Testing on Manchester Metrolink’s Second City Crossing (2CC) has begun again ahead of an opening of the line in “early 2017”. In the early hours of 16th January double M5000 3004+3059 was used on the test runs between Victoria and Deansgate-Castlefield which included a reversal at Exchange Square from Deansgate. Steve Hyde was on the scene and has kindly provided the following images showing the testing.
Taken at the south end of St Peters Square shows the test formation of 3059 and 3004 on the 2CC approach to St Peters Square at the start of testing.
Was taken a few minutes later with the double unit standing at the 2CC northbound platform prior to departure along the new route.
Is a view along Princess Street as the test trams with 3004 trailing head away towards Cross Street.
We are now on Cross Street and see the trams returning south after reversing on the crossover near Exchange Square.
Still on Cross Street 3004 and 3059 cross King Street and approach the junction at Princess Street.
Standing on the corner of Cross Street and Princess Street we see the test trams negotiating the junction, Albert Square and Manchester Town Hall can just be seen in the background.
Is again a view along Cross Street with 3059 and 3004 heading north over King Street junction.
Taken along Princess Street as 3004 and 3059 turn off Princess Street into St Peters Square. (All Photographs by Steve Hyde)
Amazing scenes. Not sure when the last of the old red Manchester bogie cars finally ran along Cross Street, I’m guessing some time in 1939 after the West Didsbury routes (41/42/45/46) were converted. Living in Withington my folks were regular users of those routes; after 1939 all they had left was the peak hours 42F which involved a long walk from Platt Lane – worth it if only for the cushioned luxury of a Pilcher top deck or a 36/44 along the magnificent Princess Road reservation, again involving a walk along Mauldeth Rd West.
Good scenes. Remarkable how Manchester continues to expand with ease when everywhere else outside London has their transport projects delayed or scrapped. Someone in Whitehall must like Manchester.
Great Pictures, particularly in the night light
The last tram routes to use Cross Street and Corporation Street would appear to have been 12 and 13 which succumbed in June 1939, some 4 months after the West Didsbury routes. 13 was brought back during the war from Chorlton but only as far as Albert Square, suugesting that the trackwork along Cross Street and Corporation Street had gone. Nice to think that soon it will be possible to travel by tram from Cross Street to Chorlton, Withington (passing under the old Princess Road tramway reservation) and West Didsbury albeit not via Wilmslow Road as my parents used to do 78 years ago!
The line along Cross Street may well have closed in June 1939 but the track certainly hadn’t gone. The rather worn double track was till in place all along Cross Street when construction of the Metrolink line started. There was also double track in place along Princess Street.
Gone in the sense of covered over; clearly disused tram track can’t have been worth the lifting in pre war days – that would change after hostilities commenced. After the war some tracks had not been covered or removed immediately after final tracar operation – for example the Platt Lane section which can be seen clearly in a photo of trolleybus 1225 turning out of Hart Rd into Platt Lane some time after 1950 in the Eyre/Heaps/Taylor book. Perhaps Mr Hyde can enlighten us by telling us when the last tram ran over the Platt Lane tracks? My guess would be some considerable time before final abandonment of the Manchester system in Jan 1949.
I am sorry but I have no idea when the final tram used Platt Lane as I have no experience of the first generation Manchester trams other than some involvement with Manchester 765 at Heaton Park several years ago. My main area of interest is the construction and operation of the second generation systems.
Ian Yearsley’s Manchester Tramways sheds some light on this. MCT policy on disused tram tracks was far from consistent. 30.5 miles of old tram routes covered over with a thin layer of tarmac pr-war were lifted during ww2 to help with the war effort. Post war MCTD were in no rush to remove or even cover the old rails. Lloyd Street South tracks and setts were still in place in 1953. As a small boy I well recall seeing the trackwork along Wilbraham Rd (Yew Tree Rd-Lloyd Street South section) until it became a dual carriageway. Last trams on Platt Lane? Again acc to Mr Yearsley, Autumn 1945 as the traction pillars were needed urgently for the Greenheys trolleybus extension.
I notice couple of trams running along Cross street and Princess street (Second City crossing route) this morning. Can’t be long until it opens now.