In Pictures: Blackpool Santa Specials

Posted on Sunday 20 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

A successful year of Heritage Tours in Blackpool has now come to an end with the last hurrah being the third and final Santa Specials on Saturday 19th December. As with the previous two Saturdays the Western Train was in situ at North Pier with the man in the red coat ready to meet the children – before embarking on a single trip at the end of the day – whilst two trams operated a regular timetabled heritage service along the Prom with the chosen pair being Balloon 717 and Twin Car 272+T2.

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In Pictures: Llandudno & Colwyn Bay 7 out and about again

Posted on Sunday 20 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

Work has now been finished on refitting the remainder of the external rope lights to Llandudno & Colwyn Bay 7 which along with the overhaul of the 1930s generator means it now gives out the full 240 volts – allowing for some reflected light in the downstairs saloon. With the 1940s Matador still attached to the tram following the aborted Llandudno Christmas Parade a few weeks ago it was decided to go for a test run through to Colwyn Bay allowing the new look tram to be seen in public for one final time in 2015. Photographs courtesy of John Bird.

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Picture in Time: Midland Metro 03

Posted on Sunday 20 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

The year is 2001 and the tram is Midland Metro T69 03 as we take another look into the archive for the latest edition of Picture in Time.

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Double whammy for NET after RTC and derailment

Posted on Friday 18 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

There were problems for Nottingham Express Transit on Thursday 17th December after a RTC on Chilwell Road which saw trams on the Beeston and Chilwell line partly suspended from around 1430 through until the end of service. Then to compound matters with an attempt being made to run a truncated service on the section through to Toton Lane a tram derailed on the crossover between Cator Lane and Bramcote Lane.

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In Pictures: Crich at rest

Posted on Friday 18 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

The Crich Tramway Village may have been closed to the public since the start of November but that doesn’t mean that nothing is going on behind the scenes in preparation for the 2016 season, far from it. Obviously a lot of attention by the majority of you reading this website is on the trams but there are also some important jobs taking place on the general museum infrastructure. This has included, over the past few days, re-laying of the setts along the main museum street alongside the tramway.

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The cars love affair with trams continues

Posted on Friday 18 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

It seems that the love affair some cars seem to have with driving onto tram only sections across the country shows no sign of abating with both Nottingham and Manchester hit during the past few days.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink, Nottingham Express Transit | 10 Comments

Box-ing day comes early in Blackpool!

Posted on Friday 18 December 2015 by Andrew Waddington

On Thursday 17th December, Blackpool & Fleetwood Box car 40 paid a rare winter visit to Fleetwood Ferry whilst operating an extra special public tour. Following the success of an earlier joint venture with Harry Ramsden’s, Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours once again teamed up with the famous fish and chip restaurant to offer a unique experience in the run-up to Christmas.

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New fares for Midland Metro from January

Posted on Wednesday 16 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

Normally when we receive news of fare changes it means one thing – they are rising! But the new fare structure for Midland Metro, due to be introduced from 2nd January, is a bit different as although some fares are on the increase there are also some with are decreased and in addition some brand new fares are thrown into the mix.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 4 Comments

Picture in Time: Seaton 8

Posted on Wednesday 16 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

We are in Sussex for the latest edition of Picture in Time as we take a look at the Modern Electric Tramways operation in Eastbourne ahead of its move along the south coast to Seaton. The tram in focus is no. 8 as it was in 1968.

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Another recruitment drive in Blackpool

Posted on Tuesday 15 December 2015 by Andrew Waddington

With ambitious plans to build on a successful 2015 with even more exciting treats for 2016, the Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours team are now recruiting volunteers to help provide an even better heritage service next season. As confirmed recently, this will include further increases to the number of running days for the historic trams whilst there will also be even more ‘gold’ event days when six or more trams will be running.

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Preserved Blackpool trams to move again?

