The second Douglas Bay Horse Tramway tram to have enjoyed a major overhaul – 45 – has been completed and returned to service on Friday 6th April. This follows in the footsteps of British Trams Online Tram of the Year 2017 36 which also enjoyed the attention of the staff at Derby Castle.
45 had left Douglas Bay Horse Tramway metals in September 2017 and made the short trip to Derby Castle for a start to be made on its overhaul. At the time it joined 36 which was also enjoying its own overhaul with this being completed to allow the tram to return to service on the last day of the 2017 season. Work continued on 45 over the winter and with excellent progress made it moved back to the horse tramway to allow it to return to service.
The day of its first runs was Friday 6th April with it taking control of the very first service of the day, the 0840 from Derby Castle. Completed in standard fleet livery – instead of the less than traditional livery with green dashes it had received for 2017 – the main difference you will notice on the tram is the addition of a central advert board rather than the wrap round roof level advert boards seen on other trams.
Meanwhile 27 and 42 remain at Derby Castle whilst 29 has moved elsewhere on the island for its own full rebuild.