The West Hill Cliff Railway, or West Hill Lift, is a funicular railway located in the English seaside town of Hastings. It runs largely in tunnel, and provides access to Hastings Castle and St Clement's Caves from George Street, on the town's sea front. The West Hill overlooks the sea to the south, the Old Town to the east, and the current central business district of Hastings to the west

Construction of the line was started in 1889 by a private operator, the Hastings Lift Company. The line met with local opposition, which meant that the work took longer to complete than originally envisaged, and construction costs were over 50% higher than envisaged. The line finally opened in 1891, and was originally powered by a gas engine.

The first operator went bankrupt in 1894, probably as a result of the construction delays and cost overrun. The Hastings Passenger Lift Company took over and operated the line until 1947, when Hastings Borough Council bought the line. It was converted from a water balanced system to electric operation in 1971. To mark the railway's centenary year, the line was fully refurbished in 1991.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Hill_Cliff_Railway

Tags:   West Hill Cliff Railway West Hill Lift Hastings Sussex east sussex

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Snaefell Car No.5 at Laxey

Car No.5 was delivered to the Snaefell Mountain Railway in Spring 1895, the fifth of six identical vehicles built by G.F. Milnes of Birkenhead. In common with the rest of the fleet, the Car was delivered unglazed however this had been fitted by 1896, and a roof clerestory the following year to increase the levels of comfort for passengers. Mather & Platt electrical gear and control systems were used, and the Car had gained a roof-mounted advertising board by the early 1900s.

The Summit-end Control equipment was changed in 1903/04 from the original Mather and Platt example to use a General Electric K11 Controller, and later a K12 Controller in 1954. Apart from this, the Car remained little altered for nearly seventy years, although No.5 regularly swapped its trucks with Works Car No.7 until at least the early 1950s.

On the 16th August 1970, a fire started by an underfloor short circuit whilst No.5 was at the Summit, and the vehicle was rapidly reduced to its frames, trucks and one cab end. The fire was initially blamed on the advertising board fitted to the Car, with high winds causing No.5 to ‘rock’ and loosen wires, however it is now thought that the regular swapping of trucks between No.5 and No.7 mentioned above meant that the Cars wiring was in far poorer condition than any of the six passenger Cars on the system, meaning an electrical fault caused the events that year.

With the frames and trucks reusable, a new body was built for No.5 by H D Kinnin of Ramsey, being built in only eleven months. The superstructure remained mostly the same however the Car was not rebuilt with a clerestory, and was fitted with modern bus-style windows. The ‘new’ No.5 returned to active service on the 8th July 1971. The Car was also fitted with cushioned bench seats and remains the only Snaefell vehicle to be so fitted.

Although the original equipment was reused, it would be replaced itself seven years later, with the original Mather and Platt traction motors becoming worn out. The decision was made to re-quip the entire 6 car-fleet as a whole with materials and control equipment from German Aachen Tramcars fabricated inside replica 1895-style trucks built by London Transport. No.5 was the last Snaefell Car to use it’s original 1895 Mather and Platt motors and Trucks, ending an era on the last day of service for 1978, the 30th of September. Following this, it was moved to Derby Castle Car Sheds on the M.E.R. for refitted, and returned to Snaefell in Autumn 1979 with modernised electric equipment and regenerative braking.

No.5’s last trip on the Manx Electric for overhaul at Derby Castle Car Sheds was during October 1996. Whilst at Derby Castle Car Sheds, No.5 was repainted with the title ‘Raad-yairn Snaiull‘ on the sides (Snaefell Mountain Railway in Manx Gaelic). A wheelchair lift was preliminarily fitted at the right-hand Summit end of No.5 (but was removed after Health and Safety discussions) and the aluminium-framed windows were removed for conventional wooden ones. No.5 was the last Car to receive attention at Derby Castle (all further work is now undertaken in-house at the Snaefell Car Sheds), moving back during May 2003. Today No.5 carries the original S.M.R. livery of Teak and Ivory.

manxelectricrailway.co.uk/snaefell/stocklist/motors/snaef...

