Heaton Park Tramway celebrate MTMS 50th anniversary in style

Posted on Monday 3 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

Sunday 2nd April saw the Heaton Park Tramway celebrate 50 years of the Manchester Transport Museum Society with no fewer than nine trams featuring on the day in one form or another including an impressive four trams in service.

Continue reading →

Posted in Event Reviews, Heaton Park Tramway | 3 Comments

Event Preview: Rush Hour on the Railways – Isle of Man

Posted on Sunday 2 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

Now an established part of the operating season across the Isle of Man’s various railways and tramways, Rush Hour on the Railways will once again be taking place over the Easter weekend. This time the four day spectacular will be followed the Festival of Steam which will include Heavy Haulage on Manx Roads.

Continue reading →

Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, Event Previews, Manx Electric Railway | Comments Off on Event Preview: Rush Hour on the Railways – Isle of Man

Picture in Time: Croydon Tramlink 2536

Posted on Saturday 1 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

Our latest modern tram image in the archive photo series Picture in Time comes from Croydon as we take a look at a tram during the pre-opening period in 1999 of CR4000 2536.

Continue reading →

Posted in London Trams, Picture in Time | Comments Off on Picture in Time: Croydon Tramlink 2536

In Pictures: Summer sunshine for Winter Gold in Blackpool

Posted on Friday 31 March 2017 by Andrew Waddington

The latest Gold operating weekend for Blackpool’s heritage trams took place on the weekend of 25th & 26th March. Although billed as a ‘Winter Gold’ event, this actually took place a few days after spring had officially started, whilst the start of British summertime also occurred over the same weekend. The familiar pattern of having a frequent heritage tram service using six trams on each day ran, with a number of old favourites making a welcome return to use following a winter lay-off.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway | Comments Off on In Pictures: Summer sunshine for Winter Gold in Blackpool

Delays in “Saving Volks” project likely to see no service this summer

Posted on Friday 31 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

The Volks Electric Railway looks set to miss it first summer season since 1948 following delays to the “Saving Volks” Lottery funded project. a previously unknown – but live – gas supply was found during the demolition of the car sheds and this caused delays to the project which mean the expected end date will now not be achieved.

Continue reading →

Posted in Volk's Electric Railway | Comments Off on Delays in “Saving Volks” project likely to see no service this summer

In Pictures: Edinburgh Trams – just because

Posted on Friday 31 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

A system which we haven’t featured pictorially for a while is Edinburgh Trams so, with thanks to John Hampton, we bring you a small selection of photos showing the line it its full glory doing just what it was designed for – transporting people around the Scottish capital.

Continue reading →

Posted in Edinburgh Trams | Comments Off on In Pictures: Edinburgh Trams – just because

In Pictures: Track machine at Shaw & Crompton

Posted on Friday 31 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

Recently spotted stabled in the bay platform at Shaw & Crompton has been a VolkerRail Tamper Machine. The machine is currently on Metrolink metals for use during regular maintenance work with Manchester Metrolink not actually possessing their own equipment to undertake this work. Paul Gilbert provides us with the following image.

Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 2 Comments

See behind the scenes at the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway

Posted on Thursday 30 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

Behind the scenes tours at the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway stables will again be taking place in 2017 with the first tours due on the first day of the season – Saturday 8th April (only just over a week away!). The “Meet the Trammers” stable tours will be run by the Friends of Douglas Bay Horse Tramway in cooperation with Isle of Man Transport with two tours due to take place on each scheduled day at 1000 and 1100.

Continue reading →

Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway | 4 Comments

Tram Driving Experience Day at Black Country Living Museum

Posted on Thursday 30 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

The latest heritage tramway in the UK to offer a Tram Driving Experience Day is the Black County Living Museum although if you want to get your hands on a 3’6” gauge tram you will have to be quick as only four places on each day are available!

Continue reading →

Posted in Black Country Living Museum | Comments Off on Tram Driving Experience Day at Black Country Living Museum

Unusual destinations on Metrolink

Posted on Thursday 30 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

With the Second City Crossing now firmly established as part of the Manchester Metrolink network you would think that the system would cease to surprise but on Sunday 26th March planned engineering works and the unsafe building on Drake Street, Rochdale saw unusual destinations carried on the trams.

Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | Comments Off on Unusual destinations on Metrolink

Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 721

Posted on Thursday 30 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

Its time for another trip to the northwest coast and the Blackpool Tramway for this instalment of Picture in Time. This time around we feature Blackpool Balloon Car 721 in 2005 at which time it was carrying an all over advert for Hot Ice.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Picture in Time | Comments Off on Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 721

Event Preview: MTMS 50 at Heaton Park Tramway **updated**

Posted on Wednesday 29 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

Sunday 2nd April will see a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Manchester Transport Museum Society at the Heaton Park Tramway with up to four trams hoped to be in service alongside a selection of currently stored trams on display at locations on the tramway.

Continue reading →

Posted in Event Previews, Heaton Park Tramway | Comments Off on Event Preview: MTMS 50 at Heaton Park Tramway **updated**

Bolton 66 commemorates 70th anniversary of end of Bolton Corporation Tramways

Posted on Wednesday 29 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

On 29th March 1947 it was the end of an era in Bolton when the last trams ran following 67 years of loyal service to the town. Who could have thought that fast forwarding 70 years and there would be a tram from Bolton still operating albeit in Blackpool? Well that is exactly what has happened and to mark the 70th anniversary 66 enjoyed a trip out on the Blackpool Tramway on 29th March 2017.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway | Comments Off on Bolton 66 commemorates 70th anniversary of end of Bolton Corporation Tramways

Edinburgh Trams records busiest ever day

Posted on Wednesday 29 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

Saturday 25th February proved to be the busiest day yet on Edinburgh Trams with just over 28,000 passenger journeys being made. This day saw the Scotland v Wales Rigby Unio Six Nations match at Murrayfield – the stadium has a tramstop adjacent making it ideal to take the tram to the match.

Continue reading →

Posted in Edinburgh Trams | Comments Off on Edinburgh Trams records busiest ever day

Supertram 109 derailed on Herdings Park route

Posted on Wednesday 29 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

Stagecoach Supertram 109 suffered a minor derailment on Thursday 23rd March whilst it was on the short branch to Herdings Park. Reports have suggested that it was derailed as a result of a concrete block and some ballast being placed in the spring loaded points which caused the points not to be able to move as they should. The derailment happened at around 1245 with only a few passengers on board the tram, none of whom suffered injuries in the low speed derailment. Supertram engineers attended the scene and rerailed the tram before it was taken back to depot for inspection. Services to Herdings Park were temporarily suspended but resumed after a few hours once the tram had been removed and the points fully checked to ensure they were working.

Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | Comments Off on Supertram 109 derailed on Herdings Park route

Manchester Metrolink Service Changes: Sunday 2nd April

Posted on Wednesday 29 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

There will be track maintenance work affecting Manchester Metrolink services on Sunday 2nd April; this time the work will be in the City Centre and will mean that the first time since the Second City Crossing opened services between Bury and Altrincham will be diverted onto the new line.

Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | Comments Off on Manchester Metrolink Service Changes: Sunday 2nd April

New exhibition at Crich for 2017

Posted on Tuesday 28 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

Arms to Armistice is a new exhibition at the Crich Tramway Village – the second in the series of exhibitions to examine how the outbreak of the First World War affected the tramways of Britain. This exhibition looks at the latter stages of the war from mid-1916 through to the Armistice in 1918 and reveals how the increased employment of women on the trams led to them taking on more responsibilities.

Continue reading →

Posted in Crich Tramway Village | Comments Off on New exhibition at Crich for 2017

Upcoming Supertram service changes

Posted on Tuesday 28 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

The next week will see Stagecoach Supertram services amended on two occasions with replacement buses in use to cover for affected sections.

Continue reading →

Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | Comments Off on Upcoming Supertram service changes

Two new substations for Metrolink

Posted on Tuesday 28 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

Two new substations are about to be installed on Manchester Metrolink to provide additional power and resilience across the network and enabling more trams to run. The substations will be built in the Park and Ride sites at Brooklands and Whitefield with pre-work set to begin on Wednesday 29th March.

Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | Comments Off on Two new substations for Metrolink

Picture in Time: Modern Electric Tramways 6

Posted on Tuesday 28 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

Another black and white photo today in the Picture in Time series as we are back on the south coast at the Modern Electric Tramways operation in Eastbourne.

Continue reading →

Posted in Picture in Time, Seaton Tramway | Comments Off on Picture in Time: Modern Electric Tramways 6