Its another look at one of the original Midland Metro trams for this edition of “Whatever Happened To?” as we now reach no. 14.
11th November 1998 was a two tram arrival day at Wednesbury Depot with 14 one of those trams which was delivered. After unloading and commissioning the tram would enter service in 1999 one the line opened for service. As with most of the trams it was a one livery tram keeping the original fleet livery throughout its time in service. 14 received the name Jim Eames in September 2004. Withdrawal for the tram then came in June 2014 – just the fourth of the trams to be taken out of use.
Unlike many of the T69s we have featured in this series 14 didn’t have long to stick around the depot yard as it was 17th June 2014 that it would be loaded onto the back of a lorry and moved for more storage at Long Marston. From then it’s a familiar story of sold at e-auction in early 2018 and then moved to Rotherham for scrapping later the same year.
14 is seen here at Jewellery Quarter on 8th June 2006. (Photograph by Gareth Prior)
With the Allely’s low loader seen this is 14 departing from Wednesbury Depot on 17th June 2014. As can be seen from the tram it was being used to publicise UK Tram and their plans for a tram testing. 14 would be an exhibit at the Rail Live exhibition later that year. (Photograph by Andy Walters)