Centenary car 643 goes to school!

Posted on Tuesday 12 July 2016 by Andrew Waddington

The Blackpool tramway upgrade has resulted in several of the tramway’s old fleet ending up in some rather odd places – and Centenary car 643 looks set to join their ranks. Having already changed owners more time than many considerably older trams, 643 has been sold yet again and looks set for a new life at a school for young people with learning disabilities somewhere in the Midlands.

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Posted in Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust | 4 Comments

718 to return to service

Posted on Saturday 9 July 2016 by Andrew Waddington

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and that saying is certainly true of some of the more heavily modernised members of Blackpool’s Balloon fleet. When four of these classic trams were rebuilt with flat ends, they were not particularly well received by enthusiasts; however following three years of inactivity, the cars are now very much in demand. Therefore, it is pleasing to announce that car 718 has been recommissioned and is due to return to use on Friday 15th July!

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 4 Comments

Blackpool Standard 40 almost ready for a return

Posted on Tuesday 5 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

The operating fleet at Crich is set to increase by one by the end of July with Blackpool Standard 40 due to return to service on Tuesday 26th July at a special ceremony attended by special guests from Blackpool. 40 was withdrawn from service at the end of last season for an overhaul and repaint in Crich’s own workshops and with this now coming to a conclusion the tram will be commissioned for service.

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Posted in Crich Tramway Village | 3 Comments

LCC 106 arrives at Carlton Colville

Posted on Sunday 3 July 2016 by Andrew Waddington

On Sunday 3rd July, London County Council 106 left its regular home at Crich Tramway Village to begin its long journey to the East Anglia Transport Museum at Carlton Colville near Lowestoft, where it arrived later the same day. The tram is being loaned to this museum for a very short period to star in their London-themed event taking place on Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th July.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 3 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

Three more Photo Galleries for you this week as part of our main site update:

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Manchester Metrolink, West Midlands Metro | 2 Comments

In Pictures: London County Council trams at Crich

Posted on Sunday 3 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

As we reported a few days ago London County Council 1 has now returned to the Crich Tramway Village following a six week period in Ilkeston at Garmendale Engineering where it underwent significant attention as part of its major restoration. The tram is now safely ensconced back in the workshop where work will continue on returning the tram to service over the next few years. Meanwhile the other LCC tram at Crich – 106 – is currently waiting at the back of the depot for its trip to Carlton Colville for next weekend’s event.

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3116 into service in Manchester

Posted on Friday 1 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

The 148th tram to carry passengers on Manchester Metrolink has entered service with 3116 being noted in use on Wednesday 29th June. The tram is based at Queen’s Road and entered service on the Exchange Square to Rochdale Town Centre service (the service to Exchange Square seems to the first choice for most new trams now).

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 7 Comments

In Pictures: Another action packed weekend at Crich

Posted on Friday 1 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

Sunday 26th June saw more action at Crich with the chance for retired crew members to visit, more cars/bikes on display and the latest day of the horse tram service. Hazel Quarmby was again on site as these photos shows.

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Smart ticketing moves step closer on Metrolink

Posted on Friday 1 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

All passengers on Manchester Metrolink – and the regions bus network – will be able to use a smart card for travel from 2017 it has been revealed. Currently concessionary travel pass holders have been able to use the get me there card – since autumn 2014 – and despite the introduction in November 2015 of a Metrolink mobile ticketing app the full introduction of the “Oyster” style ticketing had been delayed but now the project has progresses sufficiently to make this go-ahead announcement.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 1 Comment

Collision on Metrolink

Posted on Friday 1 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

Saturday 25th June saw yet another collision on Manchester Metrolink between a van and a tram. This time the incident happened on Hollyhedge Road at approximately 1925 whilst the van was reversing into a driveway. The tram involved was 3065 which suffered some damage as did the van but fortunately there were no reported injuries. Services on the Airport line were suspended between Robinswood Road and Roundthorn for just over 30 minutes.

