Article amended 04/04/2024 as of course this is actually 26‘s second trip to Worksop!
It seems to have been a while (but is only around six weeks) since we last reported on a tram being moved for storage at Worksop so its obviously overdue to do the same! The latest tram to make the move from West Midlands Metro’s Wednesbury Depot is 26 which was loaded up and made the move on Tuesday 2nd April 2024.
26 is possibly one of the most travelled West Midlands Metro Urbos3 trams as with its move to Worksop it has now been at three off site facilities. It all started off in September 2017 when it spent six months at Wolverton Works for repair work to damage sustained in a derailment at the depot which saw it out of service for two years. Then following the discovery of the bodyside cracks it would head to Dudley for more repair work (28th October 2022 until 24th January 2023). Then on 17th August 2023 it would head off to its third location when it went to Worksop (for the first time!) for storage with it coming back on 9th February 2024. Its return to Wednesbury wouldn’t last long though as less than two months later and its off to Worksop again!
Reid’s Freight were again contracted to complete the move with the tram being loaded within the confines of the depot ahead of departure to the Harry Needle owned facility in the Nottinghamshire town.
Its likely that 26 heading off to Worksop will mean one will come back in the opposite direction. Currently 27, 28, 31, 34, 36 and 37 can be found in off-site storage.
26 getting ready to leave. (Photograph by William Snook, 2nd April 2024)
34 was seen in the outsize load layby at the Tamworth services M42 junction on the 4th. Presumably returning from Worksop.