The Transport Festival on the Isle of Man is now in full swing with eight days of events across the island’s railway and tramway network. The Steam Railway is celebrating 150 years and the Manx Electric Railway has reached 130 years of operation and to mark the occasions this years event is even more action packed than normal! While our full pictorial review will follow next month, we’ll be picking out some highlights and the first of those happened on the first day – Sunday 23rd July. This was the re-entry into service of MER trailer 19, running in passenger service for the first time since 1971.
Built in 1894 by G F Milnes, Birkenhead in 1894, 19 was in a batch of six built for the MER but would soon be renumbered with it becoming 36 in 1898. It remained serviceable until 1971 (with last workshop attention in 1965) and was then withdrawn having most recently been used seasonally. Storage followed at Ramsey and Laxey Car Sheds before May 2002 saw it head to more storage at Homefield Bus Garage. It was then back on the MER in 2009 and was to be stored at Derby Castle for the next 10 years.
In 2019 the trailer was chosen for overhaul by the joint team of MER staff and volunteers and for this to take place it was moved to Laxey Car Sheds again. Work started almost immediately but was stalled by the COVID pandemic which delayed its completion. Over the past couple of years work resumed and has now been finished to enable it be officially launched back into service at the Transport Festival.
Its first use for 52 years was on a special tour with Tunnel Car 7 on Sunday 23rd July. 19 had been the opening trailer used to Laxey on 29th July 1894 (also hauled by a Tunnel Car) and so this combination partly recreated this journey (although its not known which Tunnel Car has provided power back then).
The re-entry into service of 19 means of the 1894 batch of trailer the only two survivors are serviceable. The other four have been scrapped after being damaged in the 1930 Laxey Car Shed fire.
- For details of what else is to come during the Festival head to our preview article at http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/news/?p=50421
19 with 7 at a wet Laxey on its first day back in service.
This is a recreation of a first day photo from 1894. Groudle Viaduct with 19 and 7 posing for photos. (Both Photographs courtesy of Manx Electric Railway Online)