Just eight weeks after losing its last T68 (and three weeks since the last T68As departed) Queen’s Road Depot has now welcomed back a T68 following the transfer of 1003 overnight on Friday 18th July. Despite some claiming that no T68s would be able to operate across the city centre following the changes at Victoria 1003 ran under its own power although due to a traction fault one set of traction motors had been isolated and it operated on limited power.
1003 has been returned to Queen’s Road in preparation for its movement off site at a still to be determined date. This LRV has been acquired by the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and will used for training purposes. It will eventually be moved to a new training centre but as this has yet to be built it is likely that 1003 will initially be moved to the East Lancashire Railway for further storage. When it does make the final move to the training centre it will be joined by some items of rolling stock from the East Lancashire Railway.
It is highly likely that the move of 1003 will be the last powered T68 run across Manchester City Centre with any further movements expected to be consigned to movement around the depot.
1003 was delivered to Manchester on 5th November 1991 entering service on 6th April 1992 and survived in service until 12th November 2013. It was also the only T68 to ever operate in service in the new Yellow and Silver livery with the centre section used for advertising purposes.
1003 runs through Manchester City Centre on 20th September 2012. It has now become the last T68 to travel through the city centre. (Photo: Gareth Prior)
Could 1007 travel the same way as it is destined for preservation at Heaton Park.
I suspect that 1007 will leave Trafford Depot by road when it eventually leaves for Heaton Park. As 1003 is heading for Buckley Wells there seems a good chance it may well travel up there on the rails using the connection at Bury Loco Junction.
It’s unlikely. I think that trying to transport 1007 from Heaton Park Metrolink station to the park itself would be almost impossible. Given that they’ll already need to hire a low loader for it, it seems more likely that they’ll load it at the depot at Old Trafford and bring it straight from there. I’m guessing that the only reason they didn’t load 1003 at Old Trafford is that it’ll make arranging onwards transport easier to do it with the other railway from the East Lancs.
Nobody is suggesting that the move by road would be rrom Heaton Park station, as you say, that would be impossible. Thecsuggestion being made was to move it by road from Queens Road depot, which is the location to which new trams have been delivered since the first arrival in 1991.
A recent article in the Railway Herald (Issue 413 p22) suggests that a short operational section of tramway is to be built at Heaton Park to run 1007. If this proves to be the case I do hope another example is to be saved as maintenance needs will surely necessitate occasional withdrawal from service.
1007 will not have its own line at Heaton Park, but any future extensions will be gauged to allow clearance for it… It will never be in regular service, so maintenance layoffs are not an issue as for the majority of the time the historic fleet will provide the whole service as they do now.
I’m sceptical a T68 would ever run at Heaton Park. ‘Theoretically’ a T68 could run in ‘shunt mode’ at 550v, but I remain unconvinced they could pull it off in the condition they’re in now!
As 1007 is now preserved, 1003 may not be the last T68 to operate in the city centre as 1007 may be brought out at some point and run again on the street to commemorate a significant anniversary of Metrolink.
Any future extensions at Heaton Park would require a new electrical feed so could be fed at 750/550 and switched. as Paul D says it would be demonstrated on a selected number of days. The car is currently serviceable and is intended still to be when it eventually moves.
When it does arrive at Heaton Park, where will it be stored? Will it fit into the new depot building or is it destined for a life of outside storage?
Further to my previous posting re Railway Herald article some specific points reported as follows:
New depot extended to accommodate 1007 and possibly include small museum. Hopefully frontage of Princess Road Tram Depot included in construction.
Tramway to be extended from depot to Bury New Road gate to provide operational tramway for 1007.
Rail recovered from Oldham loop and current Sheffield works and other items from Woodlands Road are held in stock. Construction could begin in Autumn with possible opening next year.
I am merely repeating here what is stated in the article and have no further knowledge regarding such a scheme. Indeed I have been unable to find any other source of such information.
If you go to Heaton Park and ask to look round the workshop the plans are all on display. The extension for the storage of 1007 will include a reproduction of a Metrolink stop.
Jamie
Will 1007 be restored to original condition, removing the in-service modifications to the running gear and with reinstated wing mirrors? Or is it to be preserved in “as withdrawn” condition?