Major changes are planned for the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway

But the presentation of a historic document will provide a new insight into the last big refurbishment of the line dating back to the 1930s.

The workbook was presented by the daughter and grandson of the John Hugh Nankinvell, who was foreman of the Douglas Bay tramway and cable tramway.

He was in charge of a refurbishment of the line in 1934 which was the last time the line saw major change.

As part of the promenades redevelopment, the tramway is to remain as a twin track in the centre of the road between Summerhill and Broadway but then switching to a single track on the seaward side of the road to the Sea Terminal.

John Nankivell’s grandson John Beynon presented the historic workbook while he was in the island last week, having travelled over from his home in Australia for a family wedding.

He was accompanied at the handover to Isle of Man Transport by his mum Joan, of Onchan, who was 11 when her dad John Nankivell died.

Mr Beynon, who lives in Adelaide and works as a engineering professor at Flinders University, said: ’I visit the island regularly. My grandfather was foreman of the line, responsible for the horse trams and the cable cars.

’The book records the work they were doing everyday when they were renewing the horse tramway, how much track they used, the invoices for payment. It was a major redevelopment at the time.’

John wrote to Jason Moorhouse, DoI political member, with the idea of presenting the book.

Mr Moorhouse said the handover was ’incredible’ and the journal included unique information about the work done in the 1930s.