A new voice for Blackpool’s trams

Posted on Tuesday 9 August 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Since their introduction into service in 2012, Blackpool’s Flexity2 tram fleet have “spoken” with the voice of Blackpool Transport’s Bryan Lindop. However, in recent weeks the recorded announcements on the trams have been updated with new voiceovers recorded by a local radio host.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 16 Comments

An eventful August Sunday?

Posted on Tuesday 9 August 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Two tram preservation groups hosted special events on Sunday 7th August. The North Eastern Electrical Traction Trust (NEETT) played host to their annual ‘Tram & Transport Sunday’ at their headquarters at the North East Land, Sea & Air Museum near Sunderland, whilst over in Manchester, the Heaton Park Tramway paid tribute to vintage transport from nearby Oldham.

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B Fleet Balloon car runs in service

Posted on Monday 8 August 2016 by Andrew Waddington

The small fleet of modified ‘B Fleet’ Balloon cars in Blackpool which were intended to be used on stage carriage work to supplement the core LRT service post-2012, have found themselves with an increasingly confused role of late. Latterly used on heritage tours and little else, it therefore came as a nice surprise to see car 700 make a brief appearance in ordinary service on Sunday 7th August.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 5 Comments

Glasgow 812 goes to war

Posted on Friday 5 August 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Preparations for the next 1940s-themed event at Crich Tramway Village, taking place from 8th to 14th August inclusive, are well underway and this has included preparing a tram in wartime guise for the occasion. Glasgow 812 has been selected, being a fairly typical British tramcar which was around during that period in history.

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Posted in Crich Tramway Village | 1 Comment

This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 31 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

We have another three Photo Galleries for you this week as part of our latest main site update:

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Details revealed for Douglas Bay Horse Tramway 140th Anniversary

Posted on Friday 29 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

We may still be midway through the Manx Heritage Transport Festival (continuing until Sunday 31st July) but already we are looking forward to the next transport event on the Isle of Man – the 140th Anniversary of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway. The anniversary will be celebrated over the weekend of Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th August and Isle of Man Railways have now revealed the plans to celebrate in style which will include intensive services, trams in the evening and a parade of all trams to round things off.

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Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway | 5 Comments

Blackpool reveal details of next two Gold operating weekends

Posted on Friday 29 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

The next couple of months will see a further two periods of the popular Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours Gold timetable operating with outline details of both weekends now revealed. The next time the Gold timetable will be in action will be over the August Bank Holiday weekend (27th to 29th August) with the standard timetable in use and this will be followed by the Anniversary Spectacular (24th and 25th September) which will also include depot tours, rare trams on display and vintage bus tours.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 1 Comment

Metrolink set to return to MediaCityUK

Posted on Friday 29 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

Manchester Metrolink Services to MediaCityUK are set to return from Monday 1st August – subject to the successful completion of testing and commissioning of the new rails. Metrolink services on the Eccles line have not been running since 26th June with the first major rail replacement programme on the Phase Two line taking place but with this work now sufficiently progressed it is possible for trams to get as far as MediaCityUK again.

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In Pictures: Metrolink 3117 enters service

Posted on Friday 29 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

The latest M500 to enter service on Manchester Metrolink is 3117 with these pictures showing the tram in action on Saturday 23rd July, believed to be its first day in service since completing mileage accumulation. On this day the tram was used on the Piccadilly to Shaw & Crompton service. Photos by Steve Kemp.

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Edinburgh Trams service frequency increases

Posted on Friday 29 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

Edinburgh Trams services in the morning and evening peak will now run every 5 minutes following a successful – and unpublicised – trial earlier in July. The new timetable was officially introduced from 26th July and will see trams running every 5 minutes between 0730 and 0930 and 1630 and 1830 – an extra three return journeys in both peaks.

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Astrotrams arrive in Manchester

Posted on Friday 29 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

The past week has seen a number of trams on Manchester Metrolink transformed into Astrotrams as part of the City of Science Festival. Externally the trams don’t look very different with just small window vinyls saying #astrotram but internally it is a different story! The ceilings of the trams have been filled with astronomy facts and interactive triggers and customers who download the free SciMan app can play augmented reality videos, bringing science to life. Passengers at stops have also been treated to intergalactic facts from Professor Brian Cox.

