Manx Electric Railway (MER) — Douglas, Isle of Man
Posted by: prussel
N 54° 10.029 W 004° 27.642
30U E 404639 N 6003104
The Manx Electric Railway (MER) is an electric interurban 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge tramway connecting Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey since 1893
Waymark Code: WMV1P6
Location: Isle of Man
Date Posted: 02/09/2017
Views: 5
The Manx Electric Railway (MER) is an electric interurban tramway connecting Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey in the Isle of Man. Its known as the longest narrow gauge vintage electric railway system in the British Isles and still uses its original Victorian and Edwardian rolling stock. The MER connects with the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway at its southern terminus at Derby Castle at the northern end of the promenade in Douglas, and with the Snaefell Mountain Railway at Laxey. The line runs on roadside reservation for the first few miles from Douglas and then on segregated track through the countryside for most of the route to Ramsey. The line is 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge and is 17 miles (27.4 km) long and the railway journey takes 75 minutes.
The Manx Electric Railway operates regularly from March to late October/early November (-> timetable). Trams depart from the Manx Electric Railway terminus (Derby Castle) at the Onchan end of Douglas Promenade, and can be located by the large ELECTRIC RAILWAY sign in the cliffs above. Trams also depart from Laxey and Ramsey. Although well known for its rural location there are more than 60 official stations or stops on the Manx Electric Railway network which provides a perfect opportunity to hop off and explore some of the Island’s most stunning glens and coastal areas. Passengers can alight at Laxey in order to board the Snaefell Mountain Railway.
The first section, from the northern end of the promenade at Douglas to Groudle Glen, opened in 1893, to Laxey in 1894 (the Snaefell Mountain Railway opened the following year from Laxey) and Ramsey in 1899. Two of the three cars that opened the line in 1893 are still in use, and are the oldest electric trams at work on their original line in the world. Closed and open carriages which are often linked together in cooler weather to enable passengers to choose their exposure to the Manx fresh air!
source: wikipedia, Services
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