We produce five different colour sets on the Manx Electric Railway. Each set consists of 10 6x4 ins colour prints, and you can order one set or several sets. The details of the sets are as follows.
Manx Electric Railway Set A 10 6 x 4 ins Colour Prints .
The first section of what later became the Manx Electric Railway opened in 1893, and although sometimes regarded as a tramway, it was actually an American style Interurban Electric Railway with power cars, trailers, freight stock, an electric locomotive and even its own stone quarries. Facing closure in 1957, it was taken over by the IOM Government and survives, but there have been many changes over the years, and with falling visitor levels, some cars have been stored out of use for 30 years. This set of 10 6x4 ins colour prints includes many rare scenes that are no longer possible today. It opens with MER No 1 of 1893 on Permament Way duty with a glazed vestibule fitted for winter operation. It is sitting on the 1899 Ballure viaduct on the outskirts of Ramsey during PW work in February 1974. Compare with MER Set B with this car after restoration to 1890s livery. No 9 of 1894 rounds the sharp curve at Ballaragh summit on 4 July 1977 with a trailer and van. The 1898 ECC Bogie Cars, 14/15/17/18 are mostly stored out of use now, but No 14 of 1898 heads across Laxey viaduct in glorious sunshine on 28 August 1959, a glorious shot. “Paddlebox” toastrack No 16 shunts Snaefell Car No 3 out of the MER car shed at Laxey on 26 Sept 1977. No 3 is on borrowed bogies and is en route to Derby Castle depot for overhaul. A further view of Snaefell No 3 and MER No 16, and taken as the Snaefell car is about to be propelled into Derby Castle depot is included. “Winter” saloon No 20 is caught on a winter service south of Howstrake in December 1991, whilst sister car No 21 rounds the curve into Dhoon Glen station in deep snow and glorious sunshine on 7 Feb 1969. MER Bo-Bo Electric Loco No 23 ran in freight service from 1900 to 1944 and was then stored. It was rescued by the Isle of Man Railway Society and ran again in 1983/84 and 1993. This delightful view shows No 23 in service near Far End in 1984. Paddlebox No 27 is on overhead line duties as a tram and trailer set pass by running wrong road, due to single line working near Dhoon Quarry sidings in September 1987. An 1893 trailer No 53, is ready to depart from Derby Castle on 16 Aug 1965. The ornamental tram shelter was still in situ at this time. MER Set B of ten colour prints provides a further coverage of this superb interurban electric railway A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright. Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.
Manx Electric Railway Set B 10 6 x 4 ins Colour Prints . The first section of what later became the Manx Electric Railway opened in 1893, and although sometimes regarded as a tramway, it was actually an American style Interurban Electric Railway with power cars, trailers, freight stock, an electric locomotive and even its own stone quarries. Facing closure in 1957, it was taken over by the IOM Government and survives, but there have been many changes over the years, and with falling visitor levels, some cars have been stored out of use for 30 years. This set of 10 6x4 ins colour prints includes many rare scenes that are no longer possible today. In MER Set A we opened with a view of MER No 1 of 1893 as a shabby works car. For the 1979 Centenary of World Electric traction celebrations and the Millennium of Tynwald, No 1 was restored to its former glory with ornately lined out paintwork and decades of dents ironed out. In May 1987, one of the original 1893 trailers was restored to unroofed condition, and the combination of No 1 and trailer 13 appear on their maiden passenger trip just south of Ballagorry bridge in May 1987. “Tunnel Car” No 7 of 1894 is in glorious sunshine at Laxey on 22 June 1971. ECC Bogie No 17, with trailer 53, climbs past Ballabeg, with Laxey bay as a backdrop on 22 June 1971. A classic location in glorious sunshine of a car that has not run in over thirty years. Winter saloon No 19 is in austerity MER Company 1950s red and varnished teak livery with NO lining out at Derby Castle at Easter 1959. In the background No 22 is in the short lived MER Board green and white, whilst an MER lorry can be seen in the distance. Winter car No 20 crossed the level crossing at Baldrine station on a winter service in December 1991, At this time the level crossing warning signs displayed a steam engine. In 1993, MER loco No 23, which had been rescued by the Isle of Man Railway Society was named in honour of Dr R Preston Hendry (1912-1991). The locomotive is seen at Derby Castle depot whilst the last touches were being applied to the paintwork prior to the ceremony by the President of Tynwald. Mer 33 and trailer 61 climb out of Laxey and over Preston’s Crossing on 7 July 1970. Cars 32/33 of 1906 are the newest power cars on the MER. 1894 trailer car No 37 is shunted by the Ramsey car shed sidings by 1894 motor car No 9 on 2 September 1963. No 9 is also shunting a 4w goods van. Snaefell car No 3 is seen with its original motors and the large roof board that graced the cars until the 1970s at the Bungalow on 2 June 1963. In 1970, Snaefell car No 5 was burnt out at the summit, and a new body was built. Basically to the original design, it lacked the roof clerestory and for economy was fitted with aluminium framed sliding bus windows. The rebuilt car is seen at the Snaefell car shed in June 1971, prior to entering regular service. MER Set A of ten colour prints provides a further coverage of this superb interurban electric railway A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright. Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.