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Midland Metro Birmingham City Centre closure for engineering works

Posted on Friday 29 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

Just two months after the much delayed opening of the Midland Metro Birmingham City Centre extension to Grand Central (New Street Station) there are to be three weekends of closures for engineering works! No details of just what engineering works are needed after such a short period of time seem to have been released but over the weekends of 30th/31st July, 6th/7th August and on Sunday 14th August all trams will terminate at Snow Hill with passengers wanting the City Centre told to walk once again.

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Farewell to the Fylde for Centenary 643

Posted on Tuesday 26 July 2016 by Andrew Waddington

As expected, Blackpool Centenary car 643 has now departed the storage yard in Fleetwood where it has resided for the last few years, having been sold to a learning disability school in the Midlands for further use. The tram left the Fleetwood docks on Friday 22nd July bound for a railway maintenance facility, also believed to be in the Midlands although its exact whereabouts have not been revealed.

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Posted in Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust | 11 Comments

In Pictures: Blackpool Standard 40 launched back into service

Posted on Tuesday 26 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

Blackpool Standard 40 was officially relaunched into service on Tuesday 26th July with special guest Bryan Lindop and Bob Mason from Blackpool Transport on hand to celebrate the return of this ever popular tram at the home of the National Tramway Museum – Crich Tramway Village.

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Book Review: ‘Regional Tramways – Yorkshire and North East of England’ by Peter Waller

Posted on Monday 25 July 2016 by Andrew Waddington

The above title (which is admittedly a bit of a mouthful!) is the second in a new series of volumes describing tramways in Great Britain, primarily those which existed between the years of 1945 and 1962. The style of presentation is, as one might expect, similar to the Scotland title which was reviewed a little while ago here: http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/news/?p=14721

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 24 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

We have another three Photo Galleries for you this week:

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Douglas Bay Horse Tramway future secured for at least two more years

Posted on Saturday 23 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

Following a lengthy debate and proposed amendments Tynwald agreed this week that Isle of Man Railways will continue to operate the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway for a further two years (in 2017 and 2018) whilst a further and more detailed case is prepared by the Department of Infrastructure for the long-term future of the tramway. The original proposal discussed was to see no initial commitment for the relaying of the full length tramway as part of the Promenade reconstruction works but an amendment made during the debate saw a commitment to the full relaying of a single track tramway all the way from the Sea Terminal to Derby Castle.

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Event Preview: Manx Heritage Transport Festival 2016

Posted on Saturday 23 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

The annual Manx Heritage Transport Festival takes place on the Isle of Man between Wednesday 27th and Sunday 31st July with the usual mix of transport action across the island. As usual the event features the Isle of Man Steam Railway, Manx Electric Railway and Snaefell Mountain Railway extensively and for the first time in many years the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway will also feature with varied trams in service. What follows is a list of all events taking place during the event not just those with a tram connection as we are sure there are many of you who head to the Isle of Man for the whole transport experience and not just the trams!

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399 204 arrives in Sheffield

Posted on Saturday 23 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

Having waited so long between the first and second tram-trains to arrive in Sheffield the deliveries have now definitely accelerated with 399 204 the latest to arrive following the long journey from Spain. The tram – which is unsurprisingly the fourth of the seven vehicles being constructed by Vossloh primarily for the tram-train pilot to Rotherham Parkgate but also to increase capacity on the existing network – arrived at Nunnery Square in the early hours of Tuesday 19th July. It will now undergo commissioning ahead of a start on testing and driver training and then an eventual entry into service.

Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | 2 Comments

Another arrival on Metrolink

Posted on Saturday 23 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

Saturday 16th July saw the latest M5000 arrive in Manchester with 3118 the tram being delivered. The 118th of the 120 trams currently on order 3118 was soon moved into the workshops where commissioning started ahead of mileage accumulation and then an entry into service. Only two more to go…

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 1 Comment