Picture in Time: Blackpool Centenary 646

In this edition of Picture in Time we are back in Blackpool – or Fleetwood if you want to be completely precise – with an image of one of the much maligned, but vital, Centenary Cars.

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Trams to be restored for Fleetwood dockyard tramway scheme?

The Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust has recently announced ambitious plans to carry out major restoration work on some of its collection of ex-Blackpool trams, for operation on a brand new line at Fleetwood. This is part of a radical new scheme known as ‘Fleetwood Quays’, intended to rejuvanate the docks with a working tramway earmarked for construction to transport visitors around the site.

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A busy year for Beamish

The tramway at Beamish enjoyed a very busy 2017 with 27,550 miles covered – a figure made all the more impressive by the fact that only five trams were operational at some point in the year, including Blackpool 147 which returned home in early March. The figures have been revealed on Beamish Transport Online which also reveal that since they started to keep records in 2002 trams have covered 331,775 miles!

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Call to retain Summer Hill Stables in tramway ownership

It is another saga which seems as if it will never end, the future of the historic Summer Hill Stables which have been the home of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway trammers for over 140 years. Ever since Douglas Borough Council relinquished control of the Horse Tramway the future of the stables have been up in the air and it appeared at the end of 2017 that it was all over with news that Isle of Man Transport would be unable to use them in 2018 and that a new structure would be needed at the Derby Castle terminus. But now the Friends of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway are urging a rethink with a call to retain the stables in tramway ownership with a recognition of their historic nature.

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Contractor appointed to construct Preston’s Guild Line

Are trams going to run in Preston again? The on-off saga of the Guild Line has taken another turn for the better with the news that Preston Trampower Ltd have appointed Eric Wright Civil Engineering to construct the line. A sod cutting ceremony took place on Tuesday 9th January at the same time as the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two parties ahead of full construction of the demonstration line.

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Picture in Time: Great Orme Tramway 4 & 5

We head off to North Wales for this edition of our archive photo series with a view on the Great Orme Tramway of the two trams which have operated the lower section service ever since opening in 1902.

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Crich depot re-roofed

The project to improve the main tram depots at Crich Tramway Village is coming along very nicely indeed, with the new roof now in place over the entire complex comprising Depots 2, 3 & 4. This work was actually completed in time for Christmas, at which point the contractors took a short break – but work has now resumed with even more significant progress being achieved already this year.

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‘Winter Gold’ heritage service extends to Starr Gate

In a welcome development, Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours have announced that their first two ‘Gold’ operating weekends of 2018 will feature a heritage tram service along New South Promenade. From 1020 until 1620 on each day, there will be a heritage tram departing from a special temporary stop located at Starr Gate – meaning that there will be ample opportunities to ride on a traditional Blackpool tram over the whole system in the middle of winter.

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In Pictures: Manchester Metrolink T68s in store

It will be four years since the last T68s ran in service on Manchester Metrolink in 2018 but despite that period there are still four (including one T68A) which are stored at Trafford Depot. Shortly before Christmas Kevin James went down to Trafford Depot and has provided us with the following photos showing the trams continued storage.

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Petition launched to support Blackpool Tramway extension to Poulton

Could another extension of the Blackpool Tramway follow that due to open in 2019 to Blackpool North Station? It could if a petition recently launched has its way with a plea to commission a study into extending the tramway from Fleetwood to Poulton using the disused railway line.

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Increase in passengers for Luas

2017 has seen another increase in passengers for Dublin’s Luas network with 37.6 million passenger journeys recorded over the 12 months. This was an increase of 10.26% of figures from 2016.

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Picture in Time: Midland Metro 01

We travel back in time to the year 2000 for this edition of Picture in Time with the Midland Metro system the focus of our attention.

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Custom House DLR station to reopen

After an 11 month closure the Docklands Light Railway station at Custom House is set to reopen to passengers on Monday 8th January. The station has been closed since 3rd February 2017 to allow for vital modernisation work and to expand the station.

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New crossing at Crumpsall

The improvement works at Crumpsall stop on the Manchester Metrolink line to Bury have been continuing over the past few weeks with a new pedestrian crossing opening to passengers on Wednesday 3rd January. This new crossing replaces the old footbridge and ramp which will be demolished later this month.

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In Pictures: Brush cars bring 2017 to a close for the heritage fleet

The last public operation by the heritage trams in Blackpool consisted of three ‘Santa Special’ running days on Saturdays 9th, 16th & 23rd December. However, that wasn’t quite the end of the year for the heritage fleet as on 30th December, the Fylde Tramway Society hired two Brush cars for its annual Christmas tram tour.

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Continued growth for Edinburgh Trams

The new higher frequency timetable introduced on Edinburgh Trams during 2017 has helped to contribute to a 19% increase in passenger numbers over the past 12 months. 6.6 million passenger journeys were recorded in 2017 – an increase of more than 1 million.

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Where are they now? Bradford tram in Lancashire

As is well known when many of the UK’s original tram systems closed they sold off their redundant trams for further use with many ending up as holiday homes and sheds. One of these is believed to be a 1902 Bradford tram which ended up at Sunderland Point in Lancashire – and it is still there today as a recent film by Lune Tube has shown.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloons 709, 708 & Coronation 644

Heading back to Blackpool for this edition of Picture in Time with an image taken in the late 1960s.

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In Pictures: Hogmanay changes for Edinburgh Trams

As has become the norm Hogmanay in Edinburgh City Centre means that tram services are suspended between West End Princes Street and York Place to allow for the celebrations to take place. 2017 leading into 2018 was no different with all trams from the Airport terminating at West End from 1800 on Saturday 30th December until 0930 on Monday 1st January. Roy Calderwood was on hand to show us some of the sights at West End Princes Street on New Year’s Eve.

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Picture in Time: Modern Electric Tramways 7, 6 and Mobile Shop 01

In our first delve into the archives for 2018 we go back over 50 years ago to Eastbourne for an image taken of three trams on the Modern Electric Tramways operation on the Sussex coast before it headed over to Devon.

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