Operations
Originally the service was provided by about 24 electric tramcars and the same number of trailers: the earliest date from 1893 and almost all are pre-1910. Two of the original three cars that opened the line in 1893 are still in use, and are the oldest electric tramcars still at work on their original line anywhere in the world. The design of Manx tramcars pre-dates any consensus on tramcar design, and so they have quite distinctive boxy bodies. Most services are operated by a motor car towing a single trailer, although later cars can easily haul two trailers. This has never been common practice (in recent years this has been included in a few "special" services as part of the long-running series of events on the railway) although it was not uncommon for service cars to also haul a closed box-van for freight goods and, until 1975, a mail van. In September 1975 the line was closed between Laxey-Ramsey and the contract with the Post Office was lost but since this time a limited winter service has operated on weekdays though this was suspended in 1998 as an economy measure. Today, the railway operates a seasonal timetable with services terminating at either Laxey or Ramsey, with some shorter workings in connection with the Groudle Glen Railway in peak season and limited evening operations as far as Laxey in peak season to tie in with evening services on the Snaefell Mountain Railway which, since 2009, has provided a weekly Sunset Dinner service including rail travel and a meal at the summit. The possibility of a limited evening service returning to Ramsey in the future has also been considered in recent times and trams are sometimes hired on a charter basis during the summer months for special enthusiasts' excursions.
Read more about this topic: Manx Electric Railway
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