Enhanced services on the Manx Electric Railway, special postal services, workshop tours, displays of trams and a special photographic tour will all feature during the five day Manx Heritage Transport Festival between Wednesday 24 and Sunday 28 July. The Festival will see all of the Island’s railways join in the fun to attract enthusiasts including the Isle of Man Steam Railway, Manx Electric Railway and Snaefell Mountain Railway.
The first day of the event on Wednesday 24 July will see the Snaefell Mountain Railway take centre stage as a special postal stamp service will operate between Snaefell Summit and Derby Castle station. Departing the Summit at 1510 the limited railway stamp covers (cancelled with Railway station postmarks) will then be transferred to the Manx Electric Railway’s Mail Van which is due to be attached to the 1555 MER service to Derby Castle. Then in the evening one of the popular Snaefell Sunset Dinner’s will take place at the Summit restaurant with tram travel on the MER and SMR included in the price of £30. Away from the tramway’s the Groudle Glen Railway will also be in operation.
With Thursday 25 July being dedicated to the Steam Railway, the Manx Electric Railway will back in action again on Friday 26 July with an enhanced 12 tram service due to be in operation. This will see a tram every 10 minutes between Derby Castle and Laxey from 0940 and 1210 and then every 15 minutes in the afternoon. In fact Derby Castle will be the place to be throughout the day as there is due to be a display of Horse Trams alongside some vintage buses. Tours of the Derby Castle workshops will also be taking place between 1400 and 1600 with all available rolling stock due to be on display. A tram shuttle will run from Derby Castle terminus to the depot and pre-booking is essential to take part in these tours which cost £5 per person.
The evening of Friday 26 July will see a special photographic tour with the tram visiting every principal terminus on the MER throughout its 120 year history. There will be photography opportunities at Groudle Glen, Laxey (x2), Bonner Corner, Ballure, Windy Ridge and Bulgham Gap. There will also be a stop at Laxey for a discussion about the Blacksmith Siding and Laxey Station. The photographic tour will depart Derby Castle at 1800 (passengers are advised to meet there at 1745) and tickets cost just £10 per person.
Other events on Friday 26 July include the display of a model of Snaefell No. 4 at the Summit, visits to the Laxey Substation, displays of classic cars at Laxey and another Snaefell Sunset Dinner.
Saturday 27 July again moves away from the trams with 140 years of the now closed railway to Peel being celebrated alongside steam workshop tours and a coastal cruise during the evening on board the M.V. Karina.
The final day of the Festival will see more tram action with an enhanced Sunday service in operation on the Manx Electric Railway. Between 0940 and 1210 a 15 minute service runs from Derby Castle to Ramsey (reducing to every 30 minutes during the afternoon) whilst in the opposite direction a 30 minute frequency runs between 1010 and 1455 before increasing to every 15 minutes in the afternoon.
Also on this day the MER Mail Van will be out again as the limited railway stamp covers will depart the Snaefell Summit on the 1510 before being transferred onto the MER on the 1555 from Laxey to Derby Castle and there will be Motorman Training Taster sessions.
2013 Explorer tickets are valid for use on the majority of the events taking place during the Festival and these can be purchased from the Welcome Centre in Douglas Sea Terminal with an adult 5 day explorer costing £39.
Full details of the Manx Heritage Transport Festival can be found in the leaflet which can be downloaded at http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/publictransport/Events/transport_festival2013lowresleaf.pdf