Tags:   Laxey Isle of Man IOM Mannin Ellan Vannin Isle Of Man Heritage Railways Laxey railway station Laxey station Snaefell Mountain Railway Snaefell Mountain Railway SMR Raad-Yiarn Sniaull Stashoon Yn Thie Injil

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Tram 5 and trailer 48 trunlde past Groudle Glen

Car No.5 is the second of six ‘Tunnel Car’s (named such after their long and sleek interiors) ordered for the Laxey extension of the M.E.R in 1894. The car was built by G.F Milnes and delivered with Milnes Series 3 trucks, fitted with Mather and Platt electrical gear along with longitudinal seats with a capacity for 36 passengers. In 1903, many Cars were refurbished with new equipment, and Car No.5, in line with four other ‘Tunnel Cars’, gained Brush ‘D’ trucks and air brake equipment.

It became unique from the rest of it’s series in 1932 when it lost it’s longitudinal seating for 2+1 transverse seating (similar to that used in the ‘Winter Saloons’), gained a partition in the passenger area, and lost it’s cab end iron gates, being replaced by full size glazed doors. Although the rest of it’s series followed suit with the gate replacement and partitions, the only other ‘Tunnel Car’ to lose it’s longitudinal seating is No.7 during it’s recent overhaul. It also received a set of K12 Controllers from ‘Ratchet’ Car No.14 in 1963, replacing the previous K11 units.

No.5 then saw regular use with few changes until Winter 1969 when it’s original twin-piece cab windows were replaced with a sole central window. The Car also curiously gained a second, higher, headlight in 1972, and by Spring 1978, had been re-liveried into the corporate ‘Isle of Man Railways’ livery. Fortunately a more historical livery appeared on No.5 by Summer 1981 and the lower headlight was removed, leaving the higher placed headlight in-situ.

The Car was used extensively throughout it’s centenary period and was withdrawn for overhaul in Summer 1997. A return to service was made in Summer 2000 with the Car regaining the traditional lower headlights and retaining it’s 1930s-style livery. However the Car again became unique by carrying the ‘Manx Electric Railway’ lettering in Manx Gaelic, translated as ‘Raad-Yiarn Lectragh Vannin’.

A further ten years of intensive use on timetabled services took it’s toll on No.5’s appearance, and it was withdrawn at the end of the 2010 season for cosmetic and mechanical attention, spending 2011 inside the Paint Shop at Derby Castle Bottom Sheds, whilst undergoing repaint and an overhaul to it’s trucks. No.5 re-entered traffic during March 2012, and remains in service.

manxelectricrailway.co.uk/motors/car-no-5-1894/

Trailer No.48 was ordered for the extension of the M.E.R to Ramsey, and was the final one of a batch built by G.F Milnes as a Crossbench of the No.44-No.48 series in 1899, and initially painted to match the brand new Cars of No.14-18.

No.48 has seen pretty much constant use from its construction, usually operating on full-line service and specials. It saw a repaint into a Brown and Cream colour scheme, of the Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey Electric Tramway Company with the intention to match Car No.19 in the same guise in Spring 1998, though after the Winter Saloon was changed to an interpretation of the 1950s livery in 2002, No.48 was again repainted in the conventional M.E.R Red/White/Teak in Spring 2003.

No.48 was withdrawn after derailing at Ballafayle Kerruish in August 2008 (severely damage the Derby Castle end roof and bulkhead), but after a series of repairs returned to service in June 2011 in the Prussian Blue livery of the Douglas and Laxey Electric Tramway (with Manx Electric Railway lettering), matching the recently overhauled Car No.7.

manxelectricrailway.co.uk/trailers/no-48/

Tags:   Manx Electric Railway MER Tram electric Tram Tramway Derby Castle Derby Castle Terminus derby castle station Douglas Douglas harbour Doolish Douglas Isle of Man Isle of Man IOM Mannin Ellan Vannin Douglas bay Isle Of Man Heritage Railways

