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Douglas Bay Horse Tramway

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Douglas Bay Horse Tramway
Horse_Drawn_Tram_douglas_Isle_Of_Man_22-06-19_(48158399662)
No.46, Derby Castle
LocaleDouglas, Isle of Man
TerminusDerby Castle station / Villa Marina
Commercial operations
Built byThomas Lightfoot
Original gauge3 ft (914 mm)
Preserved operations
Owned byIsle of Man Government
Operated byIsle of Man Railways
StationsVarious (hail & ride)
Length1.6 miles (2.6 km)
7 August 1876Official opening
2 January 1900Takeover, Douglas Corporation
30 September 1927Winter service terminated
28 September 1939Closed for duration
1 May 1946Seasonal services resumed
Preservation history
9 August 195680th Anniversary
7 August 1976Centenary parade
7 August 2011135th Anniversary
7 August 2026150th Anniversary
HeadquartersBanks Circus
Website
www.rail.im
Route map

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.

History

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The tramway was built and initially operated by Thomas Lightfoot, a retired civil engineer from Sheffield. His service was introduced in 1876 between the bottom of what is now Summer Hill and the bottom of Broadway in the centre of today's promenade adjacent to the Villa Marina. In the earliest days the track was expanded, and passing loops and long crossovers added so that by 1891 the line ran double track the entire length of the promenade, much as it does today. From opening it has operated every year, except for a period during the Second World War.[1]

In 1882, Lightfoot sold the line to Isle of Man Tramways Ltd, later the Isle of Man Tramways & Electric Power Co. Ltd, which also owned the Manx Electric Railway. The company went into liquidation in 1900 as a consequence of a banking collapse. The tramway was sold by the liquidator to Douglas Corporation in 1902. Since 1927 the tramway has run in summer only.[1]

In 2014 it was announced by the Department of Infrastructure that during 2015 the horse trams would be temporarily suspended while resurfacing work on the promenade continued into its next phase, which runs from Regent Street to Strathallan. However, the plans were later revised, allowing regular horse tram operation to take place in 2015, 2016 and 2017.[2]

In 2015 Douglas Corporation partnered with Isle of Man Transport to introduce the 'Ticketer' system as used across the Island's other public transport systems.[3] On board a Ticketer hand-held unit connects with the island-wide contactless Go Cards and individual tickets can also be purchased.

Closure

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Despite being the world's last remaining 19th century original horse-drawn passenger tramway and the second-oldest operational rail system on the island, the future of the tramway has been brought into question in recent years.[4] In January 2016, Douglas Corporation announced that the tramway had run for the last time the previous September and that they had closed it as it was not financially viable. The tramway had made a loss of £263,000 in 2015.[5]

Continuance

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After an online petition attracted more than 2,000 signatures, the House of Keys established a committee to look into ways of retaining the iconic horse trams.[6][7] The operation of the tramway was taken over by the Isle of Man Heritage Railways division of the Department of Infrastructure and continued in the 2016, 2017[8] and 2018 summer seasons.

Various plans were submitted by the Department of Infrastructure to rebuild the Douglas Promenades.[9] In one version, the tramway would move from its location in the middle of the roadway to a new single line formation adjacent to the Promenade walkway. The plans received some criticism from a group of local residents who objected to the siting of the trams near to the walkway. However, in 2019, the tracks were relaid in their previous alignment along the centre of the road.[10] Trams started running again on Friday 29 July 2022, between Strathallan tram depot and Broadway.[11]

Description

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Double deck horse drawn tram on Douglas Seafront

The tramway is 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge, double track throughout, running down the middle of the road. Service is provided by 23 tramcars and some 45 horses. There have been several types of tramcar, and at least one of each type has been retained. Most services are maintained by "closed toastracks", with winter saloons and open toastracks also in semi-regular service. In summer, trams are stabled outdoors overnight adjacent to the Terminus Tavern public house, and there is a purpose-built tramshed where they are stored in winter.

Map this section's coordinates in "List of Isle of Man railway lines and locations" using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

