We move forward a little in time for this week’s modern tram edition of “Picture in Time” as it’s the first day of passenger services across Manchester City Centre.
That day was 27th April 1992 which saw the section between Victoria and G-Mex (named Deansgate-Castlefield now of course) welcome its first passengers – the first section of on-street running for Metrolink with phase one from Bury to Victoria being located solely on an old railway line. One of the trams to see service on 27th April 1992 was 1004 which had not only run in service on the very first day back on the 6th of the month but had been paired with 1008 on the first service from Bury to Victoria.
In this view we see 1004 just passing the entrance to the G-Mex conference centre and is approaching the back of the Midland Hotel as it runs along Lower Mosley Street bound for St Peter’s Square then the city centre and on to Bury.
Photograph by Ralph Oakes-Garnett