Manx Electric Cars 19-22

This article details Car Nos. 19–22 of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.

Car Nos. 19 – 22
Manufacturer	G.F. Milnes & Co.
Built at	Birkenhead
Constructed	1899
Number built	4
Number in service	3
Formation	Closed Saloon
Capacity	48
Operators	Manx Electric Railway
Depots	Derby Castle Depôt
Lines served	Manx Electric Railway
Specifications
Traction system	Four SEHC traction motors of 25 hp (19 kW)
Power output	100 hp (75 kW)
Electric system(s)	550 V DC
Current collection	Overhead
Braking system(s)	Air
Track gauge	3 ft (914 mm)

These saloon cars, forming the fifth batch of power cars, were supplied and delivered in 1899 for the completion of the final section of the line between Laxey Station and Ramsey Plaza. Three of the four remain in service presently as No.20 is undergoing overhaul. The four vestibuled cars, known as the Winter Saloons, are the backbone of the fleet of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man; they are still in regular service but No.22 was completely rebuilt following a fire at Derby Castle Depôt in 1992 and is now widely considered to be a replica car. They have appeared in a variety of liveries, but suit the 1930s "house" style the best in many people's opinion and it is this guise that they are best known for carrying although they tend to carry several variations of this scheme. No.22 was at one point re-painted in the plain red and cream livery of the island's buses in 1999 in line with management whim, but this ultimately proved unpopular and she now carries the usual livery. She was also one of the cars selected for re-paint in 1957 upon nationalisation, carrying an experimental green and white livery for some time. Nos. 19 and 20 currently carry the 1950s "austere" livery, with 21 remaining in a hybrid colour scheme of recent years.

No.	Builder	Seating	Livery	Seats	Notes
No.19	G.F. Milnes & Co., Ltd.	Flip-Over Seats	Cream & Teak	48	Rarely out of traffic
No.20	G.F. Milnes & Co., Ltd.	Flip-Over Seats	Red, White & Teak	48	Under complete overhaul
No.21	G.F. Milnes & Co., Ltd.	Flip-Over Seats	Red, White & Teak	48	Regularly runs 10,000+ miles per year
No.22	G.F. Milnes & Co., Ltd.	Flip-Over Seats	Red, White & Teak	48	Used throughout the year

Gallery

• 
  MER Car 21, at Derby Castle Station
• 
  MER Car 21, inside view
• 
  MER Car 21, ceiling details

References

• Mike Goodwyn (1993). Manx Electric. Platform Five. ISBN 978-1-872524-52-8.
• Keith Pearson (1992). 100 Years Of Manx Electric Railway. Leading Edge. ISBN 0-948135-38-7.
• Robert Hendry (1978). Manx Electric Album. Hillside Publishing. ISBN 0-9505933-0-3.
• Norman Jones (1994). Isle Of Man Tramways. Foxline Publishing. ISBN 1-870119-32-0.

See also

• Manx Electric Railway rolling stock

Sources

• Manx Manx Electric Railway Fleetlist (2002) Manx Electric Railway Society
• Island Island Images: Manx Electric Railway Pages (2003) Jon Wornham
• Official Official Tourist Department Page (2009) Isle Of Man Heritage Railways
• Tramcars | Manx Electric Railway Online Manx Electric Railway official website