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North Station extension clears another hurdle

Posted on Wednesday 29 June 2016 by Andrew Waddington

The plan to build an extension of the Blackpool tramway running up Talbot Road to North Station has been approved at a full council meeting held on the evening of Wednesday 29th June. 26 councillors voted in favour of the extension being constructed, with just 11 opposing it. It was mostly the Labour party who ensured that the outcome was a positive one, with just one Conservative voting in favour of the proposals!

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 6 Comments

A future for the Douglas Horse Tramway?

Posted on Wednesday 29 June 2016 by Gareth Prior

When the Douglas Horse Tramway resumed operation for the 2015 season it was known that the arrangement for Isle of Man Railways to run the service was only on the table for one season and that the long term future of the tramway was still very much up in the air. Over the past few months discussions have been ongoing between interested parties over securing a more long-term future for the tramway and to this end a proposal will be put to Tynwald next month which would see the Department of Infrastructure take permanent control of the line, in whatever form the line may take.

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Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway | 2 Comments

Third tram-train arrives in Sheffield

Posted on Wednesday 29 June 2016 by Gareth Prior

There are now three of the even tram-trains in the UK with 399 203 being delivered to Nunnery Square Depot in the early hours of Tuesday 28th June. The vehicle was then unloaded during the day before it finally touched Supertram metals in the early afternoon.

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LCC 1 returns to Crich

Posted on Wednesday 29 June 2016 by Andrew Waddington

On the morning of Wednesday 29th June, the body frame of London County Council 1 was returned to Crich Tramway Village. This follows a six week period undergoing expert attention by Garmendale Engineering’s workshop premises at Ilkeston, and represents a huge leap forwards in this massive restoration project.

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The Wi-Fi Flexity

Posted on Wednesday 29 June 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Flexity 008 has become the first ever Blackpool tram to offer free Wi-Fi Internet access to passengers earlier this month. Free Wi-Fi on Blackpool Transport’s buses as part of the new Palladium brand has been a great success, so much so that it is now being trialled on the trams as well with 008 the first to be so treated. Early reports suggest that the experiment has been successful and it is expected that this innovation will be rolled out across the rest of the class in the near future.

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East Anglia Transport Museum grows!

Posted on Tuesday 28 June 2016 by Andrew Waddington

The East Anglia Transport Museum at Carlton Colville, near Lowestoft, has been successful in its goal of obtaining additional land adjacent to the museum site. This has virtually doubled the amount of land available to the museum and is therefore potentially a very exciting development for its future.

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Posted in East Anglia Transport Museum | 4 Comments

Bombardier confirm Blackpool tram order

Posted on Tuesday 28 June 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Bombardier have confirmed that they are to supply Blackpool with two more of their Flexity tramcars, with delivery expected in autumn 2017. The additional LRVs are being purchased in readiness to provide the increased service which will be needed to serve the proposed extension to North Station via Talbot Road, which it is hoped will be open by 2019. In the meantime, presumably the new trams will provide extra capacity on the existing promenade route and mean that more trams can potentially be used as specials at busy times.

Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 14 Comments

New tram shelter for Sandhurst Avenue

Posted on Tuesday 28 June 2016 by Andrew Waddington

The LRT platforms on the Blackpool tramway stop at Sandhurst Avenue (near Bispham) are currently the subject of some attention which should offer an improved environment for waiting passengers. The southbound stop has been devoid of a shelter for some time after the original structure was damaged in a storm but this now looks set to be replaced.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 1 Comment

619 remembers the Battle of the Somme

Posted on Tuesday 28 June 2016 by Andrew Waddington

As reported previously, a series of national commemorative events to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme will be taking place in Manchester’s Heaton Park next weekend, on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd July. With the tramway already confirmed to be playing a key part in this major event, Blackpool Vanguard 619 has received new vinyls on its roof advert boards acknowledging the anniversary.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 26 June 2016 by Gareth Prior

Just  a small update for you this week but we do bring you two small Photo Galleries:

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Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway, London Trams, Site News | 1 Comment