New works vehicle for Heaton Park

Posted on Sunday 27 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

May 2012 saw a new addition to the fleet of working vehicles at Manchester’s Heaton Park Tramway. Unlike the last two arrivals, Stockport 5 and Blackpool 623, this one arrived almost unnoticed with no launch ceremony and no celebratory cake – but that’s quite understandable as the item in question is not actually a tram, but the latest addition to the works fleet!

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‘George Formby’ tram prepares for service

Posted on Sunday 27 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Work on preparing Blackpool Boat car 604 for a return to service is nearing completion, with the tram having now left the Paint Shop in a fresh coat of green and cream. As we have reported previously, the tram is being sponsored by the George Formby Society and will be named ‘George Formby MBE’, as well as receiving images of the iconic Blackpool performer on its trolley tower.

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Metrolink 3053 arrives in Manchester

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

Metrolink M5000 3053 has become the latest of the new trams for Manchester to arrive in the City. The tram was seen coming off the M602 at 1110 on Saturday 26th May from where it would then have gone to the Queens Road depot for initial commissioning work. Once this commissioning work is completed the tram will be moved to Old Trafford depot
where it will await an entry into service.

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Lost Trams 2: Blackpool Dreadnought 59

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

With much of the UK currently sweltering under nice warm sunshine it is rather apt that the second tram to feature in our irregular “Lost Trams” series is an open topper – Blackpool Dreadnought 59. This very popular tram has been out of the public eye since it was moved to the National Tramway Museum’s Clay Cross store in 1995 and in weather like this it is badly missed.

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Tramlink Engineering Works

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

Two sets of engineering works on London Tramlink are taking place over the next few
days as work progresses on increasing capacity on the network. Firstly the line between Mitcham and Mitcham Junction is closed again on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th May with trams running as far as Mitcham Junction from New Addington, a replacement bus service between Mitcham Junction and Mitcham and then a shuttle tram service from there to Wimbledon. This closure is in connection with the work to double track this section of line.

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More Engineering Works for Supertram

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

The ongoing programme of works to replace track on the Stagecoach Supertram network
will continue over the forthcoming Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend with the City Hall area being the latest to be worked on. The work here will take place on Sunday 3rd and Monday 4th June with a replacement bus service in operation on both these days and a Sunday timetable.

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More problems for Metrolink

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

Unfortunately the past week has seen more delays on Manchester Metrolink with the Eccles, Bury and Altrincham lines all seeing problems at some point with not only the
usual tram failures to blame but also overhead line failures.

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Residents lose latest challenge over tramway crossing closure but vow to carry on

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

The bid for a judicial review over the decision to close the Lauderdale Avenue crossing between Little Bispham and Cleveleys on the Blackpool Tramway has been thrown out by the Court with the applicant even being given £2,000 costs for bringing the action. In making the decision the Judge said that the closure had been subjected to sufficient scrutiny and that there was no case no answer. Despite this latest setback local residents have vowed to carry on their fight to get the crossing reopened.

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R.I.P. Richard Lomas

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Richard Lomas, one of the longest-serving active members of the Tramway Museum Society, has sadly died. Richard passed away peacefully following a fairly long illness in the early hours of Friday 25th May. He had spent a lengthy spell in hospital suffering from pancreatis, but after going home he was re-admitted a few days ago when he was diagnosed with septicemia and pneumonia, which proved to be too much for him to fight.

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Posted in Crich Tramway Village, People | 3 Comments

Trams celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Many people across Great Britain are celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in early June, with the late spring Bank Holiday extended by one day to give many workers a four-day weekend. Britain’s tramways have not been left out of this time of celebrating, with two of the country’s most popular museum lines planning special events to mark the occasion, whilst another organisation is actually repainting a tram in a special commemorative livery.

