Manx railways & tramways - Edward Gray

In the latter half of the 19th century the Isle of Man, hitherto a land of farmers and miners, began to enjoy an unprecedented tourist boom. In summertime the resident population was swollen by many thousands of visitors, attracted by the island's charming scenery and pleasant climate. Holiday-makers arrived by boat at Douglas and the island's transport systems developed as a result of the need to carry visitors further inland or to the places of interest around the coast.;Within such a small area, the island pioneered an unusual array of railway and tramway undertakings. Some enterprises were seasonal only, but others, linking the major towns, became important channels of communication for the permanent residents. Although some of the systems have vanished, a surprising number remain. Almost unaltered from the Victorian era, some lines outlasted modern developments and lingered on, possibly because of the island's isolation from the mainland. The narrow-guage steam railway, the horse-drawn tramcars in Douglas, the electric tramway to Ramsay, the unique Snaefell Mountain Railway and the Groudle Glen miniature railway have all passed their centenary in recent years, and are still going strong in their second century.;In almost 300 photographs, most of which were previously unpublished, this book covers all the surviving systems, together with the long-vanished cable tramway, the Douglas Head Marine Drive tramway, and the closed sections of the steam railway.