The Douglas Horse Trams
Photographs of the Douglas Horse Trams from 2000 -2014
I am most grateful to 'The Douglas Horse Tramway' by Keith Pearson for the historical tram details.
 
Opening in 1876 the tramway was initially privately owned, but was taken over by the Manx Electric Railway in 1894 with a view to extending
the electric trams along the promenade to the Sea Terminal and replacing the horses.  This never happened, mainly due to the collapse of
Dumbell's Bank in 1900 which left the MER in financial difficulties.  The tramway was taken over by Douglas Corporation in 1902 and remained with them
until 2016 when, after the Corporation had threatened to close the tramway completely, it was taken over by the IOM Government.  The last year it ran the
full length of the promendae was in 2018 due to the huge promenade reconstruction project that has been delayed for various reasons.  In 2019 a short section
of line was operated from Derby Castle, but in 2020 and 2021 no trams have operated.  Services are due to resume in 2023 but only as far as the
Gaiety Theatre area, a new single line section to the sea side of the road was supposed to run from there to the Sea Terminal, but construction of this has been
delayed by the Isle of Man Government 'to avoid disruption' and will now probably not come into use until 2024.
 
The line is the only remaining original horse powered tramway in the world.
 
The Derby Castle Station Area
Derby Castle Terminus & Depot 2018
Derby Castle Terminus & Depot 2020
 
Manx Railways Index
 
No.1 Starbuck Car & Wagon Co Ltd 1876. 
Single deck saloon converted 1885 to double deck. 
Scrapped by 1901 
No.1 (II)  G.C. Milnes, Voss & Co 1913
Saloon
2002
2011
2014
2015
2015
2016
2016
2017
2018
 
2018
No.2  Starbuck Car & Wagon Co Ltd 1876. 
Double deck. 
Scrapped 1949 
No.3  Starbuck Car & Wagon Co Ltd 1876. 
Double deck 
Scrapped 1949 
No.4  Starbuck Car & Wagon Co Ltd 1882. 
Double deck 
Scrapped 1949 
No.5  Starbuck Car & Wagon Co Ltd 1883. 
Double deck 
Scrapped 1949 
No.6  Starbuck Car & Wagon Co Ltd 1883. 
Double deck 
Scrapped 1949 
No.7  Starbuck Car & Wagon Co Ltd 1884. 
Double deck 
Scrapped 1924 
No.8  Starbuck Car & Wagon Co Ltd 1884. 
Double deck 
Scrapped 1949 
No.9  Starbuck Car & Wagon Co Ltd 1884. 
Open 'toastrack' 
Scrapped 1952 
No.10  Starbuck Car & Wagon Co Ltd 1884. 
Open 'toastrack' 
Scrapped 1983 
No.11  Starbuck Car & Wagon Co Ltd/G.F. Milnes 1886. 
Open 'toastrack'
No 11 is the oldest surviving Douglas Horse Tram
Now in the UK at the Wirral Transport Museum & Heritage Tramway for restoration 
2005
2006
 
 
2014
2014
No.12  G.F. Milnes & Co 1888. 
Open 'toastrack' 
2001
2005
2013
2014
2014
2014
2014
2015
2016
2018
No.13  Former South Shields Tramway, purchased 1887.  Built 1883? Renumbered to No 14 in 1908 
Double deck
Preserved as No 14 (See below for pictures)
No 14 Former South Shields Tramway, purchased 1887.  Built 1883?
Double Deck.  Wrecked by rockfall in the depot and scrapped in 1908
No.14  (Ex No 13) Former South Shields Tramway, purchased 1887.  Built 1883? 
Double deck 
(In the Manx Museum, Douglas) 
 
 
2004
2016
2016
 
No.15  Former South Shields Tramway, purchased 1887. 
Double deck
Scrapped 1949
No.16  Former South Shields Tramway, purchased 1887. 
Double deck
Scrapped 1916
No.17  Former South Shields Tramway, purchased 1887. 
Double deck, rebuilt in 1903 as single 
deck saloon, scrapped 1913? 
No.18 Former South Shields Tramway purchased 1887. 
Double deck, rebuilt after 1903 as single deck saloon, rebuilt again in 1989 as double deck. 
2001
2001
2004
2004
2014
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2020
No.19  G. F. Milnes & Co 1889. 
Open 'toastrack' 
Scrapped 1952 
No.20 G.F. Milnes & Co 1889.  
Open 'toastrack' 
Scrapped 1952 
No.21  G.F. Milnes & Co 1890.
Open 'toastrack' - used on the opening day of the Queen's Promenade extension 8th July 1890 
2004
2005
2014
2015
2019
No.22  G.F. Milnes & Co 1890. 
Open 'toastrack' - used on the opening day of the Queen's Promenade extension 8th July 1890. Delivered as a  'toastrack' but a sunshade roof was added in the early 1900s.  In latter years was converted to the tramway shop and is now preserved in that condition at the Jurby Transport Museum.   
2005
2018
No.23
Open 'toastrack'.  Sunshade fitted 1908
Scrapped 1952
No.24
Open 'toastrack'.  Sunshade fitted around 1909-1910
Scrapped 1952
No.25
Open 'toastrack'.
Scrapped 1952
No.26
Open 'toastrack'.
Scrapped 1974
No.27  G.F Milnes & Co 1892 
Winter Saloon
Undergoing restoration work at MER Derby Castle (2018)
2001
2004
2013
2014
2015
 
