Another image from the Isle of Man in 1977 for today’s “Picture in Time”.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee was celebrated in 1977 and to mark the occasion the Manx Electric Railway decided to decorate two trams (a motor and a trailer). The motor was a fairly obvious choice as it was 25 (with a Silver Jubilee being 25 years of course) and it received a special silver livery – its seen here on the right of this photo inside Derby Castle Sheds.
The trailer was a different decision as it wasn’t as easy as saying you’re number 25 so you will get the special livery! In the end 55 was selected as it was the regular partner of 25 and it too received a silver based livery. At the same time it was renumbered 25! Meaning that two trams with the same number regularly ran together during 1977. Both returned to more standard colours shortly after the celebrations.
Photograph by Donald Brooks, 4th June 1977
Even more interesting is on the left, one of the ex Aachen trams which were purchased in 1976 to reequip the Snaefell Mountain Railway trams.