ISLE OF MAN RAILWAY EVENTS 1996


There always appears to be something to celebrate about transport
in the Isle of Man. In 1993 there was the Manx  Electric  Railway
centenary. In 1995  the  Snaefell Mountain Railway  centenary and
this year  there  is  120 anniversary of Douglas Horse Trams, the
centenary of the now defunct Douglas Cable Car system -  a  cable
tramway  very  similar  to  that  of  San Francisco  and also the
Groudle Glen Railway Centenary.

Most public transport, excluding the Groudle Glen line  is  state
owned, which is almost the opposite of what now prevails  in  the
UK! Isle of Man Railways have published a glossy A4 booklet which
gives full details of all the events planned for 1996. A copy can
be  obtained  from  Isle of Man Railways,  Strathallen  Crescent,
Douglas, Isle of Man.

Below is listed some of the principal events:

ENTHUSIASTS' WEEK  18 - 27 May

Saturday 18  - MER Works Train
Sunday   19  - Cable Car operating on promenade horse tramway under
               battery power.
Monday   20  - Double headed trains on IMR, Workshop Open Day
               Night Photography.
Tuesday  21  - Snaefell Mountain Railway Works Train
               Snaefell Photo Day
               MER Workshop Open Day
Wednesday22  - MER Tram Line Up & Night Photography
Thursday 23  - Groudle Glen Railway Centenary Day
Friday   24  - IMR Freight train. MER Tram with TWO trailer cars
Saturday 25  - Groudle Glen Railway - Double headers
               Static Horse Tram line up
Sunday   26  - Cable Car on promenade. MER Photo Stop Tram
               Groudle Glen Night Photography
Monday   27  - GGR Freight Train

CENTENARY FORTNIGHT 14 to 28 July

Sunday   14  - MER Photo Stop Tram
Monday   15  - Cable Car on Promenade
               IMR Workshop Open Day
               MER Night Photography
Tuesday  16  - MER Trams in unison. MER Trams pulling two trailer cars.
Wednesday17  - MER Tram line up. Groudle Glen freight train and]
               night photography.
Thursday 18  - Snaefell Photography Day
               MER Workshop Open Day
               IMR Night Photography
Friday   19    IMR Freight train and double header
Saturday 20    Cable Car on promenade
               GROUDLE GLEN RAILWAY OFFICIAL OPENING CENTENARY
Sunday   21    Groudle Glen Double Headers
Monday   22    MER Workshops Open Day and Night Photography
Tuesday  23    MER Tram line up
Wednesday24    MER Works Train & GGR Night Photography
Thursday 25    Snaefell Photography Day
               MER Workshops Open Day
               IMR Night Photography
Friday   26    Cable Car on Promenade
               IMR Freight Train
               IMR Double Header
Saturday 27    MER Photostop Tram
Sunday   28    Groudle Glen Freight Train

VINTAGE TRANSPORT WEEK  17 - 24 August

Saturday 17    MER Works Train
Sunday   18    Horse Tram Cavelcade
               Road Vehicle Parade
Monday   19    IMR Workshop Open Day
               MER Night Photography
Tuesday  20    MER Tram Line Up
               SMR works train
Wednesday21    Cable Car on promenade
Thursday 22    Snaefell Photography Day
               MER Workshop Open Day
               IMR Night Photography
Friday   23    IMR Freight Train
               IMR Double Header
Saturday 24    MER Trams in Unison, MER Photo Stop stram

Full event programmes will be available - tel 01624 663366
for more details.

Also Drive a Tram sessions will be offered on  the  MER  and
a wide range or Rail and Bus/Rail rover tickets are available
from ticket offices for 1 to 7 days travel at bargain prices.
These are available througout the Spring/Summer/Autumn.

The Isle of Man is easy to get to. Ferry services are operated
by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company  Ltd from Liverpool,
Heysham, Douglas, Fleetwood, Dublin and  Belfast and vehicles
are carried. Frequent air  services  are   operated by Manx
Airlines and Jersey European.

The Isle of Man Steam Packet and Manx Airlines both have booking
and information pages on the Internet WWW.

I hope you find this info useful. I visited the IOM during last
summer's Snaefell Centenary and really enjoyed myself.

John Luxton