“Picture in Time” moves to Manchester as we start a series of photos taken in the early days of the Metrolink network.
By the time this series of photos were taken, the summer of 1994, the initial Metrolink line had been running for over two years and the dreams of the large network we can now enjoy were still far in the future. Many things have changed on both the tramway and in Manchester itself and over the course of the next few weeks we’ll feature some images which show those changes.
This first photo shows 1010 – one of the T68s which were built for the opening of Metrolink – as it takes the Piccadilly track curving from Market Street into Piccadilly Gardens, with Mosley Street to the left. Prominent on the left is William Calder Marshall’s 1853 statue of Robert Peel. Today Superdrug has moved from its 1994 location to rebuilt premises on the site of the Ourprice next door, although the old Superdrug building still stands, now housing branches of McDonald’s and Boots.
1010 has now been scrapped with it leaving Manchester Metrolink property on 14th August 2014 for Rotherham where it was reduced to scrap metal. It had run for the last time on 2nd September 2012.
Photograph by Donald Brooks, Summer 1994
I look forward to seeing the preserved Ansaldo Breda running on the heritage line in Heaton Park in the future.
A minor point but neither 1007 or 1023 are Ansaldo Breda products. They are both T68s built by Firema with GEC traction equipment and motors. The bogie serial number plate in my possession shows the manufacturer as Firema.The later T68As were Ansaldo vehicles. Unfortunately none of the T68As have survived.