milnes, Milnes Voss, and the MERCo between 1894 and 1912. Some of the vans were painted red and used for mail traffic.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas Bay Horse Tramway</span> Passenger tramway on the Isle of Man

The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway on the Isle of Man runs along the seafront promenades of Douglas for approximately 1 mile (1.6 km), from the southern terminus at the Villa Marina, to Derby Castle station, the southern terminus of the Manx Electric Railway, where the workshops and sheds are located. It is a distinctive tourist attraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manx Electric Railway</span> Tramway between Isle of Man towns

The Manx Electric Railway is an electric interurban tramway connecting Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey in the Isle of Man. It connects with the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway at its southern terminus at Derby Castle at the northern end of the promenade in Douglas, and with the Snaefell Mountain Railway at Laxey. Many visitors take an excursion on the trams. It is the oldest electric tram line in the world whose original rolling stock is still in service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snaefell Mountain Railway</span> Mountain railway on the isle of Man

The Snaefell Mountain Railway is an electric mountain railway on the Isle of Man in Europe. It joins the village of Laxey with the summit of Snaefell, at 2,036 feet (621 m) above sea level the highest point on the island. It connects with the Manx Electric Railway (MER) in Laxey. The line is 5 miles (8 km) long, is built to 3 ft 6 in gauge and uses a Fell Incline Railway System centre rail for braking on the steep gradients. It is electrified using overhead wires at 550 volts direct current, with bow collectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groudle Glen Railway</span> Narrow gauge railway in the Isle of Man

The Groudle Glen Railway is a 2 ft narrow gauge railway near Onchan in the Isle of Man, on the boundary of Onchan and Lonan, which is owned and operated by a small group of enthusiastic volunteers and operates on summer Sundays; May to September and Wednesday evenings in July and August along with a number of annual special events.

The rolling stock used on the Isle of Man Railway today is entirely original. Although the number of serviceable carriages dropped from an original total of 75 to as low as 14, this total is once again increasing due to recent rebuilds. The 3 ft gauge railway has been provided with a variety of stock from different manufacturers over its time. Types of coaches were categorized according to a lettering system: the original four-wheeled coaches were designated as A, B, C, and D types, and so on. The F prefix encompassed all bogie vehicles, including conversions from the A-D series. Letters G-M denoted goods stock, while N referred to ex-Manx Northern Railway six-wheel carriages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steam 125</span>

Steam 125 was a series of events held in 1998 to mark the 125th anniversary of the Isle of Man Railway opening its first route from Douglas to Peel the railway ran a large number of special events. Most notable was the return to service of the original steam locomotive No. 1 "Sutherland" which hauled special services all year, including excursions on the Manx Electric Railway; other highlights included night trains, arranged photography sessions, slide and film shows, unusual tram trips, and visiting locomotives on the Groudle Glen Railway and many more. This was the last of the "big" railway events on the island, which had begun with the "Year of Railways" in 1993 to mark the centenary of the Manx Electric Railway. Although there are still annual events periods on the island these are now a very half-hearted affair and do not bring the enthusiasts as they once did.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Year of Railways</span>

The Year of Railways was a series of special events held on the Isle of Man during 1993 to commemorate the centenary of the opening of the first section of the Manx Electric Railway from Douglas to Groudle in September 1893.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groudle Glen Railway rolling stock</span>

This is a general list of rolling stock and locomotives currently or formerly on the Groudle Glen Railway on the Isle of Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramsey railway station (Manx Electric Railway)</span>

Ramsey Station serves the town of Ramsey in the Isle of Man; it is the northern terminus of the Manx Electric Railway. It was formerly known as Ramsey (Plaza) Station after the nearby Plaza cinema, now demolished and turned into a car park. Today it is often also known as Ramsey Tram Station and signage to this effect adorns the station, despite the line being described as a railway. It should not be confused with Ramsey's former station on the Isle of Man Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derby Castle Depôt</span>

Derby Castle Depôt is the main location of workshops and running sheds of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man and lies at the northerly end of the promenade at Douglas; it takes its name from the adjoining site which was once home to the Earls of Derby, rulers of the island, and later extended to form an entertainment complex of the same name before being demolished and replaced by the ill-fated Summerland complex in 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bus Vannin</span> Bus service on the Isle of Man

Bus Vannin - styled as bus vannin - is the government-owned and operated bus service on the Isle of Man. The name was adopted in June 2009 to replace Isle of Man Transport. The company was founded on 1 October 1976, as National Transport, which was an amalgamation of two other operating companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manx Electric Cars 1-3</span>

This article details Car Nos. 1–3 of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manx Electric Cars 4-9</span>

This article details Car Nos. 4–9 of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manx Electric Cars 19-22</span>

This article details Car Nos. 19–22 of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laxey Car Sheds</span> Storage facility for the Manx Electric Railway in the village of Laxey on the Isle of Man

Laxey Car Shed is a storage facility for the Manx Electric Railway in the village of Laxey on the Isle of Man. It also serves as an intermediate stopping place on the line, being the last before reaching the mid-way point of the village station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manx Electric Trailers 34-39</span>

This article details Trailer Nos. 34–39 of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manx Electric Trailers 49-54</span>

This article details Trailer Nos. 49 – 54 of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manx Electric Trailers 57-58</span>

Trailer Nos. 57 – 58 of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man are a pair of trailers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurst Nelson</span> Scottish railway rolling stock manufacturer

Hurst, Nelson and Company Ltd was a railway rolling stock manufacturer based in Motherwell, Scotland. The company also built many railway wagons, as well as trams and trolleybus carosseries for several local authorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackpool Heritage Trams</span> Historic trams running in Lancashire, England

Blackpool Heritage Trams are a mixed fleet of restored vehicles that ran on the Blackpool Tramway, which runs from Blackpool to Fleetwood on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire, England. The line dates back to 1885 and is one of the oldest electric tramways in the world. The fleet is operated by Blackpool Transport (BT) and is the last surviving first-generation tramway in the United Kingdom. Excluding museums, it is one of only a few tramways in the world to still use double-decker trams. As of December 2024 the heritage service and fleet have been suspended until further notice.

References