Posted on Tuesday 15 December 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The majority of the historic Blackpool tramcars owned by the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust, along with a number of privately owned trams purchased from the aborted Merseytravel scheme, are currently stored outside in a secure compound at Fleetwood’s docks. However, this could be set to change as plans for a major redevelopment of the Wyre Dock site is advancing.

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More milestones for Sheffield 264 at Beamish

Posted on Monday 14 December 2015 by Andrew Waddington

After making its first tentative moves under power for several years, the near-complete Sheffield 264 has now begun an intensive programme of test running at Beamish Museum. The tram has been undergoing a major overhaul for the past few years but is now at the final stage of this, with a return to passenger service after an absence of more than a decade expected in the spring of 2016.

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Metrolink 3109 delivered to Queens Road

Posted on Sunday 13 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

On Saturday 12th December Manchester Metrolink welcomed the latest Bombardier built M5000 to Queens Road Depot with the delivery of 3109 in the usual lunchtime slot. As with all previous deliveries the tram arrived in the UK at Hull Docks and then made its way across the UK to Manchester on the back of a low loader. It is now expected that the next delivery of a M5000 will be after Christmas. 3108 – the previous arrival – has now also entered service being noted on the Rochdale to Ashton-under-Lyne service on Saturday 12th December.

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In Pictures: Stagecoach Supertram 120 in service

Posted on Sunday 13 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

As we have already reported the “new” Stagecoach Supertram 120 is now in service following the completion of collision damage repairs in the Nunnery Square Depot workshops. The no, 2 end of the tram is the section which has been taken from the former 118 with a full repaint into the Cream and Blue livery commemorating the original tramway in the city. Photograph courtesy of Stuart Cooke.

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Picture in Time: Croydon Tramlink 2537

Posted on Sunday 13 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

We are off to Croydon for today’s Picture in Time image which shows 2537 on the town centre loop ahead of the public opening of the system.

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Sheffield 264 is back on track!

Posted on Saturday 12 December 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Another milestone in the major overhaul of the Preston tramcar Sheffield 264 at Beamish Museum has now occurred, with the tram making its first tentative moves under power since restoration work began on 10th December. However, an even greater moment came the following evening once the museum had closed, when the tram performed its first test run along the main line.

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Variobahn 2562 enters service on Tramlink

Posted on Friday 11 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

Two of the second batch of Stadler Variobahn’s are now in service on London Tramlink following the release into the operating fleet of 2562 which has been in Croydon since 11th October. 2562 was first used in service on Thursday 3rd December and has since been in use on a regular basis alongside sister 2560. The other two members of this batch – 2561 and 2563 – are still to enter service.

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First tram train officially unveiled

Posted on Friday 11 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

Some 10 days after arriving in South Yorkshire the UK’s very first tram train has been officially unveiled at Stagecoach Supertram’s Nunnery Square Depot with local and national politicians on hand to see just what all the fuss is about. As we have previously reported 399 201 arrived in Sheffield on Monday 30th November and since arriving has seen the completion of its livery and has also made its first tentative moves around the depot complex.

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Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | 15 Comments

In Pictures: Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Railway 7 on show

Posted on Friday 11 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

Sadly the Llandudno Christmas Parade, due to take place on Saturday 5th December, was cancelled due to the poor weather on Police advice which meant that Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Railway 7 was all dressed up with nowhere to go! But the volunteers from the Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Railway Society were not to be put off by this and having already decorated the tram, which included the fitting of rope lights, the tram was still put on display outside the Town Hall. Photos follow of the tram in its last public appearance for 2015.

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MER model on sale now

Posted on Friday 11 December 2015 by Gareth Prior

If you are still looking for Christmas present ideas for the tram enthusiast in your life then look no further as a new model of Manx Electric Railway Winter Saloon 21 is now available directly from Isle of Man Railways (along with a model of one of the locomotives from the Steam Railway).

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Posted in Manx Electric Railway, Models | 9 Comments