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Tram 5 and trailer 48 climb out of Derby Castle

Car No.5 is the second of six ‘Tunnel Car’s (named such after their long and sleek interiors) ordered for the Laxey extension of the M.E.R in 1894. The car was built by G.F Milnes and delivered with Milnes Series 3 trucks, fitted with Mather and Platt electrical gear along with longitudinal seats with a capacity for 36 passengers. In 1903, many Cars were refurbished with new equipment, and Car No.5, in line with four other ‘Tunnel Cars’, gained Brush ‘D’ trucks and air brake equipment.

It became unique from the rest of it’s series in 1932 when it lost it’s longitudinal seating for 2+1 transverse seating (similar to that used in the ‘Winter Saloons’), gained a partition in the passenger area, and lost it’s cab end iron gates, being replaced by full size glazed doors. Although the rest of it’s series followed suit with the gate replacement and partitions, the only other ‘Tunnel Car’ to lose it’s longitudinal seating is No.7 during it’s recent overhaul. It also received a set of K12 Controllers from ‘Ratchet’ Car No.14 in 1963, replacing the previous K11 units.

No.5 then saw regular use with few changes until Winter 1969 when it’s original twin-piece cab windows were replaced with a sole central window. The Car also curiously gained a second, higher, headlight in 1972, and by Spring 1978, had been re-liveried into the corporate ‘Isle of Man Railways’ livery. Fortunately a more historical livery appeared on No.5 by Summer 1981 and the lower headlight was removed, leaving the higher placed headlight in-situ.

The Car was used extensively throughout it’s centenary period and was withdrawn for overhaul in Summer 1997. A return to service was made in Summer 2000 with the Car regaining the traditional lower headlights and retaining it’s 1930s-style livery. However the Car again became unique by carrying the ‘Manx Electric Railway’ lettering in Manx Gaelic, translated as ‘Raad-Yiarn Lectragh Vannin’.

A further ten years of intensive use on timetabled services took it’s toll on No.5’s appearance, and it was withdrawn at the end of the 2010 season for cosmetic and mechanical attention, spending 2011 inside the Paint Shop at Derby Castle Bottom Sheds, whilst undergoing repaint and an overhaul to it’s trucks. No.5 re-entered traffic during March 2012, and remains in service.

manxelectricrailway.co.uk/motors/car-no-5-1894/

Trailer No.48 was ordered for the extension of the M.E.R to Ramsey, and was the final one of a batch built by G.F Milnes as a Crossbench of the No.44-No.48 series in 1899, and initially painted to match the brand new Cars of No.14-18.

No.48 has seen pretty much constant use from its construction, usually operating on full-line service and specials. It saw a repaint into a Brown and Cream colour scheme, of the Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey Electric Tramway Company with the intention to match Car No.19 in the same guise in Spring 1998, though after the Winter Saloon was changed to an interpretation of the 1950s livery in 2002, No.48 was again repainted in the conventional M.E.R Red/White/Teak in Spring 2003.

No.48 was withdrawn after derailing at Ballafayle Kerruish in August 2008 (severely damage the Derby Castle end roof and bulkhead), but after a series of repairs returned to service in June 2011 in the Prussian Blue livery of the Douglas and Laxey Electric Tramway (with Manx Electric Railway lettering), matching the recently overhauled Car No.7.

manxelectricrailway.co.uk/trailers/no-48/

Tags:   Manx Electric Railway MER Tram electric Tram Tramway Derby Castle Derby Castle Terminus derby castle station Douglas Douglas harbour Doolish Douglas Isle of Man Isle of Man IOM Mannin Ellan Vannin Douglas bay Isle Of Man Heritage Railways

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The slightly wet open deck area on Manxman

Tags:   MV Manxman Manxman Isle of Man Steam Packet Company IOMSPC IoMSPCo. Sheshaght Phaggad Bree Ellan Vannin

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