It has been confirmed that a full service will run on the Douglas Horse Tramway in 2016 as the tramway celebrates its 140th anniversary. The news was revealed by the Friends of Douglas Bay Horse Tramway this week and seems to suggests that the major reconstruction works expected on the Promenade have once again been delayed. It has also been announced that Santa Trams will run over the weekend of 19th and 20th December.
The saga of the Promenade reconstruction seems to have been going on for almost as long as the horse tramway has been in existence (OK, maybe we are exaggerating a little bit!) with plans unveiled, changed, complained about, changed a bit more and then what we thought a final decision made. This would see the horse trams moved from the centre of the road to the seaward side on a single track with passing loop and the last official announcement from the Department of Infrastructure suggested this was confirmed and that work would start in the first half of 2016.
However Douglas Borough Council have confirmed to the Friends of Douglas Bay Horse Tramway – a group devoted to campaigning for the future of the line – that 2016 will see a full service run which presumably means the works have been delayed once again. It had been hoped that at least some service would run in the 140th anniversary year but this news is probably better than most could have hoped for.
A number of events to celebrate the anniversary are expected to take place with further details on these – and the dates of the main operating season – to follow.
But you don’t have to wait until 2016 for a chance to ride on a horse tram as it has also been announced Santa Trams will run over the weekend of 19th and 20th December. Once again further details will be announced in due course.
Well, I had just learned of the impending withdrawal of Blackpool’s Princess Alice and here comes the perfect antidote! I really didn’t expect this! Anyone who was there for the last weekend in September and saw the last five horses being lovingly decorated for the final cavalcade cannot have failed to be moved by this warmhearted and supremely historic tramway operation. As a result of my experiences at Douglas I have now extended my long-standing transport interests to include a developing study and appreciation of horse tramways. This tramway is a huge and in my opinion, potentially world class and unique asset which has a demonstrable appeal to families, children and non-enthusiast audiences that many heritage operations have to work really hard to achieve. So, hopefully I could be just a few weeks away from my first ever winter horse tram ride, if they’ll allow me to join in amongst a Santa audience (don’t mind riding ‘outside’, honest!). Seriously, this is really great news for the tramway heritage world, even if the future as yet remains unclear.
Had our first ever visit in August this year and considered ourselves lucky to see and ride on the horse trams before they were removed from the roadway. May just have to arrange a return visit sooner than we had planned with this news.