| Trailer Nos. 57 – 58 | |
|---|---|
Trailer 57, Derby Castle Terminus | |
| Manufacturer | Electric Railway & Tramway Carriage Co., Ltd. |
| Built at | Dick Kerr Works, Preston |
| Constructed | 1904 |
| Formation | Closed Saloons |
| Capacity | 32 |
| Operator(s) | Isle Of Man Heritage Railways |
| Depot(s) | Derby Castle Depôt |
Trailer Nos. 57 – 58 of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man are a pair of trailers.
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. The line is undulating and passes through areas of scenic beauty. Many visitors take an excursion on the trams.
The Isle of Man, sometimes referred to simply as Mann, is a self-governing British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann and is represented by a lieutenant governor. Defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom.
These trailers are the line's only enclosed winter saloons, of similar design to their motorcar counterparts, they have received little use with the open crossbench trailers usually favoured. However, when the line celebrated its centenary in 1993 both these trailers were used in conjunction with a "steam on electric" series of events when Isle of Man Railway locomotive No. 4 Loch of 1874 carried passengers between Laxey Station and Dhoon Quarry Halt using these two cars. Since their use with these services one also carried passengers from Bungalow Station to the Snaefell Summit Station on the mountain railway behind Manx Northern Railway locomotive No.4 Caledonia in 1995 as part of the International Railway Festival in celebration of the centenary of the Snaefell Mountain Railway. Again in 1998 both cars were in use behind Isle of Man Railway locomotive No.1 Sutherland of 1873 between Laxey Station and Fairy Cottage Halt as part of the Steam 125 event. Since these times the trailers have been little used, usually for enthusiasts' excursions. Both cars currently carry a variation of the line's traditional "house" style livery but with bright red dash panels and "Isle Of Man Transport" transfers, unfitting of their historical nature.
The Isle of Man Railway (IMR) is a narrow gauge steam-operated railway connecting Douglas with Castletown and Port Erin. The line is 3 ft narrow gauge and 15.3 miles (24.6 km) long. It is the remainder of what was a much larger network that also served the western town of Peel, the northern town of Ramsey and the small mining village of Foxdale. Now in government ownership, it uses original rolling stock and locomotives and there are few concessions to modernity.
Dhoon Quarry Halt is a rural request stop on the northern section of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man, close to the quarry with which it shares its name. Although the quarry is no longer active, the area is now one of the line's bases for permanent way supplies and stock, and during the 1990s it provided the terminus for the Year Of Railways (1993) event featuring steam locomotive No. 4 "Loch" of the Isle of Man Railway hauling trailers over the metals of the Manx Electric Railway between Dumbell's Row and this point. For this reason there is a concrete-built docking area built especially for the locomotive to take on coal and water, which has more recently been used as a loading area for flatbed wagons on the line. In addition to the two usual running lines there are several sidings, a fraction of what was once here, and these were used solely in connection with quarry traffic. A collection of buildings were also extant, including the "Creosote Cottage" and the body off a 10-12 class tramcar used as a storeroom for many years. By the time of the 1993 events the area had been tidied up, portaloos installed and many of the old building disappeared. The stone-built cottage remains in situ however and is used in connection with permanent way duties. From a passing tram today, there are always items of interest here, it is where the 0-6-0 diesel locomotive "Bertie" is usually stored together with a stockpile of replacement sleepers.
Snaefell Summit railway station is the upper terminus of the Snaefell Mountain Railway on the Isle of Man and is served by the tramway of the same name.
