We’ve known it was happening since the results of the e-auction were announced earlier this year but the movement of the ex-Midland Metro T69s for scrap has started. 13 of the 16 strong class of trams have been sold to Booths of Rotherham – who also won the contract to scrap the Manchester Metrolink T68s and T68As – and will now be moved from their storage location of Long Marston for this work to take place.
It isn’t know whether it was the first to make the move but on Friday 20th April – ironically the day that the latest technology was introduced on the Midland Metro network in the form of battery operation – one of the trams was spotted on the back of a low loader heading north on the M1. It was seen just north of junction 29A for Markham Vale at approximately 1930.
Of the T69s which are to survive 16 has always remained at Wednesbury Depot with initial plans – which haven’t reached fruition as yet, if they will – for it to be used as an engineering vehicle whilst 07 and 11 remain stored at Long Marston. For the former it has been donated to UK Tram and will presumably remain at the Warwickshire site for the foreseeable future whilst 11 is to be preserved at Birmingham Museum although exact plans of how it will be displayed and when a move will take place have yet to be announced.