 
2016
2018
 
2018
No.28 G.F Milnes & Co 1892
Winter Saloon
Sold by Douglas Corporation in August 2016 for £2,800 and believed to have been removed from the island. 
2001
2004
2005
2005
2014
 
 
 
2016
No.29 G.F Milnes & Co 1892
Winter Saloon
2001
2006
2006
2011
2014
2015
2016
2019
2019
2019
No.30
Open 'toastrack'
Scrapped 1952
No.31
Open 'toastrack'
Scrapped 1987
No.32  G.F. Milnes & Co 1896
Roofed Crossbench
2003
2004
2014
2016
2016
No.33 G.F. Milnes & Co 1896
Roofed Crossbench
Sold by Douglas Corporation in August 2016 for £1,200 
2000
2000
2004
2005
2014
 
 
2015
 
2016
No.34 G.F. Milnes & Co 1896
Roofed Crossbench
Sold by Douglas Corporation in August 2016 for £1,300.  Converted to a road vehicle. 
2004
2004
2005
2014
2015
No.35 G.F. Milnes & Co 1896
Roofed Crossbench
At the Home of Rest for Old Horse, Richmond Hill, Douglas.
 
 
2005
 
2009
No.36 G.F. Milnes & Co 1896
Roofed Crossbench
Overhauled at Derby Castle MER works in 2016. 
2014
2014
2015
2015
2016
 
 
2018
 
2018
2020
No.37 G.F. Milnes & Co 1896
Roofed Crossbench
Sold by Douglas Corporation in August 2016 for £1,100 
2001
2001
2001
2005
2006
 
 
2014
 
2016
No.38 G.F. Milnes & Co 1902
Open 'toastrack'
2001
2003
2014
2015
2016
2020
No.39  G.F. Milnes & Co 1902
Open 'toastrack'
Sold by Douglas Corporation to the Manx Electric Railway Society in August 2016 for £1,800 
2000
2001
2014
2015
2016
No.40  G.F. Milnes & Co 1902
Open 'toastrack'
Sold by Douglas Corporation in August 2016 for £1,000 
 
 
2004
2014
 
2016
No.41 G.C. Milnes, Voss & Co 1905
Open 'toastrack'
Renumbered to 10 in 1985, scrapped around 1988
No.42  G.C. Milnes, Voss & Co 1905
Open 'toastrack'
Overhauled in Derby Castle MER works in 2017 
2005
2014
2015
2016
2016
 
 
 
2018
2019
No.43 United Electric Car Co 1907 
Roofed Crossbench
2002
2010
2013
2014
2014
2015
2016
 
 
2016
 
2017
No.44  United Electric Car Co 1907
Roofed Crossbench
The 'Royal Tram' after H.M The Queen and Prince Philip took a trip on it during an island visit in 1972.
 
2005
2010
2014
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
 
No.45  G.C. Milnes, Voss & Co 1908
Roofed Crossbench
Overhauled in Derby Castle MER works in 2017 
2001
2005
2014
2015
2015
2016
2017
2017
2018
2018
 
 
 
2018
2019
No.46 
 Roofed Crossbench
Preserved 'Off island'
No.47   G.C. Milnes, Voss & Co 1911
Roofed Crossbench
At the Wirral Transport Museum & Heritage Tramway for restoration
 
 
2006
2014
2014
No.48  Vulcan Motor & Engineering Co Ltd 1935
Convertible Saloon/Crossbench
Scrapped 1982
No.49  Vulcan Motor & Engineering Co Ltd 1935
Convertible Saloon/Crossbench
Has been stored at Homefield then Jurby Transport Museum, currently believed to be at a private location in Ramsey.
 
 
2006
 
2010
No.50  Vulcan Motor & Engineering Co Ltd 1935
Convertible Saloon/Crossbench
Scrapped 1982
 
Island Images