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Contents 1 Motor Cars 1.1 Cars 1-3 1.2 Cars 4-9 "Tunnel" Cars 1.3 Cars 10-12 "Snaefell Style" 1.4 Cars 14-18 The "Ratchets" 1.5 Cars 19-22 "Winter Saloons" 1.6 Loco No. 23 "R.P. Hendry" 1.7 Cars 24-27 "Paddleboxes" 1.8 Cars 29-33 1.9 Car 34 "Maria" 2 Trailers 2.1 Trailers 36-39 "Vintage Trailers" 2.2 Trailers 40-41 2.3 Trailers 42-43 2.4 Trailers 45-48 2.5 Trailers 49-54 "Original Trailers" 2.6 Trailers 55-56 2.7 Trailers 57-58 "Winter Trailers" 2.8 Trailer 59 "Royal Trailer"

[edit] Motor Cars

[edit] Cars 1-3

The original trio of cars provided for the opening of the line in 1893; No. 3 was destroyed by fire at Laxey in 1930 but the other two remain in service having survived the austerity years of the line as works cars when they had been relegated to permanent way hacks for many years. The historical precedence of these vehicles was however acknowledged and happily, in 1979 when the island celebrated the millennium of its Tynwald parliament, they were restored to original condition, proving the stars of the show at the line's centenary celebrations. Subsequently, car 2 was partly repainted blue (with some historical precedent as it is believed cars may have originally been deep blue but lack of colour photography from the time cannot clarify this) but both cars are now in a variation of the 1930s "house" style and remain in service.

[edit] Cars 4-9 "Tunnel" Cars

The "tunnel cars", so called because their seating was originally parallel to the sides with just one large passenger saloon, are still in regular use today. Car 4 was destroyed at Laxey by the 1930 fire, and some cars were later modified, car 5 for instance now has reversible plush seating, and car 6 did until recently retain its joint front windows but now has the central pillar removed from the driver's window to increase visibility. In 1993 car 9 was selected as the illuminated tram, adorned with modern rope lights giving rise to controversy among the MER faithful. While cars 5 and 6 remain in regular traffic, 7 has now been relegated to permanent way duties and is in poor condition. It is encouraging however that the other three members of the class are retained.

[edit] Cars 10-12 "Snaefell Style"

Built to the same design as the power cars for the Snaefell Mountain Railway these vehicles were not a success and were subsequently converted for use as cattle cars, one of which survives today, numbered 26 (in sequence with good stock rather than power cars, as power car 26 is still extant). It is currently in store but was for several years part of a display at Ramsey Plaza station as part of a small museum. It is the sole survivor of the class, the remaining ones were also converted to cattle cars but drecreased usage of the railway for such use meant that they were surplus to requirements and only one was retained to ensure that one of each type is retained.

[edit] Cars 14-18 The "Ratchets"

Five of these crossbench 56-seat cars were supplied by G.F. Milnes & Co., in 1898 and all of these survive today, with only two in semi-regular service, being cars 16, which carries the "nationalisation green" livery that was adopted for a brief time to selected cars from 1957 and car 18 which retains traditional company livery although, different from other open cars, the valences are white trimmed with red. All other open cars have red valences, trimmed white. The rest of the class remain in various states of disrepair having not been used for a number of years, latterly at the Homefield bus depot, their long-term futures uncertain, especially as two class members have been retained in servicable condition.

[edit] Cars 19-22 "Winter Saloons"

The winter saloons are the backbone of the tramway's fleet; they are all still in regular service, but car 22 was completely rebuilt following a fire in 1992 and is now widely considered a replica car. They have appeared in a variety of liveries but suit the 1930s style the best in many people's opinion. 22 was at one point set to be painted in the plain red and cream livery of the island's buses in 1999; this ultimately proved unpopular and she now carries the usual livery whilst 20 is in "austere" livery.

[edit] Loco No. 23 "R.P. Hendry"

First built as a loco by the railway company in 190 and later rebuilt with wagon bodies on either side, this privately owned car is the only locomotive on the line. She is in store at present but was restored in 1983 and in service as part of the centenary and subsequent celebrations, in the "Isle Of Man Tramways & Electric Power Co., Ltd." livery. In 1993 the vehicle was named “Dr R. Preston Hendry” in recognition of the man who did so much to save the railways of the island at a difficult time. The loco is being stored off-site at present but it is hoped to return it to home metals in the future and possibly to service on demonstration and/or permanent way duties.