Point Coordinates
(Links to map resources)		 OS Grid Ref Notes
Derby Castle 54°10′02″N 4°27′40″W / 54.1671°N 4.4612°W / 54.1671; -4.4612 (Derby Castle) SC39427738
Regency Hotel 54°09′58″N 4°27′55″W / 54.1660°N 4.4652°W / 54.1660; -4.4652 (Regency Hotel) SC39157727
The Hydro 54°09′51″N 4°28′07″W / 54.1641°N 4.4685°W / 54.1641; -4.4685 (The Hydro) SC38937707
The Palace Hotel 54°09′46″N 4°28′16″W / 54.1627°N 4.4710°W / 54.1627; -4.4710 (The Palace Hotel) SC38767692
Castle Terrace 54°09′40″N 4°28′24″W / 54.1612°N 4.4733°W / 54.1612; -4.4733 (Castle Terrace) SC38617675
The Esplanade 54°09′30″N 4°28′34″W / 54.1584°N 4.4760°W / 54.1584; -4.4760 (The Esplanade) SC38427645
Gaiety Theatre 54°09′19″N 4°28′41″W / 54.1553°N 4.4780°W / 54.1553; -4.4780 (Gaiety Theatre) SC38287611 (Currently closed)
Loch Promenade 54°09′05″N 4°28′40″W / 54.1515°N 4.4779°W / 54.1515; -4.4779 (Loch Promenade) SC38277569 (Currently closed)
Regent Street 54°09′00″N 4°28′38″W / 54.1500°N 4.4771°W / 54.1500; -4.4771 (Regent Street) SC38327552 (Currently closed)
Sea Terminal 54°08′57″N 4°28′31″W / 54.1491°N 4.4754°W / 54.1491; -4.4754 (Sea Terminal) SC38427541 (Currently closed)

[12] (All stops except the termini are request stops.)

Tramcar Fleet

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Saloon No.27 (1961)

The remaining core of service trams represent a cross-section of various types of car used on the line over the years; notable exceptions from the current fleet are an umbrella car (one of which survives as a souvenir shop elsewhere) and a convertible car, although one of these survives in private ownership. This was the last of three cars from 1935 which were dubbed "tomato boxes" owing to their unconventional appearance. On 27 August 2016, after Douglas City Council relinquished ownership, six trams were sold at auction (28, 33, 34, 37, 39 and 40). Trams notated as "rebuilt" are considered to be part of the "Heritage Fleet".

Key: In Traffic Extant Scrapped
No. Built Builder Layout Seats Livery Notes
1* 1913 G.F. Milnes Saloon 30 Red/Cream Bushy's Brewery Adverts (2025), * Replacement Vehicle
1 1876 Starbuck Double Deck 36 ~ Converted Ex-Single Deck 1884, Later Replaced
2 1876 Starbuck Double Deck 36 ~ Not Used After World War II, Scrapped 1948
3 1876 Starbuck Double Deck 36 ~ Not Used After World War II, Scrapped 1948
4 1882 Metro-Cam Double Deck 34 ~ Not Used After World War II, Scrapped 1949
5 1883 Starbuck Double Deck 34 ~ Not Used After World War II, Scrapped 1949
6 1883 Starbuck Double Deck 34 ~ Not Used After World War II, Scrapped 1949
7 1884 Starbuck Double Deck 42 ~ Extended Dash Panels, Scrapped 1950
8 1884 Starbuck Double Deck 42 ~ Not Used After World War II, Stored & Scrapped 1948
9 1884 Starbuck Toastrack 32 ~ Scrapped 1952,Retained Oil Lamps To End
10 1884 Starbuck Toastrack 40 ~ Scrapped (Ancillary Parts Retained), Scrapped 1979
11 1886 Starbuck Toastrack 32 Red/White Withdrawn 1976 & Moved Jurby - Wirral May 2021
12 1888 Starbuck Toastrack 32 Blue/Gold Lamps Only (No Advertisements Carried)
13 1887 Metro-Cam Double Deck 42 ~ Destroyed In Depot Rockslide 1908, Replacement Car
14 1887 Metro-Caml Double Deck 42 ~ Destroyed In Depot Rockslide 1908, Replacement Car
15 1887 Metro-Cam Double Deck 42 ~ Second Hand Ex-South Shields, Scrapped 1939
16 1887 Metro-Cam Double Deck 42 ~ Purchased Second Hand 1915 Ex-South Shields
17 1886 Metro-Cam Double Deck 48 ~ Ex-South Shields To Single Deck 1903, Scrapped 1914
18 1883 Metro-Cam Double Deck 42 Red/Cream Bushy's Ads, To Single-Deck 1904, Revert Double 1989
19 1889 G.F. Milnes Toastrack 32 Withdrawn & Stored After 1940, Scrapped 1949
20 1889 G.F. Milnes Toastrack 32 Withdrawn & Stored, After 1940, Scrapped 1949
21 1890 G.F. Milnes Toastrack 40 Red/White Lamps Only, Rebuilt 2018-2019, In Regular Use
22 1890 G.F. Milnes "Umbrella" 32 Red/White Derby Castle Tram Shop (Last Surviving Sunshade)
23 1891 G.F. Milnes "Umbrella" 33 ~ Retractable Roof 1908, Later Fixed Roof, Scrapped 1952
24 1891 G.F. Milnes "Umbrella" 32 ~ Retractable Canvas Roof 1910 Later Fixed, Scrap 1952
25 1891 G.F. Milnes Toastrack 32 ~ Scrapped 1953, Retained Original Oil Lamps
26 1891 G.F. Milnes Toastrack 32 ~ With Ancillary Parts & Lamps Retained, Scrapped 1974
27 1892 G.F. Milnes Saloon 30 Blue/Cream No Adverts Carried, Rebuilt 2017-2018, In Regular Use
28 1892 G.F. Milnes Saloon 30 Red/Cream Privately Owned & Fully Restored, Off-Island
29 1892 G.F. Milnes Saloon 30 Red/Cream No Adverts Carried, Rebuilt 2017-2019, In Regular Use
30 1894 G.F. Milnes Toastrack 32 ~ Scrapped 1960
31 1894 G.F. Milnes Toastrack 32 ~ Used As All-Over Advertising Car From 1977, Scrapped 1987
32 1896 G.F. Milnes Sunshade 32 Red/White Withdrawn 2018, Rebuild 2019-2025
33 1896 G.F. Milnes Bulkhead 32 Red Bulkheads Added 1974, Sold August 2016 (£1,200)
34 1896 G.F. Milnes Bulkhead 32 Maroon/White Sold 2016, Motorised 2018 Jurby Museum
35 1896 Milnes-Voss Sunshade 32 ~ Glazed Bulkheads 1966, Scrapped 2022
36 1896 G.F. Milnes Sunshade 40 Red/White No Adverts Carried, Rebuilt 2016-2017, "Tram of the Year"
37 1896 G.F. Milnes Bulkhead 32 Red/White Bulkheads 1972, Sold Privately August 2016 (£1,100)
38 1902 G.F. Milnes Toastrack 40 Red/White Scheduled For Rebuild Not In Operation
39 1902 Starbuck Toastrack 40 Red/White Lengthened 1934, Sold M.E.R. Society 2016 (£1,800)
40 1902 G.F. Milnes Toastrack 40 Red/White Lengthened 1939, Sold Privately August 2016 (£1,000)
41 1905 G.F. Milnes Toastrack 40 ~ Lengthened 1944 Scrapped 1988 Parts Retained
42 1905 G.F. Milnes Toastrack 40 Maroon Carries Naff Modern Logos, Rebuilt 2017-2018
43 1907 U.E.C.C. Bulkhead 40 Red/White No Adverts Carried, Stripped 2025, Stored Off Site
45 1908 U.E.C.C. Bulkhead 40 Red/White Groudle Railway Adverts, Rebuilt 2018, "Knifeboards"
46 1909 G.F. Milnes Toastrack 40 ~ Sold Birkenhead Museum Scrapped 1990 ("Lido Tram")
47 1911 G.F. Milnes Sunshade 40 Red Dash Moved Jurby - Wirral May 2021 Cosmetically Restored
48 1935 Vulcan Motor "Tomato Box" 27/34 ~ Sold M.E.R. 1978 (Waiting Shelter), Scrapped 1979-1982
49 1935 Vulcan Motor "Tomato Box" 27/34 Maroon Dash Withdrawn 1978 (Last of Kind) Privately Owned
50 1935 Vulcan Motor "Tomato Box" 27/34 ~ Sold M.E.R. 1978 Waiting Shelter, Scrapped 1979-1982

