Manx Electric Railway Online

Trailer 53 at Derby Castle, July 2025 © David Hennessey

History:

Trailer No.53 was the fifth trailer built for the Manx Electric Railway in a batch of six delivered in 1893 by G.F Milnes of Birkenhead, as No.15. It was renumbered to No.32 in 1898 and finally No.53 in 1903/04. Bodywork wise, it was rebuilt with a canvas roof in 1894/95 from it’s condition as a fully open trailer, and rebuilt again in 1903 with a curved wooden roof.

A post-war rebuild in the 1940s saw higher glazed end bulkheads added. Interestingly, whereas the panelling on the other rebuilt trailers was made from wood, those on No.53 are built from aluminium sheets. No.53 was still available for summer work until July 1978, until it was withdrawn from service and permanently stored in Laxey Car Shed. The Trailer was one of four offered for sale by the M.E.R during 1978, however no successful bids were received.

It was moved from there for further storage at the Homefield Bus Garage in Upper Douglas in May 2002, returning to the M.E.R in November 2009.

Following almost 50 years of storage, No.53 is now the only example of the railway’s surviving 1893 fleet not in operational condition. It remains in store at Derby Castle Car Sheds.

Information:

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