SORRY, SOLD OUT  

One hundred and fifty years ago Laxey was home to one of the richest lead mines in Britain. In one year the Great Laxey Mine produced over 11,000 tons of zinc ore, as much as all the other mines in Britain added together!

In this book Laxey resident and historian Andrew Scarffe relates the many tramways and railways which were associated with the Great Laxey Mine plus a few that were proposed but never built.

Uniquely in British mining, Great Laxey used two tiny steam locomotives, Ant and Bee, to haul the mined ore from deep underground to the Washing Floors, where the ore was prepared for sale. Both were unfortunately scrapped in the 1930s following the closure of the mine. Seventy years later the Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust began the restoration of the surface section of the former tramway using replicas of the original locomotives. To bring the history of Laxey's tramways fully up to date, the story of the rebirth of the Great Laxey Mine Railway, as it is known, is fully related.

Laxey's harbour facilities were poor and a number of steam railways connecting Douglas with Laxey were proposed. This book also recalls the fascinating and unfulfilled proposals. When a railway was eventually built, somewhat ironically it was to be an electric tramway for tourists and the Great Laxey Mine was ignored. Previously unpublished information describes the construction of the famous Manx Electric Railway.

Lavishly illustrated throughout, almost all of the photographs, plans and builders drawings have not been previously published. 

The price is £22.90  (including p&p) for UK delivery or £20 if bought direct from The Blackpool Tram Shop. (Please note this book is UK only delivery).

Size: 22cm x 30cm Hardback
174 pages