DarloRich
Veteran Member
I noticed i forgot to publish a report about the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway from last year so that is set out below! I will add pictures later
The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway on the Isle of Man runs along the seafront promenade for approximately 1.6 miles 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.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
The trams run from early April until early November, and are currently operated by Isle of Man Transport as part of their Heritage Railway department. From opening it has operated every year, except for a period during the Second World War. It is the oldest surviving Horse Tramway in Britain, and the only one to have operated continuously since its opening
The tramway was built and initially operated by Thomas Lightfoot, a retired civil engineer from Sheffield who, in 1876 to take advantage of the booming Victorian tourist trade, came to the island for the fresh air, quiet, grand views and relaxed way of life.
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 who ran the service until 2016 when it was announced , to wide spread horror, that the service was no longer finically viable and would cease with the cars given away and the horses sold.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
An online petition that gained responses from around the world, was quickly launched which led to the decision to close the tramway being reversed. The Manx Government has stepped in to run the service under their Heritage Railways banner and the future of the service now looks more secure especially as a renovated tramway forms part of the approved development plans for the sea front area.
Currently the route is double track throughout and runs in the middle of the road, causing vast delays along the sea front and upsetting the locals trying to go about their business. In future the route will be double tram tracks Derby Castle and Castle Mona Avenue about half way along the line. Here the line will be singled to Peveril Square, near to the Sea Terminal, and a passing loop provided. To an on outsider this seems to be a good compromise between road users and the tramway and means that the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway will be able to continue operating for many years to come.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
The trams are hauled by single, one horse power traction units known locally as trammers. These traction units are from the Clydesdale or Shire class of horse and each is named. There are 21 horses available to pull the trams and they are all based at the Tramway stables built by Thomas Lightfoot in 1877. Historically the horses were bought from Ireland but they are now bred locally and come from a stud farm near Ramsey. They typically work for 1 hour and 20 minutes ( 3 round trips) a day but can work for a maximum of 2 hours a day at busy times. Only a small number of the fleet are needed every day and they seem to be very well cared for. They are fuelled by large quantities of brewers grains and rolled oats, specifically those used to brew Bushey Ale on the Island. ) It seems both horse and writer are powered by the same fuel! ) Out of season they live out of town in the fields. They start training at four years old and have an average career of about 20 years. On retirement they are sent, with full pension, to the Isle of Man Home of Rest for Old Horses.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
Sadly with the dog in tow I wasn’t able to go in the stables but human visitors are welcome and tours are run to show people around. The site has recently been upgraded to offer more modern open style living space for the horses as opposed to the old fashioned closed boxes of the past. Each stall is fitted with a tie ring, a large hay rack, automatic drinking bowl, a salt and mineral lick, a manger for feed and wood pellet bedding, which seems nice. There is even a black smith on site to see to the horse shoes and keep the horses’ feet in good condition.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
In service the horses are either swapped over in front of the stables or worked light horse to and from Derby Castle which is only a short walk away. This is also the location of the home of the tram cars. The Tramcar Depot at Strathallan was built in 1895 as a single storey structure with storage space for up to 36 tramcars. The suite of offices on the first floor were added in 1935, but the inclusion of access stairwells reduced storage capacity to 27 tramcars.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
A total of 51 tramcars have been used on the line of which 25 survive with 13 in service at the time of our visit. The surviving fleet offers an almost complete cross section of types used over the years. The youngest car in operation dates from 1913 with the oldest dating from 1883. With the youngest tram having already clocked up a century of service this fleet is clearly of historic importance and surely the oldest in the world.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
So what is a journey like? Standing at Derby Castle (after a pre trip pint in the Terminus pub) ready to work along to the sea terminal was William ( a Clydesdale class heavy horse) and double deck tram number 18, the oldest in the fleet. 18 has had a long and complicated life. Originally built as a double decker for the Ramsgate & Margate Horse Tramway but acquired for the Isle of Man from the South Shields Tramway in 1887. It was converted to single deck in 1903 and ran in that form until it was re-built as double-decker in 1988. It is now painted in a Maroon & Gold 'Okells Falcon Brewery' Livery.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
Obviously the only option was to sit on the top deck and enjoy the view while we clip clopped along the sea front. The traffic quickly built up behind us and only a couple of cars could shuffle past at each stop but the drivers were well behaved and only one roared past like a moron. Our horse barely glanced up at the noise and slowly plodded on. The run isn’t quick ( as you would expect) but on a glorious day ( which I expect are few!) the journey was very relaxed and enjoyable.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
There is a nice view of the sea front with a couple of ships bobbing about in the bay and a large number of motorcycles parked up ahead of the racing. The promenade was clean and well looked after but there were a couple of buildings ready for redevelopment but despite that the area retained a certain Victorian grandeur lined as it is with bay windowed multi story apartments or hotels many with iron railings and decorated in jolly colours.
