Derby Castle Depôt

Derby Castle Depôt
*Kione Art-Hie Chashtal Derby*
Derby Castle Depôt; Kione Art-Hie Chashtal Derby
	Manx Electric Railway
Location	Douglas, Isle Of Man
Coordinates	Pole No. 010-013
Platforms	None (Depôt Only)
Tracks	Various
Construction
Structure type	Various (See Text)
Platform levels	Three
Parking	Staff Only
History
Opened	1893
Rebuilt	Various (See Text)

Last updated March 24, 2019

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.

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.

Douglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 27,938 (2011). It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and on a sweeping bay of two miles. The River Douglas forms part of the town's harbour and main commercial port.

Illumination

The location of the depôt can be seen from across the sweep of Douglas Bay and is marked by a large illuminated sign with the words "Electric Railway" in the cliffs above the sheds. This was reinstated in 1993 as part of the Year Of Railways celebrations marking the line's centenary, previous incarnations having been removed several years previously. The site of today's sign once held a similar illuminated sign which read "M.E.R. For Scenery", and a similar sign denoting the presence of Derby Castle was located on the hillside approximately behind the Strathallan Hotel (now the Terminus Tavern near the station). A Further sign in the same style was erected at the southern end of the White City amusement complex but this was removed in 1985.

Site

Where the depôt lies is a reclaimed site, having once been Port-E-Vada Creek it was filled to make way for the railway in 1892 necessitating major works. Originally the site was home to the power station that created the electricity that powered the line. A pathway runs parallel and then behind the depôt to the headland above, running behind the illuminated signage, offering an impressive birds-eye view of the site.

Sheds

The shed to the right of the yard was completed in 1998 replacing an original building that had stood since the earliest days of the railway; whilst in a similar style to the original, the current incarnation is a steel clad affair, whereas the original had wooden doors and sides. At the bottom of the yard lie original buildings comprising the workshops and paint shops; to the far left the stone structure is part of the original power station, the tall chimney having long since disappeared.

Changes 1988

There was significant alteration to the site in 1988, including the removal of the "bonner siding" that was used initially in connection with the road-rail wagons of the same name, one road connected to the car shed and joiners' shop was lifted, and a new oil and paint store, and new works office were constructed between the two sets of car sheds. The ex-Aachen tramcar that also was stored at this point was destroyed to make way for these modifications. The site office at the mouth of the yard was however retained and is still used for this purpose today, being a characteristic of the site.

Rebuild 1999

As part of the management's continued commitment to refurbish and improve facilities on the railway, the upper car sheds which had been built between 1894 and 1924 were completely demolished and new versions constructed on the same site. This was not without its controversy as local group the Manx Electric Railway Society were vocal in their support for alternative accommodation, ultimately being ignored. The new shed was not without problems initially, the two lower (left hand) roads being on such a lower level than the others that they could not be rail-connected. The overhead wiring also caused difficulties but ultimately the new fully functioning carshed is a vast improvement on the original which had decayed beyond economic repair.

Outbuildings

At the mouth of the yard lies a green corrugated hut, which is the signing-in area for staff, it too dates from the early days of the line. Between the two main sheds is an ablutions block with toilets and shower facilities for the staff. In the past there have been various other edifices, including an ex-Aachen tramcar used as a store in the 1970s among others. Being on an unusually shaped site, the buildings and associated sheds are all at different levels to accommodate rail access at various levels.

Aachen Place in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Aachen, also known as Bad Aachen, and in French and traditional English as Aix-la-Chapelle, is a spa and border city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen developed from a Roman settlement and spa, subsequently becoming the preferred medieval Imperial residence of Charlemagne, and, from 936 to 1531, the place where 31 Holy Roman Emperors were crowned Kings of the Germans.

Tommy Milner

High atop the lower sheds is a figure that takes the form of a tightrope walker; this character is known at Tommy Milner and legend has it that if the figure were to be removed from its position, disaster would befall the railway. True to form, it was removed for repairs in 1992 and a disastrous fire ripped through the bottom shed, all but destroying winter saloon No. 22 (but this was subsequently rebuilt). The figure was returned and has not been removed since.

Also

Manx Electric Railway Stations

Related Research Articles

The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway on the Isle of Man runs along the seafront promenade for approximately 1.6 miles (2.6 km), from the southern terminus at the Victoria Pier, adjacent to the Sea Terminal, to Derby Castle, the southern terminus of the Manx Electric Railway, where the workshops and sheds are located. It is a distinctive tourist attraction.

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.

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.

Derby Castle is the southern terminus of the Manx Electric Railway. It is located on the north side of Douglas, Isle of Man; Douglas Station on the Isle of Man Railway is located on the south side of town, with the MER station being termed "Derby Castle" to differentiate between the two.

Onchan Head was once the first official stopping place on the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man and is less than one mile from the southern terminus of the line.

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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.

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.

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Ballure Halt is an intermediate stopping place on the northern section of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.

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.

Manx Electric Cars 29-33 Group of tramcars

Car Nos. 29–33 are a group of tramcars for 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 No. 59 of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.

References

Mike Goodwyn (1993). Manx Electric. Platform Five. ISBN 978-1-872524-52-8.
Keith Pearson (1992). 100 Years Of Manx Electric Railway. Leading Edge. ISBN 0-948135-38-7.
Robert Hendry (1978). Manx Electric Album. Hillside Publishing. ISBN 0-9505933-0-3.
Norman Jones (1994). Isle Of Man Tramways. Foxline Publishing. ISBN 1-870119-32-0.

International Standard Book Number Unique numeric book identifier

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.

Sources

Manx Manx Electric Railway Stopping Places (2002) Manx Electric Railway Society
Island Island Images: Manx Electric Railway Pages (2003) Jon Wornham
Official Tourist Department Page (2009) Isle Of Man Heritage Railways

Coordinates: 54°10′01″N4°27′22″W / 54.16696°N 4.45620°W / 54.16696; -4.45620

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