The Douglas Horse Trams...

Hi all. Next stop on our Isle of Man adventure: Derby Castle. Our taxi ride from the steam railway's Douglas Station took us along the Promenade, passing one of the trams on route. The timetable did not allow for us to use the tram itself but we did photograph the system before departure via the Manx Electric Railway. The horse trams have been a feature of Douglas promenade since 1876, and operate over a distance of 1.6 miles. A service has operated in various forms since the tramway was built, with tramcars hauled by countless horses. A seasonal service has operated since 1927. Operating at 3ft gauge, just like the steam and electric railways, the tramway has over 20 cars and over 40 horses...

There is a tramcar storage shed at Derby Castle and the door was left ajar, allowing a quick snap through the door...

The cars range from open saloons and toast-rack types, to enclosed types used in the winter or the wet weather. As we boarded the Manx Electric Railway's 1:40pm service towards Ramsey, one of the horses out today arrived with a tram...

A close up of the 'horsepower' for the service: "Charles"...

Our MER service duly departed whilst "Charles" looked on, awaiting his own departure. The horse tramway is an important part of the history of Douglas and I hope that they are not too affected by the upcoming road-works dispute. The promenade roadway is in quite a state and requires a complete resurface. However, due to the trams having to be suspended and the rails removed whilst the job is done, opposition has prevented a final plan being completed. The trams were due to end last year so the work could start, but the dispute has led to a year of reprieve, allowing the horse trams to continue for this season. We wish them well and hope that whatever happens, the horse trams return to Douglas Promenade. With a buzz from the conductor, away we went on the MER...