Picture in Time: Douglas Horse Tramway 35

In our recent Douglas Horse Tramway Photo Gallery (http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/gallery548.html if you missed it!) we featured no. 35 which is now out of service and stored away from the tramway at the Home for Retired Horses but back in 1973 it was still very much part of the serviceable fleet as today’s Picture in Time image shows.

No. 35 was one of six trams (nos. 3237) built by G F Milnes in 1896 and is a Bulkhead style tram with open sides but offering some protection from the elements with a roof. It operated in its original condition up until the mid 1960s when it received glazed bulkheads. It is in that condition that we see the tram operating along Douglas Promenade on 25th June 1973 towards Strathallan with a healthy load of passengers. Note that the tram advertises the now long gone Summerland complex. As mentioned above 35 left the tramway in 2011 and can now be found at the Home of Rest for Old Horses where it is stored out in the open.

Photograph by Ken Jones

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5 Responses to Picture in Time: Douglas Horse Tramway 35

  1. David Mee says:

    Although it is indeed sad that the car is now off the tramway it is not exactly stored as it forms the focal point of the home of rest picnic area and is in its own tidy paddock. I saw it on 29th July this year and it is very popular with visitors. Although the advert boards are deteriorating and the front and rear ones have been recently removed, the rest of the car seems to be cared for with signs of recent painting.

    Although its current location is not ideal, it could be argued that it is fulfilling a useful function and it is certainly not deteriorating to the same extent as some of the cars stored in the damp conditions of the shed at Strathallan Crescent.

  2. Ken Jones says:

    Ironically Summerland complex would have a major fire less than 2 months after this picture was taken. The ruins of the complex are still there today near the MER depot at Derby Castle.

  3. Brian Toohey says:

    Summerand was rebuit (on a smaller scale) after the fire – the ruins at Derby Castle are from it being demolished in 2005

  4. Nev Sloper says:

    Just enjoyed your horse tram gallery. Brought back happy memories of our first ever visit last week.

  5. David Blake says:

    A few further observations from the second and last day of our visit to Douglas on Tuesday 18 August, when the fine and sunny weather continued. On this day covered toastrack cars 36 and 45 ran all day. Like Blackpool, I understand the choice of cars is to a large degree decided by those which carry advertising sponsorship. It seems that double-deck car 18 does still make appearances, as last year, but it didn’t appear on either of the days we were there.

    After two days of riding a good deal on horse trams, you start to get use to their characteristics, not to mention those of some of the horses. When Philip, who on both days worked the one-tram service over lunchtime, was replaced by Charles at the end of his duty, also on both days, car 36 seemed to take off, comparatively speaking, like a rocket in Charles’s hands and aroused comment from the passengers! On another journey, it was interesting to see the sort of situation no doubt all horse tram drivers have to be ready to with: there was a plastic bag dropped on a tram rail which I thought nothing of as we approached, but the tram lurched as the horse itself swerved to avoid it, no doubt affected by an interruption to its routine, before being checked by his driver. I would also guess that different horses will react differently, so drivers will have to be aware and ready to react appropriately at all times. I understand that in the days of the night service until 11 pm which apparently continued into the 1980s, there were specially selected ‘night horses’ which ran with those horse cars which had been adapted with electric lighting.

    The trams carry good loads at times, and one time-honoured characteristic is to hang a pushchair from the brake column behind the rear dash panel as the tram makes its way along the promenade!

    Something I hadn’t noticed before was that the tramway supervisor (I hope I have the title right) has a small articulated motorised cleaning vehicle with brushes, which is used to clear the tracks of horse deposits.

    Like all traditional holidaymakers, we started our journey home by horse tram, accompanied by our luggage. We sat on the rear facing bulkhead seat of car 45, which the conductor said were ‘the best seats in the house’. We had become familiar enough with the trams to notice that car 45 was riding by far the most sweetly of any of the cars we rode on, and at 107 years old appears to be a fine tram indeed.

    I will also put another good word in for the motor vessel ‘Karina’ on which we spent a second afternoon cruise having enjoyed Monday so much, northwards to Dhoon Bay this time – a name that will resonate with MER fans! Among other things we had some superb views of the Manx Electric from the sea, including the spectacular Bulgham Bay stretch, and the captain, who is also the Douglas harbour pilot, certainly knows his transport history! Horse trams and coastal sea cruises over two days – I can’t think of a finer combination and other than on the water we never even travelled outside Douglas during our most enjoyable brief stay amid the wonderful atmosphere of this enchanted isle. Hoping to be back in September for the last weekend of the horse trams, although it isn’t yet clear whether anything special is being planned, nor is it known whether or not the tram service will be able to operate in 2016.

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