Douglas Bay Horse Tramway

The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway on the Isle of Man runs along the seafront promenades of Douglas for approximately , 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 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.

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.

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.

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. On board a Ticketer hand-held unit connects with the island-wide contactless Go Cards and individual tickets can also be purchased.

Closure 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. 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.

Continuance 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. 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 and 2018 summer seasons.

Various plans were submitted by the Department of Infrastructure to rebuild the Douglas Promenades. 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. Trams started running again on Friday 29 July 2022, between Strathallan tram depot and Broadway.

Description

The tramway is 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.

Tramcar Fleet

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 TrafficExtantScrapped No.BuiltBuilderLayoutSeatsLiveryNotes1*1913G.F. MilnesSaloon30Red/CreamBushy's Brewery Adverts (2025), * Replacement Vehicle11876StarbuckDouble Deck36~Converted Ex-Single Deck 1884, Later Replaced21876StarbuckDouble Deck36~Not Used After World War II, Scrapped 194831876StarbuckDouble Deck36~Not Used After World War II, Scrapped 194841882Metro-CamDouble Deck34~Not Used After World War II, Scrapped 194951883StarbuckDouble Deck34~Not Used After World War II, Scrapped 194961883StarbuckDouble Deck34~Not Used After World War II, Scrapped 194971884StarbuckDouble Deck42~Extended Dash Panels, Scrapped 195081884StarbuckDouble Deck42~Not Used After World War II, Stored & Scrapped 194891884StarbuckToastrack32~Scrapped 1952,Retained Oil Lamps To End101884StarbuckToastrack40~Scrapped (Ancillary Parts Retained), Scrapped 1979111886StarbuckToastrack32Red/WhiteWithdrawn 1976 & Moved Jurby - Wirral May 2021121888StarbuckToastrack32Blue/Gold Lamps Only (No Advertisements Carried)131887Metro-CamDouble Deck42~Destroyed In Depot Rockslide 1908, Replacement Car141887Metro-CamlDouble Deck42~Destroyed In Depot Rockslide 1908, Replacement Car151887Metro-CamDouble Deck42~Second Hand Ex-South Shields, Scrapped 1939161887Metro-CamDouble Deck42~Purchased Second Hand 1915 Ex-South Shields171886Metro-CamDouble Deck48~Ex-South Shields To Single Deck 1903, Scrapped 1914181883Metro-CamDouble Deck42Red/CreamBushy's Ads, To Single-Deck 1904, Revert Double 1989 191889G.F. MilnesToastrack32Withdrawn & Stored After 1940, Scrapped 1949201889G.F. MilnesToastrack32Withdrawn & Stored, After 1940, Scrapped 1949211890G.F. MilnesToastrack40Red/WhiteLamps Only, Rebuilt 2018-2019, In Regular Use221890G.F. Milnes"Umbrella"32Red/WhiteDerby Castle Tram Shop (Last Surviving Sunshade)231891G.F. Milnes"Umbrella"33~Retractable Roof 1908, Later Fixed Roof, Scrapped 1952241891G.F. Milnes"Umbrella"32~Retractable Canvas Roof 1910 Later Fixed, Scrap 1952251891G.F. MilnesToastrack32~Scrapped 1953, Retained Original Oil Lamps261891G.F. MilnesToastrack32~With Ancillary Parts & Lamps Retained, Scrapped 1974271892G.F. MilnesSaloon30Blue/CreamNo Adverts Carried, Rebuilt 2017-2018, In Regular Use 281892G.F. MilnesSaloon30Red/CreamPrivately Owned & Fully Restored, Off-Island291892G.F. MilnesSaloon30Red/CreamNo Adverts Carried, Rebuilt 2017-2019, In Regular Use301894G.F. MilnesToastrack32~Scrapped 1960311894G.F. MilnesToastrack32~Used As All-Over Advertising Car From 1977, Scrapped 1987321896G.F. MilnesSunshade32Red/WhiteWithdrawn 2018, Rebuild 2019-2025331896G.F. MilnesBulkhead32RedBulkheads Added 1974, Sold August 2016 (£1,200)341896G.F. MilnesBulkhead32Maroon/WhiteSold 2016, Motorised 2018 Jurby Museum351896Milnes-VossSunshade32~Glazed Bulkheads 1966, Scrapped 2022361896G.F. MilnesSunshade40Red/WhiteNo Adverts Carried, Rebuilt 2016-2017, "Tram of the Year"371896G.F. MilnesBulkhead32Red/WhiteBulkheads 1972, Sold Privately August 2016 (£1,100)381902G.F. MilnesToastrack40Red/WhiteScheduled For Rebuild Not In Operation391902StarbuckToastrack40Red/WhiteLengthened 1934, Sold M.E.R. Society 2016 (£1,800)401902G.F. MilnesToastrack40Red/White Lengthened 1939, Sold Privately August 2016 (£1,000)411905G.F. MilnesToastrack40~Lengthened 1944 Scrapped 1988 Parts Retained421905G.F. MilnesToastrack40MaroonCarries Naff Modern Logos, Rebuilt 2017-2018431907U.E.C.C.Bulkhead40Red/WhiteNo Adverts Carried, Stripped 2025, Stored Off Site451908U.E.C.C.Bulkhead40Red/WhiteGroudle Railway Adverts, Rebuilt 2018, "Knifeboards"461909G.F. MilnesToastrack40~Sold Birkenhead Museum Scrapped 1990 ("Lido Tram")471911G.F. MilnesSunshade40Red DashMoved Jurby - Wirral May 2021 Cosmetically Restored481935Vulcan Motor"Tomato Box"27/34~Sold M.E.R. 1978 (Waiting Shelter), Scrapped 1979-1982491935Vulcan Motor"Tomato Box"27/34Maroon DashWithdrawn 1978 (Last of Kind) Privately Owned501935Vulcan Motor"Tomato Box"27/34~Sold M.E.R. 1978 Waiting Shelter, Scrapped 1979-1982

Douglas Bay Horse Tramway

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