Edinburgh Trams to offer ScotRail passengers during disruption

Posted on Friday 22 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

Edinburgh Trams have come to an agreement with ScotRail which will mean at times of disruption on the rail network ticket holders will be able to travel on the tram network free of charge. The tram currently serves the stations at Edinburgh Waverley (St Andrew Square is just a short walk away), Haymarket and Edinburgh Park with the new Edinburgh Gateway interchange to follow at the end of 2016.

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Smartcards launched on Midland Metro

Posted on Friday 22 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

You can now pay to travel on Midland Metro services using the new Swift Pay As You Go card. The smartcard is cheaper way to buy day tickets and single fares and can be used just the same as cash by handing it over to the onboard conductor and telling them which ticket they want.

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Douglas Horse Tramway to close

Posted on Friday 22 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

In a shock announcement Douglas Borough Council have revealed that the Douglas Horse Tramway is to close with immediate effect due to “the increased financial burden on Douglas ratepayers”. The project to merge the horse stables and tramway depot into one building seems to have been the final straw which caused the decision with Councillors deciding it was not a viable idea.

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Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway | 46 Comments

New name for a heritage tram stop

Posted on Thursday 21 January 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Many readers have probably noticed that for much of 2015, literature regarding the heritage tram operation in Blackpool referred to the North Pier heritage tram stop as North Pier/Tower (or vice versa). This was due to the actual stop being positioned outside the Festival House wedding chapel, which is between the two prominent promenade landmarks.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 9 Comments

Winter warmers(?) for Blackpool’s first heritage days of 2016!

Posted on Thursday 21 January 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Only a few weeks have passed since the last trams ran back to Blackpool’s Rigby Road depot after the 2015 Santa Specials, but already plans are in place for the first heritage tram running days of 2016. As reported previously, as an experiment two winter weekends will see a premium heritage service operate and this kicks off on the weekend of 30th & 31st January, with six trams due to run on both days.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 3 Comments

Picture in Time: Blackpool Ex-Towing Railcoach 678

Posted on Wednesday 20 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

The subject of the latest edition of Picture in Time is one of three Twin Motor Cars which were never permanently coupled to their trailers – 678.

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And the winners are

Posted on Sunday 17 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

After seven weeks of voting the results are in for the British Trams Online Tram of the Year 2015 contest although to be honest contest was hardly the word with the outcome pretty certain from the first week of voting back in December. All four awards are heading back to the north west of England with Blackpool once again being recognised by enthusiasts in two categories with Manchester Metrolink’s M5000 3100 winning Tramcar (Modern) of the Year whilst Liverpool 245 won the main award as Tramcar (Traditional) of the Year.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 17 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

We don’t have a huge amount for you this week but we have had a little bit of a tidy up of the site…

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Picture in Time: Croydon Tramlink 2530

Posted on Sunday 17 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

The very first tram delivered for Croydon Tramlink is the latest to feature in our archive series “Picture in Time” with a view of 2530 during the testing process during August 1999.

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Lytham 43 is Blackpool-bound!

Posted on Saturday 16 January 2016 by Andrew Waddington

2016 is just a few weeks old but already there is some very exciting news from the Blackpool Heritage Trust about a new addition to their collection of historic tramcars. As reported last year, the owner of Lytham 43 has agreed for the tram to move to Blackpool to join the heritage fleet after completion of its restoration, and it can now be confirmed that the lower saloon will be moving later this month!

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 5 Comments

Cars drive onto Metrolink tracks four times in a week

Posted on Friday 15 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

It is silly season in Manchester with four cars driving onto Metrolink tracks on various parts of the network in the past week causing disruption and leading to the almost unprecedented step of Transport for Greater Manchester releasing a statement urging motorists to be careful when driving.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 13 Comments

Picture in Time: Douglas 27

Posted on Wednesday 13 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

As we featured the Santa Specials on the Douglas Horse Tramway yesterday evening it seems rather apt from today’s Picture in Time image comes from that very tramway with a view of regular wet weather tram no. 27 on 26th August 1992.

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Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, Picture in Time | 1 Comment

Change in colours on two tramways

Posted on Tuesday 12 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

2016 has started with a change in livery for two trams at different ends of the country with the removal of advertising vinyls in Croydon but in Manchester it is the application of a full vinyl wrap livery which is certain to provide the biggest talking point.

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Posted in London Trams, Manchester Metrolink | 11 Comments

Douglas Horse Tramway prepares for 140th anniversary

Posted on Tuesday 12 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

2016 marks the 140th anniversary of the Douglas Horse Tramway with preparations already underway to suitability celebrate this key anniversary – and despite doubts over the past few years it has been confirmed that a horse tram service will continue to run along the promenade between May and September. The official announcement that the horse trams would be back in 2016 was confirmed over the last weekend before Christmas which also saw the return of the very popular Santa Trams which ran to full capacity on both days.

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Volks Electric Railway is in the way – apparently

Posted on Tuesday 12 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

It has been running along Brighton seafront since 1883 and has become a major tourist attraction in its own right but according to a “leading architect” the Volks Electric Railway is “in the way” and needs to be moved to allow for the major regeneration of the sea front. The claims were made by Nick Lomax ahead of a public meeting into the future of Brighton and Hove’s seafront as a whole.

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Posted in Volk's Electric Railway | 5 Comments

Birkenhead to celebrate 21 years in 2016

Posted on Tuesday 12 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

1995 saw a new concept of tramway open in the UK with the first new build permanent heritage tramway outside of a museum opening and now 21 years later the Birkenhead Heritage Tramway are set to mark the occasion with a special event in April as part of their 2016 series of events.

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In Pictures: Fleetwood Box 40 on tour

Posted on Tuesday 12 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

We reported at the end of last week about the first Private Hire of 2016 on the Blackpool Tramway with Blackpool & Fleetwood Box 40 operating a tour on behalf of the Friends of 40 and now with thanks to Tony Stevenson we are able to able to bring you a few images of the tram in action on Saturday 2nd January.

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Flooding hits Metrolink over Christmas

Posted on Tuesday 12 January 2016 by Gareth Prior

Manchester Metrolink services were severely hit by flooding shortly after Christmas with Boxing Day seeing alterations to trams on the Bury and Rochdale lines. The dreadful weather experienced in the north of the country at the end of 2015 saw major flooding in Rochdale Town Centre which saw trams only able to run as far as Newbold whilst excess water prevented services from reaching Bury with Whitefield the temporary terminus whilst the waters subsided. Disruption lasted throughout Boxing Day with normal services resuming on 27th December.

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Expanded events programme for Crich in 2016

Posted on Tuesday 12 January 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Crich Tramway Village have revealed an expanded programme of special events to be held during 2016. Although few of these will be of much direct interest to tram enthusiasts, hopefully more events will ensure that the year ahead is a successful one for the museum with something to appeal to most different tastes, although a large number of vintage car events seem to dominate the calendar this year.

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Balloon cars on standby for snow

Posted on Tuesday 12 January 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Not previously reported on British Trams Online is the temporary addition of snowploughs to two members of the Blackpool heritage tram fleet – Balloon cars 701 and 723. With a lack of other suitable candidates for the role this duo have been the plough cars since the tramway upgrade and this is now the fourth consecutive winter as snowplough cars.

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