Opened in 1893, extended to Laxey in 1894 and Ramsey in 1899, the Manx Electric Railway is a great survivor. Using electric tram cars, hauling trailers and built to 3ft gauge, for more than 125-years now it has served the east coast of the Isle of Man. From the halcyon days of tourism, the carriage of goods and mail and the running of 'Boat' cars, to fire, flood and threatened closure and scrapping, somehow the bulk of the fleet remains today, still working the same line each year and Cars 1 and 2 are the oldest of their kind in the world.
Having produced a video and DVD series from the late 1990s, latterly available as an annual review, this new series draws from a huge archive of film, shot over the last 30-years. From the good times, the bad times, events, repaints, special liveries, winter snow and much more - a lot has happened and much of it has been recorded!
Working through more than 100-hours of footage, the idea of this series is to relive the best parts of the last three decades combined with the new footage from the 21st century and beyond, featuring the recent resurgence.
No.1 in the series includes:
Autumn/Winter 1998/1999: Footage from the shoulder service in October 1998 and the one-car bleak mid-winter service in February 1999. 22+58 make a rare appearance!
Car 22 accident 2002: The incredible accident involving Car 22 and a BMW near Laxey. The tram almost ended up on its side, wedged in between the car and the embankment!
Moving withdrawn Trailers: The great Laxey breakout of 2002 saw long-stored trailers 36, 50, 53 and 54 move to Douglas.
Summer 2005/Summer 2010: A look back at two summers, five years apart with different liveries and rare combos.
Mad Sunday/Ramsey Sprint day 2018: Up to date action on a superb sunny day and a credible 12-sets running to Ramsey! All are featured here.
125 Years of Tunnel Cars: 2019 marked the 125th anniversary of the Tunnel Cars, and a special event was held. 'Lost' cars 4 and 8 take part in a four-car convoy.
Produced by - Train Crazy
Running time - 90 minutes
DVD only
Released - March 2020