Glenanne and Loughgilly Tramway

History
This short tramway was something of a record holder as far as uniqueness goes, being the only one of this gauge (1ft 10ins) in the British Isles, and with the horse walking outside the track (due to its construction) and with the driver sitting down inside the vehicle on one of the passenger seats, at right angles to the direction of travel. It operated from 1897 to 1919. The only known photograph of the sole horsecar suggests that the driver, who also doubled as a conductor, wore informal attire, but with a kepi-style cap, the latter possibly though by no means certainly issued by the company. Neither jacket nor cap appear to have carried any badges.

Further reading
For a short history of the tramway, see: 'The Glenanne-Loughgilly Horse Tramway' by W McGrath, in the Tramway Review, No 13 (p102-104); Light Railway Transport League (1954). For an overview of the Irish tram scene, including the Glenanne and Loughgilly line, see 'Irish Trams' by James Kilroy; Colourpoint Books (1996).

Images

Horse tram drivers
Glenanne and Loughgilly Tramway
Probably the only surviving photograph of the passenger car, which was apparently named 'Carew'. It must have been a cramped affair, given the very narrow gauge (1ft 10 ins) and the overall dimensions. The driver bizarrely had to sit down at right angles to the direction of travel, which must have made for a cricked neck, not to mention the restricted forward view caused by the horse's rear end. Photo courtesy of Jim Kilroy, tram archivist at the National Transport Museum (see link).


Glenanne and Loughgilly passenger tram
A blow-up of the above photo showing the driver-cum-conductor (holding the reins); he would appear to be wearing an informal jacket and a kepi-style cap, though this is far from clear.