[edit] Cars 24-27 "Paddleboxes"

These open cars were purchased from G.F. Milnes & Co., in 1898 and only No. 24 has been lost, and this was in the 1930 fire at Laxey. Of those remaining, car 25 was stripped of her trucks and motors in 2003 and these have since been fitted to the "new" dedicated works car, now known as 34 (see separate entry). Also, car 26 has been out of service for many years, and 27 is a permanent way "hack" having more recently received a striped yellow and black paint scene to her dash panels, and prior to this a somewhat makeshift windscreen.

[edit] Cars 29-33

By far the most powerful of the line's stock, these cars all remain on the line today, with 32 and 33 still in regular service; they were designed to haul two trailers when built but this was never a day-to-day feature of operation, although they have on occasion hauled two trailers in conjunction with enthusiasts events. Sister car 29 is in store at Homefield depot having been out of service for many years whilst 30 and 31 are in store on the railway itself but have not turned a wheel in service for many years.

[edit] Car 34 "Maria"

This car was built in the late 1990s as a replica of a works car on the Snaefell Mountain Railway No. 6 "Maria" as an historical representation but was deemed by the management to not be of any use so it was converted to 3' 0" gauge for use on the coastal line and re-numbered 34 in sequence with the line's other power cars. It is now painted in high-visibility yellow and red livery and fitted with a large diesel generator so it can be used in the event of power failure. It is unlikely to ever return to its original line.

[edit] Trailers

[edit] Trailers 36-39 "Vintage Trailers"

Dating from 1898 and supplied by G.F. Milnes & Co., these two trailers are perhaps the most historic on the line, with 37 in particular usually accompanying car 2 as part of the "vintage" set for enthusiasts events; this car is kept at Derby Castle but 36 remains in store having been out of use for many years, and until its roof was removed, in the car shed at Laxey. The other two members of the class, 38 and 39 were destroyed in the fire at Laxey car sheds in 1930.

[edit] Trailers 40-41

Supplied in 1930 as part of an order to replace stock lost in the fire at Laxey car shed, these two vehicles remain in service today. They were made by the English Electric Company Ltd., of Dick Kerr Works, Preston, Lancashire and seat 44 passengers. Both are in the active service fleet on the railway today.

[edit] Trailers 42-43

Dating from 1903 and supplied by G.F. Milnes & Co., these two trailers are of similar design to their sisters and seat 44 passengers; they remain in service, or available for service subject to demand, today.

[edit] Trailers 45-48

Supplied by G.F. Milnes & Co., in 1899 each seating 44 passengers, these trailers all remain today with the exception of 45 which lost its body during the winter of 2003 and was converted into a flat wagon in a way that summed up the management's attitude to their historic tramcar fleet. The bodywork has however been retained for future use.

[edit] Trailers 49-54 "Original Trailers"

The first trailer of this class, car 49, was restored in the 1990s to near original 1893 condition and remains as part of the "vintage" fleet today, usually being coupled with one of the earlier cars for special events periods. Trailer 51 was rebuilt into original form in 1987 and is now usually paired with car 1 during special events periods. 52, 53 & 54 are in store and in unserviceable condition at Homefield depot and 52 was used with roof and seats removed as a bogie flat wagon for many years, reassembled for summer use. After the war she became redundant as a passenger trailer and was permanently allocated to engineering duties.

[edit] Trailers 55-56

Trailer 55 is in the shed at Ramsey in an unservicable condtion. In the late 1990s trailer 56 was extensively rebuilt in a style largely sympathetic to the line's history, to be equipped as a disabled access car, and now features removable swivel seating to facilitate the insertion of wheelchairs. The trailer carries the now-standard "house" style of the railway company adapted in the 1930s. It does not see regular passenger service owing to its excessive weight but is available for public hire upon request, and can be added to a service car as necessary.

[edit] Trailers 57-58 "Winter Trailers"

The line's only two enclosed or "winter" trailers, used latterly for the hauling of passengers on the "Steam On Electric" events held in the 1990s as part of the many centenaries celebrated on the island's railways.

[edit] Trailer 59 "Royal Trailer"

The royal saloon, now mounted on bogies was originally a four wheel carriage, and is the smallest passenger vehicle on the line often referred to as the "doll's house" owing to its diminutive size.