Beginnings
The line is built to 3 ft (914 mm) gauge and is 17 miles (27.4 km) long from terminus to terminus. It is largely segregated from road traffic, running over two tracks on roadside reservation or private right-of-way, and is electrified using overhead line at 550 volts direct current. Initially the means of power was supplied to the tramcars by pairs of Hopkinson bow collectors (still employed on the Snaefell Mountain Railway today, owing to its dependability in strong winds on the mountain) but by the turn of the 20th century cars were fitted with trolley poles, the method still employed today. Originally the electricity was generated by the railway's own power stations though they are now supplied via the island's grid by the Manx Electricity Authority. Having operated a year-round service from its inception, the line now still provides service throughout the year although the winter service is much less frequent than the summer service and has been intermittently dropped from schedules in recent years altogether to allow a substantial investment in infrastructure and permanent way in addition to relaying longer stretches of rails and sleepers without disturbance.
Read more about this topic: Manx Electric Railway
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