The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Döbeln_Tramway

 

Thank you Simon. My research is much more at the origins of horse railways end of the timeline with their decline only peripheral so had missed that one.

So in absolute terms Douglas is (hopefully) the last one to be in unbroken use in Europe until at least 2016. The Aussie one I would need to look up again.

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Until a week ago the plan was for the IoM Gov. (Dept of Infrastructure) to relocate and relay the tram tracks at no cost to Douglas Corporation. The new rails are already on hand. Yesterday the Home Affairs minister pointed out, that if the tramway is closed, under the 1876 Tramways Act, the owner (Douglas Corporation) is responsible for removing the rails and making good the surface of the DoI's highway. I would imagine that the cost of repairing the 1.6 miles of roadway would make the current annual loss look like a bargain. The Douglas ratepayers who supported the closure thinking that it would result in a rates reduction have been disappointed - the 2016 rate will be the same as 2015.
The Government now seem to be realising that a number of tour groups booked visits based on the expectation that all the various tramways and railways would be running in 2016 and can foresee a loss of several thousand bed/nights' income if these groups cancel. Hope people find these updates informative.
Ray.

 

The point the IoM Home Affairs Minister or Spewin Juan as he is known locally made about Douglas Corporation having to remove the rails and make good the surface is a bit of a red herring. The prom is in urgent need of repair and for the Govt to do the repairs the tracks have to come up. There would therefore be no cost to the Corporation as the Govt need the Corporation's approval to take up the track for the work to be done. Unless the Govt agree to take up the tracks as part of the prom work at no cost to the Corporation then Corporation just put their foot down and the repairs to the prom cannot proceed.

This could be the reason the Corporation made the decision now. At any other time they would be liable for the removal of the tracks and reinstatement of the surface. Now Government is or will be doing this as part of their works, so it is the one time the Corporation can pull the plug without the costs hanging over their head.

Having never read the relevant Act I wonder if the definition of closure is. If not defined it would possibly be easy to avoid the cause is maybe they would they be able to argue it is not closed if they kept one horse and it puled a tram along the track a couple of times a year.

I still believe the Trams will continue, all be it in possible more limited form and this is basically politics. This was the Corporation's chance to get out at no cost, and the Govt will use as leverage to try and get its plans through.

 

Thanks for the update this morning. No doubt you'll keep us advised of any further developments; in the meantime we'll wait with bated breath and crossed fingers.

 

If anyone is passing Laurel Bank 2 right hand bend at the Manx GP then give me a wave as that's where I marshal (there or the 'pumphouse' just before it)

Agree the promenade is in an absolutely awful state and I try and avoid it to my peril on my rigid 1937 BSA, something has to be done there. Several of the main access roads, especially towards Quarterbridge have been dug up and completely resurfaced in the last couple of years. I guess the idea is removing the rails will make that a whole lot easier.

Seems an awful shame that a heritage service that carries 60,000 punters annually cannot be saved.

 

After reading through this and elsewhere, I have to say there is definitely an underlying agenda that is not being made public re the closure. There appear to be some figures that don't really stack up. The enormous figure for building new stables, the wages / operating bill to name a couple. Also if figures are to be believed that the trams carried 60000 passengers in 2015, that equates to one in every 4.8 visitors to the island then surely this is a major draw for the economy.

It will certainly be a shame if it does close, but I think the various authorities and the owners need to get there heads together and be more open and honest about this, including offering it to be run on a volunteer basis instead of lining someone's pocket!

 

On the contrary: I'm looking at that statistic and thinking, "the horse trams are supposed to be a major tourist attraction - so why are four out of five visitors to the island not travelling on it?" Indeed, I suspect that figure may include a number of passengers who have made repeat journeys, and perhaps a few islanders using the trams as well, so the true ratio may be even lower. (What is the source of you statistic by the way?)

However, in a sense I take that as a sign of hope, because it suggests that despite the great decline in tourism to the island since the 1950s, there is room for growth in passenger numbers on the tramway. What we need is to track down those four out of five visitors and ask, "why did you not ride on the horsetrams?" Do people want more operating days, or a more varied programme of events? Or would better marketing help? If the horsetrams are to survive, you want to get every visitor to the island on to the trams - and you want the locals to be riding on them at least once or twice a year as well.

I currently work for a major conservation charity in the UK, so I am witnessing first-hand how arts, heritage and conservation bodies are adapting to the difficult economic times in which we now live. Everyone recognises the importance of increasing revenue, and there is a growing realisation that one of the best ways to do that is to encourage repeat visits. It doesn't matter how historically important your attraction is; unless you can offer something different and keep people coming back year after year, you won't be able to sustain your operation for very long. I wonder whether some of this thinking could be applied to the Douglas horsetrams?

 

When we visited the IoM in 2013 we didn't travel on the horse trams, principally because my wife took one look at it and said 'but it only goes from there to there and we could walk that in 15 minutes'. It was an interesting oddity, but with traffic hurtling past it all seemed a little anachronistic. I am very sorry if it is going but I can't say it would alter my view on going to the island - give me the Groudle Glen over the tramway any day.

 

By 'eck your missus must be a fast walker - 1.6 miles in 15 mins. I don't hang around and it takes me a good half hour.
Seriously though isn't the fact that it is an anachronism in the 21st century that makes it worth saving? It has survived for 140 years where ALL other horse tramways have at some time succumbed to electrification or replacement by motor buses.
Ray.

 

Figures quoted on here ( 60000 passengers ) and the official figures from the IOM tourist board that posted the figure of I think 288000 visitors to the island but I don't have the link open any more easily found through google. I am not sure if the trams operate during the TT week and if not the figure would be considerably higher that 1 in 4.8

 

Off topic apologies but it's a lovely little line

 

It looks like there's been a short term reprieve with the likelihood of horse tramps running this year at least :

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk//launch.aspx?eid=5700e1f5-32b2-47f7-abad-6007f58fbc8c

Options are being considered to see whether a long term solution can be found.

 

Horse tramps? Are they the ones without a stable to go to?

 

Whilst there are encouraging signs, as yet, no-one has revealed if or how it is going to be funded. The Chief Minister has repeatedly stated that the Government will not be taking it on. Interestingly the Courier article quotes his Director of Public Transport as stating that a well known tour company would be within its rights to cancel if the horsetrams were not available as part of their contracted package. This would result in the loss of 4000 bed/nights for this one tour company alone. I give it no more than 60/40 yet.
Ray.

 

It would also result in a loss of profit to the well known tour company of 4000 times whatever they make per person. So unless they are running at a loss and are looking for a way out, I'd regard cancellation as unlikely. Ain't gonna cut of their own nose to spite someone else's face.

 

Or perhaps ones with croaky voices?

 

Oo-er! I'd better edit that. On second thoughts, it's raised a smile or two so perhaps I'll let it be.

 

If Lady Luck is on our side and they do run for at least another year, when does the season start?