There will be a tinge of sadness in the West Midlands on Friday 14th August when the last ever public passenger runs of the T69 trams takes place. After months of rumour and false starts it has now been decided that enough Urbos 3s are available for service and the time has come for the original – and lets be honest troublesome – T69s to be fully withdrawn from service.
Friday 14th August will see at least one of the remaining T69s in service – both 10 and 16 have been in use over the last couple of days – with departures from Birmingham Snow Hill at 0630, 0745, 0910 and 1030 and with return journeys from Wolverhampton St George’s at 0710, 0830, 0950 and 1110. There will then be a journey for invited guests only leaving Birmingham Snow Hill at approximately midday and this is due to be operated by 16. It has now been confirmed that there will be no public service from Snow Hill at 1215 as this is the private trip back to depot.
16 will run from Snow Hill to Wednesbury Parkway and will then head into the depot. It will then be ceremonially shut down by the wife of Gerwyn John – after whom the tram is named – and 16 years of service by the T69s will then become part of history and the Urbos 3 takeover will be complete.
* British Trams Online will pay tribute to the T69s later this month with a full gallery looking back at the trams over their careers in the West Midlands.
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2015/08/12/end-of-the-line-for-original-metro-trams-2/
Link for details from the local rag Express and Star about details on the last day of T69 action.
And so another first class of second Generation Tram has gone. They were never the right choice but personally I always liked them. Interesting that sheffield’s Trams of roughly the same age are fit for many more years – Surely no coincidence that the T68 and 69 came from the same builder! lets hope one is preserved (other than at Long Marston) Small enough for Crich perhaps?
My info from Centro is that the 11.10 is the last public service of the T69s and then it runs the special to Wednesbury.