Monday 3rd February 2014. A date which will go into the record books as a major landmark in the history of second generation tramways as that is the last occasion that the original on street light rail vehicles in the UK ran in passenger service with 1007 and 1022 running as a pair on the Bury-Altrincham direct service until they failed at lunchtime at Bury bringing an end to almost 22 years of service to Manchester.
At the end of January three T68s remained available for service but they were not destined to see much of February as within three days they had all run their last journeys. First to go was 1016 which last operated on Saturday 1st February (running as a pair with 1022) before just two days later on Monday 3rd February 1022 and 1007 made history by running those very last journeys. As if to prolong the agony a final decision on their futures was not to be made straight away and it wasn’t until Monday 10th February that Manchester Metrolink decided that all three vehicles were to be officially withdrawn. No fanfare, no advertised farewell journey and no thanks for their over 20 years of sterling service on Manchester Metrolink just a simple decision to end their careers.
Although this is the end of the T68s in passenger service one does remain serviceable with 1023 remaining in use as the ice-breaker T68 and this is expected to keep this role for the remainder of this winter period but any use this vehicle does see is likely to be overnight so very few people will see it in action again.
The two remaining T68As – 2001 and 2003 – will continue to solider on for the next few months (it is expected they will remain in service for most of 2014) with most of their use limited to the Bury-Abraham Moss shuttle service due to be operate during the shutdown of Victoria.
1007, 1016 and 1022 remain at Queens Road Depot for now but will eventually make the trip across to the scrap line at Trafford Depot, a journey which 1012, 1017 and 1021 are all expected to make tonight. Details of when and where the vehicles will be scrapped have yet to be revealed but it is likely the first scrappings (first if you ignore the fact that 1011 has already met its maker) will not be too far off.
Farewell to the T68s! Thanks for the memories! 1992-2014
* If you like the T68s you should like our main site update this weekend as we are planning on adding a Photo Gallery featuring the class of trams in action. If you have any photos of the T68s we would love to hear from you and we can add them to the selection we already have ready and waiting.
1022 is seen here on 17th November 2013 whilst operating on the Eccles line into Piccadilly. (Photo: Steve Kemp)
A relatively minor point I know given the significance of the overall story, but my information was that the last trip was 1016 and 1022 coupled rather than 1007 and 1022. The fact that whichever pair it was failed at Bury with a rheo chopper fault is certainly true though.
I suppose it depends which side of the fence you sit on.Some people will be glad to see the back of them,some people will be sad to see them go.I thought there would have been some sort of send of for them,but it just goes to show that they are just a number on a piece of paper to T.F.G.M.
1012,1017,1021 and 1023 did indeed arrive at old Trafford on Friday night.1023 was due to tow 1003 back to queens rd,as greater Manchester fire service have plans to use this vehicle,but 1023 returned on its own.
When you consider that these trams portray a significant event in Manchester history it is all the more bewildering! The T68 is to Manchester what the Routemaster was to London. Love them or hate them they became an icon for the city. To let the whole fleet go for scrap would be vandalism of the highest order from TFGM.
For those fond of the T68s, like me, I have uploaded to YouTube a short film of their last months which might be of interest. http://youtu.be/cQKQh4tqSIM
Maybe Metrolink will consider running a farewell tour of the system using 1007 or even a double unit. I am sure they could fill as many as required.
Just a thought. After all we had a last trolleybus tour and two last Crossley tours! The original tram system never got a proper send off as the final run was for so called dignitaries. Time to rectify this maybe?
TfGM / Metrolink will no doubt say the system is too congested to facilitate running enthusiast specials, at best they have only ever tolerated rather than encouraged enthusiasts.
As more new trams arrive it was inevitable they were due to be withdrawn sooner than later.I think the daily allocation is 67 vehicles and at the moment we have vehicle 78 in service.
The only reason I can think of as to why there has been no ceremony to mark the end of the T68,is that T.F.G.M and metrolink are to busy planning the the big shut down and single line working at Victoria.Plus I think they wanted them out of the way before the single line working through Victoria was put in place.I wouldn’t hold your breath regarding a tour of the system.Once the single line working is in place at Victoria they would be very reluctant to let another vehicle through.You have also got the problem of what vehicle to use.At the moment a vehicle is withdrawn due to some major failure,then it is robbed of its A.T.S and V.R.S equipment and taken over to old Trafford and left to rot.The only vehicle left in one piece really is 1023 and that depends if metrolink are prepared to spend the time and money to maintain it.
There’s also the very important point that the trams have to be “cleared,” for want of a better description, to run anywhere near a Network Rail installation. Each type of tram has to be so “cleared” and only the M5,000’s are cleared for certin areas. The ones I can think of, off the top of my head, are Newton Heath Depot, Rochdale on the approaches to the station, the bridge over the min line running into Ashton-under-Lyne and, presumably where the tram route runs under the Airport line at East Didsbury. There may be others but, as can be seen, these areas re “out-of-bounds” to T68/68A trams. So most of the network can’t be toured by either of these models.
Just to say both 1023 and 2001 reached East Didsbury on Sept 9, 2013.See posting by Gareth on sept 10 which includes photo’s of this event
I am aware of all of this and was wanting a reaction. There are some enthusiasts working for Metrolink. Maybe one day we will get some enthusiast mentality into the scheme of things. Even if they ran a special from Altringham to Bury it would be something. It is too important an event to leave without some acknowledgement of the part the 1000 class played in LRT/Tram history.
Don’t disagree with any of your sentiments, Ralph. In fact, I would love to see some positive recognition of the important historical contribution the T68 made to tram/light rail operation in the UK, but in Manchester in particular. A tour, as you suggest, of the Bury to Altrincham section would be a start. Maybe, the Eccles line could and should be included as well. More importantly, in my opinion, at least two of these vehicles should be preserved, one locally and one nationally. Where either would be located is another point altogether.
Unfortunately, whilst there are some enthusiasts on the payroll of Metrolink, neither the operating company nor TfGM are as enthusiastic as Blackpool!
Yes Colin a shame the largest urban area outside London allows Blackpool to lead the way.
I have recently found your website. It has been useful to me, especially as I didn’t realise that the T68’s would be withdrawn by 31st January although I knew they would be gone during 2014.
I’ve uploaded film to You tube from 27th January of 1007 and 1016/1022 paired together which could be some of the last film of these Trams in service.
http://youtu.be/J9QlRYmKC2g