After about 15 minutes of clip clopping we were rolling to halt outside the fabulously modernist Isle of Man Sea Terminal which dates from 1965. Here our horse was unclipped and walked round the tram, fastened up and prepared for another trundle back to Derby Castle.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway on the Isle of Man runs along the seafront promenade for approximately 1.6 miles 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.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on FlickrThe trams run from early April until early November, and are currently operated by Isle of Man Transport as part of their Heritage Railway department. From opening it has operated every year, except for a period during the Second World War. It is the oldest surviving Horse Tramway in Britain, and the only one to have operated continuously since its opening
The tramway was built and initially operated by Thomas Lightfoot, a retired civil engineer from Sheffield who, in 1876 to take advantage of the booming Victorian tourist trade, came to the island for the fresh air, quiet, grand views and relaxed way of life.
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 who ran the service until 2016 when it was announced , to wide spread horror, that the service was no longer finically viable and would cease with the cars given away and the horses sold.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on FlickrAn online petition that gained responses from around the world, was quickly launched which led to the decision to close the tramway being reversed. The Manx Government has stepped in to run the service under their Heritage Railways banner and the future of the service now looks more secure especially as a renovated tramway forms part of the approved development plans for the sea front area.
Currently the route is double track throughout and runs in the middle of the road, causing vast delays along the sea front and upsetting the locals trying to go about their business. In future the route will be double tram tracks Derby Castle and Castle Mona Avenue about half way along the line. Here the line will be singled to Peveril Square, near to the Sea Terminal, and a passing loop provided. To an on outsider this seems to be a good compromise between road users and the tramway and means that the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway will be able to continue operating for many years to come.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on FlickrThe trams are hauled by single, one horse power traction units known locally as trammers. These traction units are from the Clydesdale or Shire class of horse and each is named. There are 21 horses available to pull the trams and they are all based at the Tramway stables built by Thomas Lightfoot in 1877. Historically the horses were bought from Ireland but they are now bred locally and come from a stud farm near Ramsey. They typically work for 1 hour and 20 minutes ( 3 round trips) a day but can work for a maximum of 2 hours a day at busy times. Only a small number of the fleet are needed every day and they seem to be very well cared for. They are fuelled by large quantities of brewers grains and rolled oats, specifically those used to brew Bushey Ale on the Island. ) It seems both horse and writer are powered by the same fuel! ) Out of season they live out of town in the fields. They start training at four years old and have an average career of about 20 years. On retirement they are sent, with full pension, to the Isle of Man Home of Rest for Old Horses.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on FlickrSadly with the dog in tow I wasn’t able to go in the stables but human visitors are welcome and tours are run to show people around. The site has recently been upgraded to offer more modern open style living space for the horses as opposed to the old fashioned closed boxes of the past. Each stall is fitted with a tie ring, a large hay rack, automatic drinking bowl, a salt and mineral lick, a manger for feed and wood pellet bedding, which seems nice. There is even a black smith on site to see to the horse shoes and keep the horses’ feet in good condition.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on FlickrIn service the horses are either swapped over in front of the stables or worked light horse to and from Derby Castle which is only a short walk away. This is also the location of the home of the tram cars. The Tramcar Depot at Strathallan was built in 1895 as a single storey structure with storage space for up to 36 tramcars. The suite of offices on the first floor were added in 1935, but the inclusion of access stairwells reduced storage capacity to 27 tramcars.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on FlickrA total of 51 tramcars have been used on the line of which 25 survive with 13 in service at the time of our visit. The surviving fleet offers an almost complete cross section of types used over the years. The youngest car in operation dates from 1913 with the oldest dating from 1883. With the youngest tram having already clocked up a century of service this fleet is clearly of historic importance and surely the oldest in the world.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on FlickrSo what is a journey like? Standing at Derby Castle (after a pre trip pint in the Terminus pub) ready to work along to the sea terminal was William ( a Clydesdale class heavy horse) and double deck tram number 18, the oldest in the fleet. 18 has had a long and complicated life. Originally built as a double decker for the Ramsgate & Margate Horse Tramway but acquired for the Isle of Man from the South Shields Tramway in 1887. It was converted to single deck in 1903 and ran in that form until it was re-built as double-decker in 1988. It is now painted in a Maroon & Gold 'Okells Falcon Brewery' Livery.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on FlickrObviously the only option was to sit on the top deck and enjoy the view while we clip clopped along the sea front. The traffic quickly built up behind us and only a couple of cars could shuffle past at each stop but the drivers were well behaved and only one roared past like a moron. Our horse barely glanced up at the noise and slowly plodded on. The run isn’t quick ( as you would expect) but on a glorious day ( which I expect are few!) the journey was very relaxed and enjoyable.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on FlickrThere is a nice view of the sea front with a couple of ships bobbing about in the bay and a large number of motorcycles parked up ahead of the racing. The promenade was clean and well looked after but there were a couple of buildings ready for redevelopment but despite that the area retained a certain Victorian grandeur lined as it is with bay windowed multi story apartments or hotels many with iron railings and decorated in jolly colours.
After about 15 minutes of clip clopping we were rolling to halt outside the fabulously modernist Isle of Man Sea Terminal which dates from 1965. Here our horse was unclipped and walked round the tram, fastened up and prepared for another trundle back to Derby Castle.
Douglas by DarloRich2009, on Flickr
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