Trailer No.45 (1899)

Trailer No.45 inside Laxey Car Shed, July 2012 © Dave Martin

CURRENT STATUS AND LOCATION	YEAR LAST OPERATED	LIVERY
Scrapped	2018	–

History:
Trailer No.45 was ordered for the extension to Ramsey, and built by G.F Milnes as a standard crossbench trailer of the No.44-No.48 series in 1899. They were initially painted to match the brand new Cars of No.14-No.18.

In August 1944 the Trailer was involved in a breakaway incident at Watson’s Crossing, with it and Van No.15 detaching, running backward and jumping the rails into Ballaglass Glen. No.45 was later fished out from the glen and heavily rebuilt at Derby Castle Car Sheds (The Van was not as lucky, being scrapped shortly after), returning and remaining in service pretty much constantly after this date until 2000, where it was withdrawn for a general overhaul, which was started in 2001/02.

Preparations were well underway, but then the trailer was chosen to be converted into a flat wagon for the Permanent Way Department, being subsequently rebuilt and emerging in early 2004. With most of the body removed and an end dash panel fitted to the Derby Castle End, 45 took on a somewhat different appearence to its original condition.

After 15 years of use with the Permanent Way department, the frames (weakened in the 1944 incident) were deemed to be life expired. These were removed and stored off trucks at Dhoon Quarry in 2020, and scrapped in mid-2021. The trucks from No.45 were overhauled and currently (2025) are in use underneath Trailer No.50.

Information: