Earlier this week we featured photos from Edinburgh as the split service to allow Hogmanay celebrations to take place along Princes Street was in operation. That article featured photos around Picardy Place as trams from Newhaven used the stop to terminate and then pulled forward to use the crossover at York Place to reverse. Now we return to Hogmanay and we’re at the other end of the split service, West End, for some more photos.
The use of West End as a temporary turning point for trams running from the Airport is a well rehearsed operation as it has been used like this many times in the past. Trams run into the stop as normal as if they were continuing their journey into the city centre and beyond but then terminate with the driver swapping ends. Then when they depart for the return journey towards the Airport they use the crossover just to the Haymarket side of the stop to start running on the correct line again.
In this photo we see 274 departing from West End as it returns to the Airport. It uses the crossover to demonstrate that move for us. 264 is waiting for access to the platform so it can terminate its service.
264 is now at the stop and waits for departure. The stop boards which prevent it from going any further are seen in front of the tram.
272 – advert for OVO Energy – sits at the platform. Charlotte Chapel is prominent in the background. (All Photographs by Roy Calderwood, 31st December 2023)