The first wheels have turned over the new horse tram tracks on Douglas promenade, but they weren’t horse related.

The wheels were in fact a diesel operated engine, moved over from its usual work on the Manx Electric Railway.

A Department of Infrastructure spokesman confirmed that number 34 was wheeled the short distance across the tarmac onto the tracks at Strathallan to allow for testing of the new rails, which were bought from MerseyRail because of their capability to take both horse pulled and other forms of trams.

A supporters page for the MER said it was ’history in the making’.

A post on the page also claimed that the engine was being used to ’clean the grooved rail prior to the imminent reopening of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway between Derby Castle and Queen’s Promenade’.

The DoI spokesman added: ’The testing process will continue this week when horse trams take to the tracks for the first time.’

That testing was then seen taking place on Wednesday afternoon.

The test of the engine could have further meaning in the future as the DoI has previously confirmed it may look at the potential usage of the tracks for trams.

If this was to happen, the tracks could link up with the MER at Strathallan on the short distance of tarmac between the horse tram rails and the MER tracks.