The history of the Isle of Man Horse Railway.

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The history of the Isle of Man Horse Railway.

So here we have the Manx crown, nominal – 1. The year of issue of this coin is 1976, mint: British Pobjoy Mint, Tedward, England. Total circulation – 50.000. The coin is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the horse railway.

The tramway was built and initially operated by Thomas Lightfoot, a retired civil engineer from Sheffield. His service was introduced in 1876 between the bottom of what is now Summer Hill and the bottom of Broadway in the centre of today's promenade adjacent to the Villa Marina. In the earliest days the track was expanded, and passing loops and long crossovers added so that by 1891 the line ran double track the entire length of the promenade, much as it does today. From opening it has operated every year, except for a period during the Second World War.

In 1882, Lightfoot sold the line to Isle of Man Tramways Ltd, later the Isle of Man Tramways & Electric Power Co. Ltd, which also owned the Manx Electric Railway. The company went into liquidation in 1900 as a consequence of a banking collapse. The tramway was sold by the liquidator to Douglas Corporation in 1902. Since 1927 the tramway has run in summer only.

Now the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway on the Isle of Man runs along the seafront promenade for approximately 1.6 miles (2.6 km), from the southern terminus at the Victoria Pier, adjacent to the Isle of Man Sea Terminal, to Derby Castle station, the southern terminus of the Manx Electric Railway, where the workshops and sheds are located. It is a distinctive tourist attraction.

Object data

Title

The history of the Isle of Man Horse Railway.

Artist

Obverse: Arnold Machin.

Founder

British Pobjoy Mint, Tedward, England.

Date

1976.

Culture

Isle of Man.

Medium

Copper-nickel.

Dimensions

28x38.6x3.17.

Classification

Coin.