TLC for Boat 227

Posted on Friday 13 January 2017 by Andrew Waddington

Winter has always been a busy time for Blackpool’s Rigby Road workshops and, although the workforce has been reduced since the tramway upgrade, this is still true to this day. As well as routine work on the operational heritage trams, the main focus of the workmen so far this winter has been Open Boat 227 which is currently receiving some well-deserved conservation work.

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First ever fare increase for Blackpool’s heritage tours

Posted on Friday 13 January 2017 by Andrew Waddington

It may seem hard to believe, but Blackpool’s Heritage Tram Tours will soon be five years old! The price of a day ticket has remained the same since the service began at Easter 2012, but is set to rise by £1 for the start of the 2017 season.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 14 Comments

Is a Liverpool tram reunion on the cards?

Posted on Friday 13 January 2017 by Andrew Waddington

We’ve already announced that the Birkenhead heritage tramway will be playing host to a special event on Saturday 16th September, marking 60 years since the closure of the Liverpool tram system. So far details on what will actually happen on that day have been fairly vague, but more is gradually being released into the public domain including one potentially juicy nugget of information!

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Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway | 12 Comments

In Pictures: Glasgow 1016 on the move

Posted on Thursday 12 January 2017 by Andrew Waddington

In December 2016, we reported on the exciting news that the remains of Glasgow 1016 – also known as Paisley 16 in its past life – had been moved to Blackpool, having joined the collection of the Blackpool Heritage Trust. We are now delighted to be able to bring you some pictures showing the tram leaving its previous home at Bridgeton Garage, where it was part of the fleet of vehicles in the care of the Glasgow Bus Museum.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 14 Comments

Picture in Time: Rigby Road Depot

Posted on Thursday 12 January 2017 by Gareth Prior

We have a fascinating image from October 1962 for today’s Picture in Time as we take a look at Rigby Road Depot with many long gone trams visible.

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Picture in Time: Volks Electric Railway

Posted on Tuesday 10 January 2017 by Gareth Prior

A line we rarely feature on these pages is the subject of Picture in Time today as we head to the south coast and Brighton’s Volks Electric Railway.

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Posted in Picture in Time, Volk's Electric Railway | 3 Comments

In Pictures: FTS Christmas Tour 2016

Posted on Sunday 8 January 2017 by Andrew Waddington

The Fylde Tramway Society usually hold an annual Christmas tour of the Blackpool tramway, and 2016 was no exception. The latest event was held on 30th December and featured B Fleet Balloon car 713 – a rare appearance for this tram which had previously been used just once in 2016 – and this was joined by a bonus surprise in the form of Boat 600!

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Picture in Time: Croydon Tramlink 2530

Posted on Saturday 7 January 2017 by Gareth Prior

Today our archive photo series is head to Greater London for a view from the (as was then) Croydon Tramlink network. The tram we are looking at in this edition is the first built of the Bombardier CR4000s – 2530.

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Blackpool on ‘Great British Railway Journeys’

Posted on Friday 6 January 2017 by Andrew Waddington

The upcoming episode of the popular BBC2 television series ‘Great British Railway Journeys’, hosted by Michael Portillo, to be shown on Monday 9th January at 6:30pm, will see the presenter travel between Blackpool and Manchester. This programme is expected to feature scenes that were filmed in spring 2016, showing Portillo travelling aboard Blackpool & Fleetwood Box car 40 of 1914.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 4 Comments

Free Edinburgh Hogmanay trams a major success

Posted on Friday 6 January 2017 by Gareth Prior

More than 5,000 people took advantage of Edinburgh Trams free service offered on Hogmanay with extra trams having to be used to keep up with demand. The free service was provided for the first time since the line opened in 2014 with trams running between midnight and 0500.

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Drop-in sessions for Metrolink Trafford Park line

Posted on Friday 6 January 2017 by Gareth Prior

A series of drop-in sessions are to be run to allow the public to find out more about the Trafford Park Manchester Metrolink extension ahead of the start of construction this year. The first enabling and utility works are due to commence next week on the 3.4 mile line which will leave the current Metrolink network at Pomona.

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A new year, same old problems

Posted on Friday 6 January 2017 by Gareth Prior

It may be a new year but it has started with the same problems on Manchester Metrolink’s Airport line – a car has driven onto the tracks and become stuck. The first incident of 2017 was recorded on Thursday 5th January and involved a car making a wrong turn between Roundthorn and Baguley stops shortly after 0915. Whilst the car was recovered Metrolink services only ran from Cornbrook to Sale Water Park with passengers wishing to travel further advised to change onto the East Didsbury line at St Werburgh’s Road as far as Withington where they could complete their journey by bus.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Brush 626

Posted on Thursday 5 January 2017 by Gareth Prior

Blackpool Zoo adverts have long been synonymous with Blackpool trams – and in particular the Brush Railcoaches – with the very first single deck advert being for that very attraction. In this edition of Picture in Time we are taking a look at the last all over advert on a single decker for Blackpool Zoo as carried on Brush 626.

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Edinburgh Trams introduce new timetable

Posted on Wednesday 4 January 2017 by Gareth Prior

Trams in Edinburgh are now running more frequently following the introduction of a new timetable on Wednesday 4th January. Previously a trial timetable had been introduced which saw increased frequencies at peak times but extra trams are now being run throughout the day, every day of the week.

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Posted in Edinburgh Trams | 5 Comments

Welcome to Seaton 15

Posted on Tuesday 3 January 2017 by Gareth Prior

The transformation of Seaton Tramway’s no. 17 into a fully enclosed saloon tram was completed in the lead up to Christmas with it being used alongside the other enclosed single deck trams during the Polar Express event. As part of the tram’s rebuild it has been renumbered 15 and has been completed in a blue and white livery.

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Posted in Seaton Tramway | 8 Comments

In Pictures: Burton & Ashby 14 update

Posted on Tuesday 3 January 2017 by Gareth Prior

Work on returning Burton and Ashby 14 to the rails is continuing at the Statfold Barn Railway in Staffordshire with the owner of the railway hoping that no. 14 will be running in the UK once again in March.

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Snow Hill becomes St Chads

Posted on Tuesday 3 January 2017 by Gareth Prior

A new year has equalled a new stop name in Birmingham City Centre with the stop adjacent to Snow Hill station now known as St Chads. The change was made from New Year’s Day and is said to more reflect the wider area although it is adjacent to Snow Hill railway station, albeit currently without any direct access.

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Picture in Time: Leeds 602

Posted on Tuesday 3 January 2017 by Gareth Prior

Always a popular tram when featured in any form on this website today Picture in Time takes a look at Leeds 602, but this time we aren’t looking at its preservation career as we catch up with it in Leeds whilst still in service.

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Picture in Time: Midland Metro 06

Posted on Saturday 24 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

As its nearly Christmas we have some wintery images for our last visit to the archives for 2016 as we are on Midland Metro. The subject of this edition of Picture in Time is T69 06 which had been in the wars following heavy snow fall on 21st March 2013.

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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Posted on Friday 23 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

As this is our last update until early in the new year we would like wish everyone who reads this website a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 2016 has been a year full of ups and downs in the UK tram scene with the good seeing the return of trams to service after restoration/overhaul, popular tram loans and some excellent speciale events. However, unfortunately, it is the bad which has dominated the headlines with the tragic derailment in Croydon bringing trams to the attention of the national media whilst we also saw the fire suffered by Blackpool Twin Car 272+T2 in September make the news.

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