nathanmallard
Active member
So here is the long-awaited Part 2 to the "Journey to the Isle of Man" thread I posted several months ago. Which I have conveniently just bumped. 
Anyway, the other major railway on the Isle of Man is the Manx Electric Railway. The first part of the line, from Douglas to the Victorian resort of Groudle Glen, opened in 1893, with the full, 17-mile line to Ramsay being completed in 1899. It has been in continuous operation since then, and is one of the very few American-type electric interurban railways left in the world (perhaps the only one in the English-speaking world?), and is most certainly the only one to survive in it's entirety, with all of the original stock surviving with a few exceptions. The halfway point is Laxey, which is also the interchange station with the Snaefell Mountain Railway up Snaefell, the Island's highest mountain. Here's a rather arty Victorian-type poster:
(Distance exaggerated much? The Isle of Man isn't even 50 miles long!)
Here are some photos from my visit:
Firstly, here's 1899-built "Winter Saloon" Motor No.21 and Enclosed Trailer 56 in beautiful summer sunshine at Ramsay, the northern terminus. No.21 was heavily rebuilt in the 1990s after a depot fire destroyed much of the vehicle, which perhaps explains why it gets used so much...
Shown here is the slightly earlier, 1896-built "Tunnel Motor" No.7 in the sylvan surroundings of Laxey station. This station, as I mentioned earlier, is shared with the Snaefell Mountain Railway and there is rarely a moment where the station is completely devoid of rolling stock. The station was subject to some controversy last year over it's refurbishment, when 'designers' wanted to chop the surrounding tree canopy down, put in modern street furniture and plant Palm trees! Safe to say this plan didn't get very far and the refurbishment was limited to a simple replacement of the ballast and the addition of paved walkways.
The scenery that can be viewed from the line, on a sunny day (which are surprisingly common on the Island), can easily rival the likes of the Canary Islands or Cyprus. This picture was taken from within an open trailer just north of Laxey.
One of the most interesting journeys was the 21:30 departure from Laxey to Ramsay. The Isle of Man has very little/no light pollution, so it gets very, very dark. Going over unguarded crossings, in the countryside, at night, with nothing but a small headlight and a (rather quiet) whistle would probably not be allowed in the UK. Despite the plethora of unguarded crossings, I don't think a single death has been caused by a road collision with a tram.
Part of the line at the Douglas end runs adjacent to the road, with shops and houses on the other side, which is quite surreal when you have never experienced 'real' street running before. There is an excellent chippy at the end of this terrace. Apologies for the last two pictures being somewhat blurry.
At Douglas, the southern terminus, the line has it's main depot (known as Derby Castle), and alongside it lies the tiny MER museum, which hosts a large amount of small artefacts related to the railway. Entry is free, and includes a brief guided tour around the depot facilities and both of the line's earliest motors, 1 and 2. Visitors are encouraged to board and have a go at blowing the whistle! In the above photo, we see the very oldest tramcar, No.1, built in 1893, outside the depot with the Hollywood-style "Electric Railway" sign visible in the background. BTW, the sign is very big- it is visible from the ferry at a distance of about 4 miles from port! It's lit up at night, too.
The somewhat underdeveloped and austere station at Douglas is in sharp contrast to the beautifully-kept stations at Ramsay and Laxey. They used to be a huge indoor leisure and hotel complex here, built in the late 60s and burnt down in (I think) 1973. It was mounted on supports, and the building went over the track and roadway in the area between the station and depot. The fire and subsequent collapse of the building led to many deaths and some damage to the depot. A horse tramway connects this station with the ferry terminal at the other end of town.
3 motors together at Laxey! 1896-built "Tunnel Motor" 5, and Snaefell cars 1 and 2 are seen posing here for the cameras. Note the wider gauge of the Snaefell line.
If you are ever on the Island, or even just in North-West Britain or Northern Ireland, a visit to the MER is a must if you can. It has a unique atmosphere, friendly staff and of course 120 years of history. I will post some more photos of the Snaefell line later, but now it's time for me to get some rest.
