The imaginative conversion of an old Douglas horse tram has got enthusiasts rather hot under the collar.

But bosses at the Motor Museum in Jurby said the transformation of tramcar no.34 into a road vehicle will give it a whole new lease of life.

The Manx Electric Railway Society says it ’deplores’ what has been done to the historic vehicle which it claims has been ’butchered’ and now appears to be a ’Chimera’ (the monstrous hybrid of Greek mythology). In a statement that pulls no punches, it said: ’The society cannot condone this and suggests all right-thinking people should search their consciences before lending any support to the museum.

’Tram 34 is a Manx Icon which has been effectively destroyed as a gimmick.

’The people who have done this appear to have done so to create a crowd-pulling freak and should not be given the oxygen of publicity.’

The tramcar, which is on loan to the Isle of Man Motor Museum, has been placed on a Mercedes-Benz chassis.

Darren Cunningham, director of the Isle of Man Motor Museum, said the response had been overwhelmingly positive.

He said: ’There has always been a balancing act between the conservation, restoration and reuse of historic vehicles.

’In this particular case, the owners of this horse tram have elected to restore and modify the vehicle in a way that pays respect to its heritage whilst also enabling it to be used in far more imaginative ways than ever before.

’Unlike many of the other retired horse trams which have been hidden away in private storage or just left outside to rot, car no. 34 has been loaned to us to display for the enjoyment of the public along with more than 500 other vehicles in the museum. It will also enjoy a second life leaving Douglas Promenade and visiting far-flung destinations to promote the Isle of Man.’

Mr Cunningham added: ’Despite the hyperbolic claim from the MERS that it has been "effectively destroyed", car no. 34 can be restored back to its original condition at any time as the owners have kept any items they have removed (including the running gear, brakes, and so on) in secure storage. As a fellow transport enthusiast, I am also personally very disappointed in the MERS who felt the appropriate response to this vehicle being displayed in the museum was an obnoxious aggressive press release rather than just coming and speaking to us.

’I would suggest to those interested members of the public they should pay a visit to the museum to see the horse tram for themselves and make their own mind up. So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.’