Horse trams
Douglas Bay Horse Tramway
Douglas Bay Horse Tramway is the oldest horse-drawn passenger tramway to remain in service anywhere in the World. Established in 1876, and operated from 1902 until 2015 by Douglas Borough Council, the Horse Tramway celebrated its 140th anniversary on 7 August 2016.
The Horse Tramway has an active group of supporters and volunteers who help make the horse tram operations possible. Follow these links to the Douglas Horse Tramway and DBHT Volunteers websites.
There is also a separate fundraising and support charity for the Horse Tramway which focuses on promotion and heritage conservation. Visit the Douglas Bay Tramway Heritage Trust website where you can learn more, make a donation or sponsor one of our Clydesdale and Shire tram horses.
For the 2019 season, the horse trams are operating Tuesday to Sunday each week. There is no service on Mondays.
A flat fare of £1 (single or return journey) per passenger currently applies for the shortened journey southwards from the Derby Castle terminus.
Go Explore cards are accepted for travel on all horse tram services. These offer great value for money unlimited travel for 1, 3, 5 or 7 consecutive days on all our bus and heritage railway services.
Alternatively residents and visitors can purchase a Go Horse Tram card valid for the whole season. These are available from the Welcome Centre and Derby Castle terminus, priced £30 per adult, £20 concessions - for children and resident senior citizens.
| Tram | Type | Seats | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Winter Saloon, the second tramcar to carry this number, it was built as a replacement for the original No.1 built in 1876 and scrapped in 1900 | 30 | 1913 |
| 12* | Toastrack, cream and blue, oldest surviving tram bought new that remains in the fleet | 32 | 1888 |
| 18 | Double Deck, originally built in 1883 for a proposed Ramsgate & Margate Tramway but went to a South Shields tramway before being purchased secondhand for Douglas in 1887 | 40 | 1883 |
| 21 | Toastrack, lengthened in 1936 when the seating capacity was increased from 32 passengers to 40 | 40 | 1890 |
| 27* | Winter Saloon, one of three Winter Saloons delivered in 1892; end vestibules were added in 1895 to offer tram drivers more protection from the elements | 30 | 1892 |
| 29 | Winter Saloon, one of the three Winter Saloons delivered in 1892; end vestibules were added in 1895 to offer tram drivers more protection from the elements | 30 | 1892 |
| 32* | Bulkhead, glazed end panels were fitted in 1967 | 32 | 1896 |
| 36 | Fitted with Glazed End Panels and lengthened in 1908 | 32 | 1896 |
| 38 | Toastrack, red and blue; lengthened in 1938 and capacity increased from 32 to 40 | 40 | 1905 |
| 40* | Toastrack, lengthened in 1939 and capacity increased from 32 to 40 | 40 | 1902 |
| 43 | UEC Bulkhead | 40 | 1907 |
| 44* | UEC Bulkhead, known as the Royal Tram since 1963. The tramway received royal visits in 1964, 1965, 1970 and 1972. The latter visit included Her Majesty The Queen, HRH Prince Philip, HRH Princess Anne and Earl Mountbatten | 40 | 1907 |
| 45 | Bulkhead | 40 | 1908 |
If you wish to support the horse trams by advertising on a tram, please contact publictransport@gov.im. *indicates tram is not available for advertising.
Working Tram Horses 2019
- Rocky
- Philip
- Keith
- Kewin
- Robin
- Andrew
- Bobby
- Alec
- Chloe
- William
- Torin
- Harry
- Nelson
- Douglas
- Amby
- Charles
Horses in training 2019
- Mary
- Ginger
- Zeba
