Derby Castle Terminus (Manx: Kione Stashoon Chashtal Derby) 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.
The site that now forms the station at Derby Castle is so called because the area to the north at that time housed the vast entertainment complex of the same name. The enterprising railway company owned the entire site, including the row of houses at Strathallan Crescent and the horse tram sheds and offices above. Behind this building lay the Calvary Glen which too was the property of the company until 1934. The houses of the crescent were sold off in 1978 when the entire railway network became government owned, and the railway's offices took up residence in the building above the horse tram sheds at this time also. This office is now in the ownership of the local authority and renamed the "Strathallan Suite". This area has been the terminus of the line since it opened in 1893. At the northerly end of the site was the main entrance to the ballroom complex, and later the car park for the now-demolished Aquadrome Swimming Pool & Sauna which was part of the Summerland complex.
Booking Office
The station still retains the original station booking office dating from 1897, built in a distinctive "rustic" style with half-log cladding, and steep alpine roofing. The facilities are basic and the office measures only 12' 6" by 8' (3.8 m by 2.4 m) and has room for station master and crew only; the station has never had its own toilets for instance, sharing facilities with the nearby Strathallan Hotel (latterly renamed "Terminus Tavern" as it is next to the electric and horse tram termini). Aside from the tarmacadam surfacing and modern shelter, the site remains unchanged since opening.
Track
There is a loop of track to allow the motor car to be shunted around the trailer car.
The pub next to the station, now called the "Terminus Tavern", was built in 1890 as the Strathallan Lodge, later becoming a hostelry and remained so[clarification needed] until 1982 when it was given its current name. It was railway-owned until nationalisation in 1957, having been taken over by the local brewery at that time.[clarification needed] It still forms an integral part of the station, the walls being lined with numerous photographs of the line and other handbills, posters, etc., and it still plays host to off-duty railway workers today.
Canopy
Until 1979 there was a large open roof known as the "Great Canopy". The stanchions for this canopy are now used as flagpoles and/or lampposts, and it can clearly be seen where the canopy was. The canopy, although erected by the railway, provided cover for the tramcars of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway which also terminates here; the canopy originally featured detailed and intricate metalwork culminating in a central clock tower, distinctive on many early views, but latterly this was removed and a plain roof replaced it.
Other structures
In 1999 a long shelter was added, with a sign to say it was for use in connection with both the electric railway and bus services. Previously a defunct tramcar purchased from Lisbon, Portugal was housed on the siding to the side of the station, and this functioned as a waiting area until it was removed for off-site storage some time later, and now the station offers no cover for waiting passengers other than the incongruous modern shelter. For a short time in the 1980s, a horse car from the horse tramway was used as a shelter.
Features
The station is well known for its many and varied advertising signages, with many any varied styles in evidence denoting "The Highspot Of Your Holiday" in connection with a trip on the Snaefell Mountain Railway and "Shining By The Sea" for Royal Ramsey among the posters. The station is always covered with informative signage. A framed manually operated clock face attached to a traction pole shows the time of the next departure. For the line's centenary in 1993 large planters were added to the site.
The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway on the Isle of Man runs along the seafront promenade 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. However works have been underway to relay all of the track in 2019 and at present only a third is usable, with no published completion date for the works.
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.
Nottingham and District Tramways Company Limited was a tramway operator from 1875 to 1897 based in Nottingham in the United Kingdom.
Nottingham Corporation Tramways was formed when Nottingham Corporation took over the Nottingham and District Tramways Company Limited, which had operated a horse and steam tram service from 1877.
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.
Onchan Head Halt 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.
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.
The Upper Douglas Cable Tramway was a tram line serving all points between the southern end of the promenade and the upper part of the town of Douglas in the Isle of Man. It opened on 15 August 1896 and closed on 19 August 1929.
Garwick Glen Halt is a rural intermediate request stop on the east coast route of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.
Balladromma Beg Halt is an intermediate stopping place on the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.
Howstrake Camp Halt is a stop on the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man located at the line's first summit on the climb from the terminus, before descending into the nearby valley.
Grimsby electric railway station was the eastern terminus of the Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway, the western terminus being Immingham Dock, 7 miles (11 km) to the north west.
Braeside Halt is a stopping place on the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man and is located on the first section of the inter-urban line a short distance from its southernmost terminus.
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.
Ipswich Corporation Tramways was an electric tramway system that served the town of Ipswich in Suffolk from 23 November 1903 until 26 July 1926.
Bournemouth Corporation Tramways served the town of Bournemouth in Dorset from 23 July 1902 until 8 April 1936.
The Burton and Ashby Light Railway was a tramway system operating between Burton upon Trent and Ashby-de-la-Zouch between 1906 and 1927.
Northampton Corporation Tramways operated the tramway service in Northampton between 1901 and 1934.
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