The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway on the Isle of Man UK looks like it's here to stay. New tracks have been laid and a new barn erected.

https://www.visitisleofman.com/things-t ... y-p1292461

Great news. Isle of Man is high on my list of places to visit for their steam railway as well. Glad the horse tram will still be an opportunity.

The Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources (SPCRR) at Atrdenwood Farm operated a 3' gauge horse drawn railroad from 1985 through 2012. This was a recreation of a South Pacific Coast Railroad (also SPCRR) branch line that used horses as motive power from 1881 to 1912. That railroad used 4 wheel "horse cars" as their passenger stock. The modern SPCRR used flat cars with picnic racks, but had a 4 wheel street car in their collection.

The SPCRR continues to operate in the farm, but now uses gas and diesel locomotives, with visiting steam. Legal and regulatory pressures have lead to the railroad being categorized as a amusement park ride, requiring power brakes and other safety features not possible with a horse... at the same time draft horse knowledge and support left the surrounding area, making use of draft horses much more difficult.

The SPCRR also worked with the street car group at Kelly Park in San Jose. They restored a San Francisco horse drawn street car, which they received from the SF Maritime Museum via the SPCRR... They operated that street car several times at Kelly park, several times with an SPCRR horse. It was also operated at Railfair 99 in Sacramento, again with one of the SPCRR horses, Jiggs...

The SPCRR continues to have an active and well thought out wooden car restoration program.

I have moved on to the Nevada State Railroad Museum, Boulder City... Where we operate a 5 mile long diesel heritage railroad using UP and SP CS steel passenger cars, but have several wood cars, including a 1875 Billmeyer and Smalls coach, the last car built by Wagner as well as occasional visits from Dan Markoff's Eureka...

Randy

Here is a horse powered tram in Mexico:

https://www.roamingaroundtheworld.com/t ... of-cuzuma/

You will find more here:

http://www.tramz.com/tw/la.html

under Mexico-Yucatan and Chile.

I think the two big "shore" tracation museumes might bring there horse cars out once in a blue moon.

That's a really great resource! Thanks.

Yes, it was fun time at Railfair 99. With Jiggs and the SPCRR crew, we were able to provide the only on-site public ride at Railfair.

When the proper motive power is provided, we operate the car at History Park in San Jose.

Ken Middlebrook
California Trolley and Railroad Corporation

A good number of the preserved horse cars are in trolley and streetcar museums. The Kelley Park Streetcar in San Jose, CA has operated their car with horses on special occasions.

Preserved Horse Cars of the World by Robert Reich was still available at the Seashore Trolley Museum book store, last I heard.

A very ancient horse car from New York (Stephenson, 1856) is at the Shore Line Trolley Museum and a slightly newer one from 1859 is on display at Illinois Railway Museum.

Ted Miles

Thanks ted! I’ve seen the one at IRM (lovely car) but wasn’t aware of the one at Shore Line.

I remember seeing one at the museum of science and industry too, but perhaps they sold it along with the Mississippi?