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. 1 2 "Isle of Man Guide – Transportation, Horse Drawn Trams". Maxima Systems. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
  2. ↑ "Horse tram service back on track for 2015". Town of Douglas. 9 May 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  3. ↑ "Douglas Borough Council – Just the ticket: Council updates horse tram ticket management system".
  4. ↑ "Douglas regeneration: £21m plans submitted for Manx capital". BBC News. 6 May 2015.
  5. ↑ "Isle of Man horse tram service ends after 140 years". BBC News. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  6. ↑ "Isle of Man horse trams: More than 2,000 people sign petition to save service". BBC News Online. 23 January 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "Isle of Man horse trams: Committee to explore closure alternatives". BBC News Online. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "Horse Trams". Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  9. ↑ "Prom revamp application set to be submitted". Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  10. ↑ "Opposition to horse trams on Douglas walkway". Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  11. ↑ "Isle of Man's popular horse trams return after three years". BBC News. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  12. ↑ "Tram stop locations - Douglas Bay Horse Tramway". douglashorsetramway.im. Retrieved 23 January 2022.

Bibliography

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  • Heavyside, Tom (2010). Douglas – Laxey – Ramsey: including the Groudle Glen Railway. Narrow Gauge Branch Lines series. Midhurst, West Sussex, UK: Middleton Press. ISBN 9781906008758.
  • Hendry, Robert (1993). Rails in the Isle of Man: A Colour Celebration, Midland Publishing Limited, ISBN 1-85780-009-5
  • Pearson, Keith (1999). Douglas Horse Tramway - A Millennium Year History, 1st Edition, Adam Gordon, ISBN 978-1-874422-25-9
  • Johnston, Norman. "Douglas Horse Trams in Colour." Omagh: Colourpoint Press, 1995. ISBN 9781898392101.
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