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.
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 Use | In Storage | Serviceable | Scrapped | Undergoing Rebuild |
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No. | Year | Builder | Type | Livery | Seats | Livery Notes | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No.1 | 1893 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Unvestibuled | Maroon & Cream | 34 | As Delivered | ~ |
No.2 | 1893 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Unvestibuled | Maroon & Cream | 34 | As 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 Saloon | Red, White & Teak | 32 | Early Co., Scheme | ~ |
No.6 | 1894 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Vestibuled Saloon | Maroon, White & Teak | 36 | Late Edwardian Livery | ~ |
No.7 | 1894 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Vestibuled Saloon | Blue, Ivory & Teak | 36 | Original Livery | Rebuilt 2008-2011 |
No.8 | 1894 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Vestibuled Saloon | ~ | 36 | ~ | Lost 1930 Shed Fire |
No.9 | 1894 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Vestibuled Saloon | Red, White & Teak | 36 | Non-Standard | Illuminated Car |
No.10 | 1895 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Vestibuled Saloon | Allover Grey | None | Freight Livery | Freight 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 Toastrack | Maroon & Teak | 56 | Original Livery | Rebuilt 2015-2018 |
No.15 | 1898 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Roofed Toastrack | Red & White | 56 | ~ | Withdrawn 1973 |
No.16 | 1898 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Roofed Toastrack | Red & White | 56 | House-Style | |
No.17 | 1898 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Roofed Toastrack | Red & White | 56 | ~ | Withdrawn 1973 |
No.18 | 1898 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Roofed Toastrack | White & Red | 56 | ~ | Withdrawn 2000 |
No.19 | 1899 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Winter Saloon | Maroon, Cream & Teak | 48 | 'Original' Livery | |
No.20 | 1899 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Winter Saloon | Red, White & Teak | 48 | Former 1970s Style | |
No.21 | 1899 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Winter Saloon | Green & White | 48 | Nationalisation Livery | |
No.22 | 1899 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Winter Saloon | Red, White & Teak | 48 | Standard Livery | Rebuilt 1991-1992 |
No.23 | 1900 | I.o.M.T.& E.P. Co. | Locomotive | Green & Grey | N/A | I.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 Toastrack | Red & White | 56 | ~ | Withdrawn 1996 |
No.26 | 1898 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Roofed Toastrack | Red & White | 56 | ~ | Withdrawn 2009 |
No.27 | 1898 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Roofed Toastrack | Yellow, Red & White | N/A | Non-Standard | Withdrawn 2003 |
No.28 | 1898 | E.R.T.C. Co., Ltd. | Roofed Toastrack | Red & White | 56 | ~ | Withdrawn 1970 |
No.29 | 1904 | E.R.T.C. Co. | Roofed Toastrack | Red & White | 56 | ~ | Restoration 2019-2024 |
No.30 | 1904 | E.R.T.C. Co. | Roofed Toastrack | Red & White | 56 | ~ | Withdrawn 1971 |
No.31 | 1906 | E.R.T.C. Co. | Roofed Toastrack | Red & White | 56 | ~ | Withdrawn 2002 |
No.32 | 1906 | United Electric Car Co. | Roofed Toastrack | Green & White | 56 | Nationalisation Livery | ~ |
No.33 | 1906 | United Electric Car Co. | Roofed Toastrack | Red & White | 56 | House-Style Livery | |
No.34 | 1995 | Isle of Man Transport | Diesel Locomotive | Yellow & Black | ~ | Non-Standard Livery | Departmental Use |
7442 | 1956 | Wickham of Ware | Diesel Wickham Railcar | Green | ~ | Departmental Use [1] |
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 Use | Withdrawn & Stored | Serviceable | Lost 1930 Fire | Undergoing Rebuild |
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No. | Year | Builder | Type | Livery | Seats | Livery Notes | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Toastrack | Maroon & Teak | 44 | *As "No.19" | Curtains Fitted 2023 |
No.37 | 1893 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Toastrack | Red, White & Teak | 44 | Lined 'House' Style | Paired 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. | Toastrack | Red, White & Teak | 44 | Standard | Replacement |
No.41 | 1930 | English Electric Co. | Toastrack | Red, White & Teak | 44 | Standard | Replacement |
No.42 | 1903 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Toastrack | Red, White & Teak | 44 | Standard | |
No.43 | 1903 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Toastrack | Red, White & Teak | 44 | Standard | |
No.44 | 1903 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Toastrack | Red, White & Teak | 44 | Standard | Paired Car 22 |
No.45 | 1896 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | None | Black & Yellow | N/A | Non-Standard | Flatbed Trailer |
No.46 | 1899 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Toastrack | Red, White & Teak | ? | Standard | |
No.47 | 1899 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Toastrack | Red, White & Teak | ? | Standard | |
No.48 | 1899 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Toastrack | Blue, Cream & Teak | ? | Original Style | Matches Tunnel Car 7 |
No.49 | 1893 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Toastrack | Maroon, Cream & Teak | 44 | Restored To Original | Paired Car 1 |
No.50 | 1893 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Toastrack | Red & White | 44 | Plain 'House' Style | Undergoing rebuild [2] |
No.51* | 1893 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Toastrack | Maroon & White | 44 | Original Livery | *As "No.15" |
No.52 | 1898 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Flatbed | Black & Yellow | N/A | Non-Standard | Flatbed Trailer |
No.53 | 1893 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Toastrack | White & Red | 44 | Plain 'House' Style | Last Used 1978 |
No.54 | 1893 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Toastrack | White & Teak, Red Dash | 44 | Plain 'House' Style | |
No.55 | 1904 | E.R.T.L. Co. | Toastrack | Red & White | 44 | Isle of Man Railways | Last Used 1997 |
No.56 | 1904 | E.R.T.L. Co. | Saloon | Red, White & Teak | Varies | Standard Lined | Disabled Access |
No.57 | 1904 | E.R.T.L. Co. | Winter Saloon | Red, White & Teak | 32 | 1970s style | |
No.58 | 1904 | E.R.T.L. Co. | Winter Saloon | Red, White & Teak | 32 | Edwardian style | |
No.59 | 1895 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Winter Saloon | Blue, Cream & Teak | 18 | As Built | Royal Trailer |
No.60 | 1896 | G.F. Milnes & Co. | Toastrack | Red & White | 44 | Standard Lined | |
No.61 | 1906 | United Electric Car Co. | Toastrack | Red & White (Teak Dash) | 44 | Standard Lettered | |
No 62 | 1906 | United Electric Car Co. | Toastrack | Green & White | 44 | Nationalisation Livery | Matches Toastrack 32 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This is a general list of rolling stock and locomotives currently or formerly on the Groudle Glen Railway on the Isle of Man.
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.
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.
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.
This article details Car Nos. 1–3 of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.
This article details Car Nos. 4–9 of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.
This article details Car Nos. 19–22 of the Manx Electric Railway 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.
This article details Trailer Nos. 34–39 of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.
This article details Trailer Nos. 49 – 54 of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.
Trailer Nos. 57 – 58 of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man are a pair of trailers.
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.
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.