This week on British Trams Online

Just the one Photo Gallery for you this week as our main site update is uploaded for your viewing pleasure:

Gallery 537: Manchester Metrolink – June 2015 (http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/gallery537.html)

There are also updates to the Crich Tramway Village and Manchester Metrolink fleet lists and you can find links to all of our Fleet Lists at http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/fleets.html

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4 Responses to This week on British Trams Online

  1. tram man says:

    I have a question for any civil/construction engineers out there.Whilst admiring the new roof at Victoria station for the first time a few weeks ago.I couldn’t help but notice the material that the new roof panels are made from.They seem to be some sort of heavy duty polyurethane air bag.There seem to be ducting attached to the roof panels going down to what looks like a air con unit.Can anyone explain? By the way great photo’s Steve

    • Steve Hyde says:

      Thanks tram man. As Johnny says below the roof and gable ends are clad in ETFE ‘bags’ inflated to tension them. They give some protection for UV but as the photos show provide a light and airy space. The system does rely on a set of small compressors to ensure the bags stay inflated as inevitably there will be some slight leakage over such a large area just as with car tyres.

  2. Johnny says:

    The roof is ETFE. As you suggest, they are air filled bags kept inflated with air pumps.

  3. tram man says:

    Thanks Johnny.To a lay man like myself the advantages of this type of roof panels don’t exactly jump out at me.They don’t come across as very maintenance friendly,all those pumps to maintain.But I will bow to superior knowledge on this one.

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