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Boat car sails to Glory Mine

Posted on Friday 25 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Another major milestone in the restoration of Blackpool Boat car 236 for operation at Crich Tramway Village, home of Britain’s National Tramway Museum, took place on Wednesday 23rd May when the tram ran all the way to Glory Mine on test for the first time since its arrival on site one month previous.

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Flexity versus motor car – Round 1!

Posted on Friday 25 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

There have been a whole host of noteworthy firsts involving Blackpool’s brand new Flexity2 trams in the past few weeks, but an unwanted first occured on Tuesday 22nd May. For the first time, a member of the class was involved in a collision, with car 014 having an argument with a motor car at one of the remaining tramway/road crossings. This tram had only entered service a few days earlier and is currently the newest tram in Blackpool!

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New blood for Fylde Tramway Society

Posted on Friday 25 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

At a time of major change for the Blackpool tramway, it seems highly appropriate that the Fylde Tramway Society, which was formed to support the retention of the system back in 1971 when its future looked increasinly bleak, is also in a period of change. The recent Convention weekend saw the confirmation that a number of new Committee members have been appointed, which will give the Society a fresh feel for the tramway’s new era.

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Blackpool trams to star at Crich seaside event

Posted on Monday 21 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

More details are now available regarding the planned launch into passenger service of newly restored Blackpool ‘Boat’ car 236 at the Crich Tramway Village on Sunday 3rd June, as part of the ‘Beside the Seaside’ event being held over the late spring Bank Holiday weekend. Although primarily an event targeted at families rather than tram enthusiasts, the launch of 236 has created the ideal excuse to create some additional interest involving the Musuem’s large collection of Blackpool trams.

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Blackpool ‘Balloon’ set for open-top restoration

Posted on Sunday 20 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

What could potentially be one of the most exciting projects involving a recently preserved Blackpool tram has been announced, as part of a collaboration between the Manchester Transport Museum Society and the North Eastern Electrical Traction Trust. It has been confirmed that plans are afoot for Blackpool Balloon 708 to transfer to the North East, where it will hopefully be the subject of a complete restoration to its original open-top condition!

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Access Tram restored to service

Posted on Sunday 20 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

It is pleasing to report that the sole wheelchair-accessible tram at Crich, Berlin 223 006-4, has finally returned to use following a prolonged overhaul and repaint. The car last ran in passenger service in September 2011 and since then its appearance has been radically altered thanks to a complete external repaint in its original cream livery with grey roof and black lining-out.

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TfGM put TWAO application into for Second City Centre Crossing

Posted on Saturday 19 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

Transport for Greater Manchester have moved a step closer to getting the much needed Second City Centre Crossing by putting an application into the Department for Transport for a Transport and Works Act Order. This is the formal process required to secure the legal powers to build and operate the line which will go from St Peter’s Square to Manchester Victoria via Princess Street, Cross Street and Corporation Street.

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Variotram 2558 touches down at Therapia Lane

Posted on Saturday 19 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

The deliveries of the Variotrams for London Tramlink is nearing completion with the arrival of the fifth (of six) of the Stadler built trams at Therapia Lane during the evening of Friday 18th May. Number 2558 joins its four sisters in the UK of which several have been seen in service so far.

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Two more Flexities debut in service

Posted on Saturday 19 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

Friday 18th May saw two more Flexity2 trams make their passenger debuts on the reinvigorated Blackpool Tramway when both 013 and 014 were used in service for the very first time. Unlike some of the earlier examples both trams had already had their full branding applied before entering service (indeed all trams currently in Blackpool are now carrying numbers following the departure of 002 back to Germany last week).

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Lost Trams 1: Nottingham 112

Posted on Saturday 19 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

We have recently been contacted by someone whose father has an old tram in their garden and as they included some photos of the tram what better excuse than to start a new occasional series on these pages – Lost Trams! The subject of the first of this series is Nottingham 112 which was originally built in 1907 by Milnes Voss and was a Balcony double-decker. The photos show that the tram seems to still be in a fairly good condition and has been well looked after since it has been used as a shed.

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