Monthly Archives: January 2014

Tragedy in Manchester city centre after man dies following tram collision

Posted on Sunday 12 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

A man has died after being involved in a collision with a tram in Manchester city centre. The incident happened at approximately 1815 on Saturday 11th January at the junction of Market Street and High Street with eyewitness reports saying … Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 33 Comments

And the winners are!

Posted on Saturday 11 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

After five weeks of voting the results have been “checked and verified” and we have three new winners in the British Trams Online Tram of the Year contest. The Tram of 2013 is a tram who saw one of its … Continue reading →

Posted in Site News | 3 Comments

Blackpool 680 returns to service

Posted on Saturday 11 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

More than five years after operating on the Blackpool promenade for the final time, Blackpool Railcoach 680 finally made its debut in passenger service as a preserved tramcar at Beamish Museum on Saturday 11th January. After being acquired by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Beamish Tramway, Heaton Park Tramway | Comments Off on Blackpool 680 returns to service

Pantograph for the Western Train

Posted on Saturday 11 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

On Friday 10th January, Blackpool’s famous illuminated Western Train 733+734 got the year off to a grand start for the heritage tram fleet, when it was used for a daytime private hire. More importantly though, this was the first outing … Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 2 Comments

Nottinghamshire County Council set for tram u-turn?

Posted on Saturday 11 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

Back in September 2009 Nottinghamshire County Council withdrew all their support for phase two of Nottingham Express Transit which meant that Nottingham City Council were forced to go it alone with the plans but now just over four years later … Continue reading →

Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | 1 Comment

T68 1017 hit by car at Exchange Quay

Posted on Saturday 11 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

The career of Manchester Metrolink T68 1017 may have come to a premature end after a car managed to drive into the back of the LRV at Exchange Quays during the evening of Friday 10th January. The incident happened shortly … Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 5 Comments

A possible reprieve for Blackpool Balloon 716

Posted on Friday 10 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Late last year, the future of Blackpool Balloon car 716 was placed in considerable doubt after its owners, Ptarmigan Transport Solutions, went into liquidation. The tram ended up being offered for sale at a hefty price on eBay, but this … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Fleetwood tram museum plans in doubt?

Posted on Thursday 9 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

A small update on the current situation regarding the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust and its collection of historic Blackpool trams has recently appeared on the website of Rigby Road Publishing, a small venture run by one of the FHLT Trustees. This states … Continue reading →

Posted in Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust | 4 Comments

More Manchester moves

Posted on Thursday 9 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Tuesday 6th January was another hectic day for the Heaton Park Tramway, with the arrival of another historic vehicle from the Manchester Transport Museum Society at the park on this day. In addition, the winter overhaul of Manchester 765 continued … Continue reading →

Posted in Heaton Park Tramway | 1 Comment

Gateshead 52 returns to the North East

Posted on Tuesday 7 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Gateshead 52 made its long-awaited return to the North East of England on Tuesday 7th January 2014, after more than five decades of storage in Derbyshire. Ownership of the car has now been transferred from the National Tramway Museum to … Continue reading →

Posted in Beamish Tramway, Crich Tramway Village | Comments Off on Gateshead 52 returns to the North East

More trams occupy Lakeside Depot

Posted on Monday 6 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Despite not currently being open for business, 2014 has still got off to a busy start for volunteers at the Heaton Park Tramway, where work continues on the completion of the new Lakeside Depot. A fairly major shunting exercise on … Continue reading →

Posted in Heaton Park Tramway | 23 Comments

680 takes to the tracks at Beamish

Posted on Monday 6 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Under normal circumstances, Monday 6th January should have been a pretty unremarkable day at Beamish Museum. The attraction was closed to the public, and the weather was wet, windy and wild. However, this was in fact quite an exciting day … Continue reading →

Posted in Beamish Tramway | Comments Off on 680 takes to the tracks at Beamish

MTPS take control of Birkenhead tramway

Posted on Sunday 5 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

The start of the 2014 operating season for the Birkenhead heritage tramway on Saturday 4th January heralded the start of a whole new era for this particular tramway. Following several years of insecurity surrounding the line’s future as Wirral Council … Continue reading →

Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway | 7 Comments

Crich confirm more plans for 2014 events

Posted on Sunday 5 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Further details have recently emerged regarding the plans for some of the special events to be held at the Crich Tramway Village during the year ahead. As has already been reported here, a reduced number of events are to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Crich Tramway Village | 1 Comment

2013: An Editor’s Year

Posted on Saturday 4 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

2013 was certainly an interesting year here both at British Trams Online and at most of the UK’s tramways and light rail systems. Sure there have been some negatives but they have mostly been outweighed by the positives. Rather than … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Articles | 8 Comments

In Pictures: Nottingham Express Transit 210 in new livery

Posted on Saturday 4 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

Nottingham Express Transit Incentro 210 returned to service at the start of January 2014 following the completion of its refurbishment. The vehicle now carries the revised mainly silver livery and means that the original dark green, black and silver has … Continue reading →

Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | Comments Off on In Pictures: Nottingham Express Transit 210 in new livery

In Pictures: Stagecoach Supertram at night

Posted on Saturday 4 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

With thanks to regular contributor Steve Kemp we bring you a small selection of photos of Stagecoach Supertram as services make their way through Sheffield city centre on 28th December after dark.

Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | Comments Off on In Pictures: Stagecoach Supertram at night

Whitefield Park and Ride expansion work to start

Posted on Saturday 4 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

Almost 90 extra parking spaces will be created in a project to increase the size of the car park at Whitefield on the Bury line of Manchester Metrolink, which is due to start from Monday 13th January. An extra deck … Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 2 Comments

In Pictures: More of Manchester 173

Posted on Thursday 2 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Following the welcome move of Manchester 173 to the Heaton Park Tramway on 17th December 2013, we are pleased to feature some more photos showing the tram being moved from its old home at the Greater Manchester Museum of Transport, … Continue reading →

Posted in Heaton Park Tramway | 4 Comments

2013 ends with another T68 withdrawal

Posted on Wednesday 1 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

The last day of 2013 saw the withdrawal of the nineteenth Manchester Metrolink T68 with 1012 becoming the latest example to be taken out of service. The vehicle had last run on Boxing Day when it suffered with a compressor … Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 15 Comments