Anyway, the other major railway on the Isle of Man is the Manx Electric Railway. The first part of the line, from Douglas to the Victorian resort of Groudle Glen, opened in 1893, with the full, 17-mile line to Ramsay being completed in 1899. It has been in continuous operation since then, and is one of the very few American-type electric interurban railways left in the world (perhaps the only one in the English-speaking world?), and is most certainly the only one to survive in it's entirety, with all of the original stock surviving with a few exceptions. The halfway point is Laxey, which is also the interchange station with the Snaefell Mountain Railway up Snaefell, the Island's highest mountain. Here's a rather arty Victorian-type poster:
(Distance exaggerated much? The Isle of Man isn't even 50 miles long!)
Here are some photos from my visit:
Firstly, here's 1899-built "Winter Saloon" Motor No.21 and Enclosed Trailer 56 in beautiful summer sunshine at Ramsay, the northern terminus. No.21 was heavily rebuilt in the 1990s after a depot fire destroyed much of the vehicle, which perhaps explains why it gets used so much...
Shown here is the slightly earlier, 1896-built "Tunnel Motor" No.7 in the sylvan surroundings of Laxey station. This station, as I mentioned earlier, is shared with the Snaefell Mountain Railway and there is rarely a moment where the station is completely devoid of rolling stock. The station was subject to some controversy last year over it's refurbishment, when 'designers' wanted to chop the surrounding tree canopy down, put in modern street furniture and plant Palm trees! Safe to say this plan didn't get very far and the refurbishment was limited to a simple replacement of the ballast and the addition of paved walkways.
The scenery that can be viewed from the line, on a sunny day (which are surprisingly common on the Island), can easily rival the likes of the Canary Islands or Cyprus. This picture was taken from within an open trailer just north of Laxey.
One of the most interesting journeys was the 21:30 departure from Laxey to Ramsay. The Isle of Man has very little/no light pollution, so it gets very, very dark. Going over unguarded crossings, in the countryside, at night, with nothing but a small headlight and a (rather quiet) whistle would probably not be allowed in the UK. Despite the plethora of unguarded crossings, I don't think a single death has been caused by a road collision with a tram.
Part of the line at the Douglas end runs adjacent to the road, with shops and houses on the other side, which is quite surreal when you have never experienced 'real' street running before. There is an excellent chippy at the end of this terrace. Apologies for the last two pictures being somewhat blurry.
At Douglas, the southern terminus, the line has it's main depot (known as Derby Castle), and alongside it lies the tiny MER museum, which hosts a large amount of small artefacts related to the railway. Entry is free, and includes a brief guided tour around the depot facilities and both of the line's earliest motors, 1 and 2. Visitors are encouraged to board and have a go at blowing the whistle! In the above photo, we see the very oldest tramcar, No.1, built in 1893, outside the depot with the Hollywood-style "Electric Railway" sign visible in the background. BTW, the sign is very big- it is visible from the ferry at a distance of about 4 miles from port! It's lit up at night, too.
The somewhat underdeveloped and austere station at Douglas is in sharp contrast to the beautifully-kept stations at Ramsay and Laxey. They used to be a huge indoor leisure and hotel complex here, built in the late 60s and burnt down in (I think) 1973. It was mounted on supports, and the building went over the track and roadway in the area between the station and depot. The fire and subsequent collapse of the building led to many deaths and some damage to the depot. A horse tramway connects this station with the ferry terminal at the other end of town.
3 motors together at Laxey! 1896-built "Tunnel Motor" 5, and Snaefell cars 1 and 2 are seen posing here for the cameras. Note the wider gauge of the Snaefell line.
If you are ever on the Island, or even just in North-West Britain or Northern Ireland, a visit to the MER is a must if you can. It has a unique atmosphere, friendly staff and of course 120 years of history. I will post some more photos of the Snaefell line later, but now it's time for me to get some rest.
