Manx Electric Railway Online

Car No.30 in Laxey Car Shed, April 2015 © Alex Fairlie

History

Car No.30 is the twelfth Crossbench Car in the M.E.R fleet, built by ER&TCW Co. as part of the third Series of Crossbench Cars delivered in July 1904. The Car was originally delivered with Brill 27cx trucks and air brakes however this equipment had passed to ‘Winter Saloon’ No.21 by September of that year; No.30 being re-equipped with the Winter Saloon’s less powerful E.C.C Trucks. The Car gained no replacement for it’s air braking system, instead having to rely on the Ratchet handbrake system.

As common with all other Ratchet cars, No.30 mainly saw use in the summer period on Specials to destinations such as Laxey, Garwick and Onchan Head. Besides the 1904 equipment swap, No.30 saw no other modifications throughout its career. Following the run-down of services in the 1950s and 1960s, No.30’s last recorded use was the 10th August 1971.

Since this date the Car has maintained a surprisingly quiet existence. While other Ratchet cars have faced proposed sale, extended periods of operation and/or storage away from the M.E.R, No.30 remained stored from the early 1970s until May 2002 inside Laxey Car Shed, and from then until November 2014 inside Ramsey Car Shed. Due to the impending demolition of Ramsey Car Shed in that month, No.30 was moved once again to Laxey Car Shed by road, returning to its long period of inactivity.

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