T69 09 the latest to head to Long Marston

There are now eleven Midland Metro T69s in store at Long Marston following the removal of 09 on Monday 14th March from Wednesbury Depot. The second of the trams to carry the new Magenta and Silver livery style to have made the trip 09 was prepared for departure over the weekend with a shunt of the remaining trams taking place.

09 was delivered to Midland Metro on the first day of September 1998 and after entering service became the first of the trams to receive a name when it was named Jeff Astle on 12th April 2003 at the depot. Probably the tram’s biggest “claim to fame” came after it was involved in a collision with sister tram 10 at Soho Benson Road in December 2006. The damage was so severe both trams had to be sent away to Crewe for repairs where the decision was made to combine the two good halves of the trams to form a “new” 09 (one end from each tram plus the centre section from 09) and this tram returned to service in mid-2007. When 09 re-entered service it became the second (after 07) tram to carry the Network West Midlands Magenta and Silver livery and continued to be named Jeff Astle. The end came for 09 during spring 2015 and it has remained stored since that date.

That was until Monday 14th March when the low loader from Allelys arrived and saw the tram loaded onto the back with the lorry departing from Wednesbury during the late afternoon.

At the end of last week we reported 10 was likely to be the next to go as it was in front of the line of stored T69s unless there was a major shunting exercise – and sure enough that is exactly what happened, there was a major shunting exercise. 04, 09, 16 and 10 were all moved under their own power which saw 09 moved into pole position for movement and 16 into the workshops for an unknown reason (although rumours suggest it may stay at Wednesbury once all other trams have gone). After twice (wrongly) predicting 10 will be next to go we are loathed to make another prediction but let’s go with third time lucky and say 10 may be the next to go for a trip to Long Marston (and we can keep saying that until it does)! The lorry is expected back later this week.