In Pictures: 35 & 17 return to Wednesbury Depot

After a two month gap between West Midlands Metro trams being transported on the back of a lorry we haven’t had to wait nearly as long for the next moves. Firstly, late on Friday 2^nd February 35 was transported back from Dudley to Wednesbury after the conclusion of its repairs at the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre and then Sunday 4th February saw 17 come back from Worksop.

35 had been at Dudley for a number of months undergoing repairs (the exact date of when it headed over is unknown) but with the works completed it was time for it to return to West Midlands Metro metals. The transportation of the tram took place late in the day with it arriving back at Wednesbury at around midnight on 2^nd/3^rd February.

With the lateness of the hour that it came back, unloading didn’t actually take place until the morning of Saturday 3^rd February with the task underway by 0930. After it was off the lorry it was then shunted around the depot by fellow Urbos3 21.

This leaves just one Urbos3 at Dudley being repaired – 32. Of course, that’s not the only tram there as 16 was moved in November 2023 to allow it to be used as a test tram. 16 has been in and out of the building at the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre but is currently sitting outside with work seemingly not having started on it just yet.

Then it was the turn of the first tram to return from Worksop, with this being 17. This was the first tram which was moved to Worksop for storage (8th August 2023) but has now returned to the depot. Its expected that there will be a changeover of the trams which are a Worksop over the coming weeks.

The three trams at Dudley. 16 sits outside on the left with 35 (on the right) and 32 behind in the building where the repairs to the trams have been taking place.

Outside Wednesbury Depot on 3rd February and 21 is seen shunting 35 into place.

A close-up view of 35 as its shunted following unloading. (All Photographs by Andy Walters)

17 back at Wednesbury. (Photograph by William Snook, 5th February 2024)