Manx Electric Railway Set C 10 6 x 4 ins Colour Prints . A further selection from the Robert Hendry archive of the MER. We open with 1894 “tunnel car”! No 6 at Ramsey in 1961, when still carrying the remains of its last MERCo livery which dated from 1937 ! MER “Paddlebox” NO 26, seen at Laxey in 1961 is in 1944 MERCo wartime utility paint with numbers but NO lettering. Winter Saloon No 22 is at Derby Castle in MER Board Green in April 1959. MER freight car No 26 is in store at Laxey depot still carrying MERCo pre-war freight grey. MER Winter Saloon No 21 crosses the Ramsey road at Laxey on 7 February 1969 in a Glorious SNOW scene. MER Board Green was short lived, but for the 1979 Celebrations, MER 32 was restored to Board Green and is depicted in Derby Castle depot yard shortly after repaint. The car reverted to red many years ago. Snaefell Mountain Railway No 6 climbs out of Laxey on 3 June 1963, still with roof board in situ. The deteriorating state of the 1895 motors prompted the MER to buy seven metre gauge cars of 1957 from Aachen. The body of No 1010 was shipped to the Island but the rest were dismantled in London to provide new motors and control equipment.. CAA Railcar No 2 of 1957 is seen in the original Air Ministry RAF slate blue colours, and looks very smart. SMR loco No 7 was too derelict to rebuild so a replica was built in 1995 and is seen above Laxey car shed. It was subsequently rebuilt into a locomotive for the coast line, making this view historic. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright. Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.
Manx Electric
Railway Set D 10 6 x 4 ins Colour Prints .
A further
selection from the Robert Hendry archive of the MER. MER No 1 of 1893 hurries
south through the snow at Ballagh on engineering duties on 7 February 1969,
when fitted with a removable vestibule which markedly alters the look of the
car. MER Loco No 23 is seen on a trial
trip at Scarffe’s Crossing prior to its successful return to service in 1983.
With the refusal of the current management to adopt such an imaginative policy,
enthusiasts have been denied the chance to see No 23 run for over twenty years!
Snaefell Mountain Railway No 2 of 1895 is in the short lived green and white
MER Board livery of 1957 at the Bungalow in August 1961. No 19 is on the
10.30pm evening service from Ramsey, on the last time that scheduled late
services ran on the MER. In 1975 the Laxey-Ramsey section closed but a
replacement Board reopened the line in 1977. No I was on PW duties and used the
crossover at Ballaskeig, but came spectacularly off the road as we see in two
views. To commemorate the centenary of the MER in 1993, steam loco No 4 Loch visited
the MER and made several trips between Laxey and Dhoon, tackling the formidable
1 in 24 gradients with two saloon trailers, MER 57 and 58. She is climbing past
the remote crossing at Laxey Old Road. Rarely used ECC Bogie csr No 29 shunts
trailer 53 in Derby Castle yard in 1977. SMR No 6 still carried the large roof
board when photographed at Laxey on 2 September 1969. SMR No 2 is seen at the summit on 15 August
1965 with the old style roof board. The MER survives but is a shadow of its
former glory and none of these scenes can be recaptured today. A copy of these
notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright. Reproduction by any means
is prohibited without our prior written permission.
Manx Electric Railway Set E 10 6 x 4 ins Colour Prints .
