The latest progress reports from the Crich Tramway Village – home of the National Tramway Museum. This months report features news on Cardiff 131, London United Tramways 159, Leeds 180, MET 331 and London Transport 1622 plus the Wakebridge trackwork.
Cardiff 131 has now made its first moves under its own power – although only for a short distance (photos of the move can be found on Richard Lomas’ blog here. Recent work has included the gold lining of the tram (see here on Richard’s blog) whilst a contractor has been producing new rail scrubber-mounting boxes (the originals were worn beyond repair).
Work has now started on the top deck seats of LUT 159. Fettling of seat end castings continues and a sample seat has been made for approval by the LCCCT. Machining of lower saloon finishing moulding is being undertaken in Crich’s own Workshops.
MET 331’s overhauled traction motors and wheelsets have been fitted in the bogie frames and the tram was reunited with its bogies last weekend.
All the seat squabs and backs from Leeds 180 have been removed and sent to a contractor for recovering. The tram has now been returned to the main depot whilst the seats are sorted and it will return to the Workshop for lifting once 331 has been completed and space allows.
London Transport 1622 has been commissioned for 2009 and is being used to test the new track at Wakebridge.
The track at Wakebridge has been more or less completed and testing has now commenced. Full pictures and a report on this can be found on Richard Lomas’s blog here.
* For regular photos and updates from Crich please visit Richard Lomas’s blog here where up-to-date photos are regularly added.
* This news is taken from Contact: The Newsletter of the Tramway Museum Society. The only way to receive this monthly is to become a member of the Tramway Museum Society. As well as this monthly newsletter membership carries with it the right to a free copy of the Society’s illustrated quarterly Journal, free admission and free rides on the trams when the Museum is open to the public, and a voice in running Britain’s National Tramway Museum. Full details on how to join can be found here.
Source: Contact from the Tramway Museum Society & Richard Lomas's Blog