Purchased as two four-wheel carriages in 1873 from the Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co., Ltd., of Saltley Works in Birmingham and later allocated fleet numbers B.12 and C.5, by 1881 these two carriages had become close coupled and were later mounted on a new steel underframe, again supplied by the Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon Co., Ltd., in 1911 to become “pair” F.71.  The C.5 portion was built with a brake van which doubled up as a third class compartments when not used as such, in common with other “C” series carriages; evidence of the brake ducket remained, as did look-out windows in the non-Douglas end bulkhead.

The central bulkhead aperture which originally carried a dual aspect oil lamp was boarded over.  The carriage in this form survived in service until 1972 when it was withdrawn and stored in the carriage shed in poor condition; it was common for the disused carriages to be stored outside in winter when serviceable stock took its place in the shed.  The bodies were removed and destroyed in 1982 and the underframes retained as a bogie runner; it last saw use on the line during the 2012 Rush Hour weekend.  Thereafter the frames were stored at Douglas Station until November of 2024 when they were scrapped with useable parts salvaged and retained.