A further selection from the Robert Hendry archive of the MER. The MER heraldic device looked splendid whether it was on red, green or varnished teak, but we have depicted it on one of the short lived green cars which ran 1957-1963. As part of the historic liveries plan, No 21 appeared in teak and ivory, as this was thought to be a livery used by the railway in 1899. The car is depicted on the 588 foot high cliffside shelf at Ballaragh. No 1 of 1993 was one of a handful of cars to go into the unpopular green and white 1957 Board livery and is ready to depart from Derby Castle in August 1959. It is 30 September 1975 and as 19 and saloon trailer 58 leave Ramsey on the 4.25pm service, it could well have been goodbye to the Ramsey section. Thankfully the Board was replaced and wiser ideas prevailed. 1977 was the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, and the MER painted toastrack power car No 25 in Silver, red and white to mark the event. Snaefell No 1, IOMR No 1 Sutherland, and MER No 1 are seen at Laxey in 1998. The photo was taken by Robert Hendry who had handled the specification for the new boiler that went into No 1 and later No 8! The handbrake “Ratchet” cars are now mostly ruinous. In June 1963, No 15 was still in 1942 utility war-time livery in Derby Castle depot. The late Mike Goodwyn is motorman on seldom used ECC Bogie car after its 1992-93 overhaul near the Majestic stop. No 27 shunts two tower wagons into the now demolished Laxey car she after it had been demoted to engineering use. Freight car 26 had been passenger car 10 of 1985 but was converted to a freight car with boarded window openings early on. It wa restored by the IOM Railway Scoiety in 1979, and the society suggested operating it to appeal to visiting railfans as is common on the mainland. Sadly such ideas have been ignored for decades. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright. Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.
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Manx Electric Railway Laxey pictorial handbill c1969
I have added a few items of ephemera to out photo sets as I regularly get asked if we have any MER paperwork to supplement the photo sets and the answer is a very small amount, including some of these black on green handbills of Laxey which were issued shortly before decimalisation in 1971. When they're gone, they're gone and I look back at some of the MER ephemera we used to have but which is long since gone
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Manx Electric Railway Snaefell 13/- handbill c1969
I have added a few items of ephemera to out photo sets as I regularly get asked if we have any MER paperwork to supplement the photo sets and the answer is a very small amount, including some of these black on pink handbills of Snaefell which were issued shortly before decimalisation in 1971 and give the old height of 2034 feet. When they're gone, they're gone and I look back at some of the MER ephemera we used to have but which is long since gone
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34 different Manx Electric MER 1971 decimal traditional card passenger tickets
The illustration is of ten of a collection of MER conductors single journey tickets which recently came to light. They cover
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Manx Electric Railway Official badged on reverse sepia and coloured postcards from 1920s. Almost 100 years old!)
The Manx Electric Railway Co issued sepia and coloured official postcards from the early 1900s up to the war and sold off residual stocks after the the war. They were of British Manufacture (many early postcards were German), and we have samples of three types to list. The MER operated and owned Sulby Glen or Tholt-y-Will, with its large tea gardens.
One card was of the tea garden completely deserted and this was in SEPIA.
A second version was a very convincingly coloured version from the same negative.
The third card was two holiday makers sitting at a table having tea and another couple are about to join them. From the fashions and the cloche hats of the ladies they were taken in the early 1920s, so would be for the immediate post Great War tourism book that was hoped for.
We used to have a much wider range of MER officials, but it is a case of the early bird etc, and many types are long out of stock.
FREE OFFER - If anyone orders ALL three cards we will supply a fourth card free so you can mount the 4 cards in an
Album or photo frame showing the three faces and one reverse as the backs are in effect standard.
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Manx Electric Railway Board, trading as IOM Railways colour folding brochure c1979
When the steam railway was taken into government ownership it was handed to the MER Board to operate and the Board rationally adopted an Isle of Man Railways title to reflect its wider duties although this was viciously lampooned! because of a power struggle with enthusiasts the Jackson era was much maligned but this brochure is a logical and well planned handout for visitors and is now almost 40 years old. It has the Isle of Man Railways title and the short lived logo of a steam loco and tram head-on. This too was maligned but was far more informative than the legendary double arrow logo of British Rail which achieved celebrity status.
As with other railwayana we have a limited supply and when its gone, it's gone!
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