Want to know when and where you ride on heritage trams over the next few weeks? Well if you do you have come to the right place as this is your one stop guide to heritage trams in the UK and Isle of Man! With it being Bank Holiday weekend this week it is set to be a busy time for our heritage tramways with another three days of heritage operation on the Blackpool Tramway and the Classic Transport Gathering at Crich. After that we are nearly in September, a month which is traditionally a busy one for our heritage tramways.
Beamish: The Living Museum of the North
Current Status: Open daily
Opening hours: 1000-1700 (last admission 1500)
More info @ http://www.beamish.org.uk.
Birkenhead Heritage Tramway
Current Status: Operates every Saturday and Sunday plus Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays until the end of the school holidays.
Operating hours: Services run from Taylor Street Museum at 1300 and then every half hour until 1630, returning from Woodside Ferry at 1315 until the last possible return at 1615.
Next Special Event: Sunday 5th October – Bus & Tram Show
More info @ http://www.mtps.co.uk
Blackpool Tramway
Current Status: Operates Bank Holiday weekends and selected other dates until end of August. Then nightly during the Illuminations (Saturday 30th August-Sunday 9th November)
Next service:
Saturday 23rd-Monday 25th August – a 3 tram service will operate and further details can be found on our preview at http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/news/?p=8722.
More info @ http://www.blackpooltransport.com/services/heritage-trams.
Crich Tramway Village
Current Status: Open Daily
Opening hours: 1000-1730 (last admission 1600). At least 3 trams should be in service each day (subject to availability)
Next special event: Saturday 23rd-Monday 25th August – Classic Transport Gathering
More info @ http://www.tramway.co.uk
Douglas Horse Tramway
Current Status: Daily operation until Sunday 14th September.
Operating hours: First tram departs Strathallan at 0900 and then every 20 minutes until 1720. Return journeys commence from the Sea Terminal at 0920 and then every 20 minutes until 1740.
More info @ http://www.douglas.gov.im/index.php/leisure/horse-trams#.UzXDlGdOWM8
East Anglia Transport Museum
Current Status: Open (details of when see below).
Opening hours: Every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday 1300-1700 (last admission 1600) and every Sunday 1100-1700 (last admission 1600) until Sunday 7th September. Also open Bank Holiday Monday 25th August 1100-1700.
Next Special Event: Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th September – Autumn Gala Weekend
More info @ http://www.eatm.org.uk/index.html
Great Orme Tramway
Current Status: Operates daily
Operating hours: 1000-1800 (during October 1000-1700) until late October. Trams every 20 minutes
More info @ http://www.greatormetramway.co.uk/index.asp
Heaton Park Tramway
Current Status: Open every Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays.
Operating hours: 1200-1700 using at least one tram.
Next special event: Trans Lancs Transport Show – Sunday 7th September
More info @ http://www.heatonparktramway.co.uk
Manx Electric Railway
Current Status: Operating daily. See below for details of when.
The following services will run over the next few weeks:
Until Sunday 31st August – Timetable D (14 departures per day starting at 0940 from Douglas – not all run all the way to Ramsey)
Monday 1st September-Sunday 28th September – Timetable C (10 departures from Derby Castle per day between 0940 until 1640 – final departure only as far as Laxey rest go to Ramsey – returning from Ramsey between 1010 and 1640 – also departure from Laxey for Derby Castle at 0955)
There will be additional evening services between Derby Castle and Laxey on Wednesdays 3rd, 10th, 17th September and Fridays 5th, 12th and 19th September.
Next special event: Winter Photography on the MER – 1st November
More info @ http://www.gov.im/publictransport/Rail/Electric/
Seaton Tramway
Current Status: Daily running.
The Red timetable is in operation daily until Sunday 31st August. First tram leaves Seaton at 1000 and then every 20 minutes until 1720 with returns from Colyton starting at 1030 until the last departure of the day at 1750.
The Blue timetable will be in operation from Monday 1st September until Sunday 14th September. First tram leaves Seaton at 1000 and then every 20 minutes until 1700, returning from Colyton starting at 1030 until final departure at 1730.
More info @ http://www.tram.co.uk
Snaefell Mountain Railway
Current Status: Operating Daily.
The following services will run over the next few weeks:
Until Sunday 31st August – Timetable D (half hourly services from 1015-1545)
Monday 1st September-Sunday 28th September – Timetable C (half hourly services 1015-1545)
There will be evening services (Summit diners only) on Wednesdays 3rd, 10th and 17th September and Fridays 5th, 12th and 19th September.
More info @ http://www.gov.im/publictransport/Rail/Snaefell
Summerlee – The Museum of Scottish Industrial Life
Current Status: Open daily
Opening hours: 1000-1700. One tram is usually in service each day.
More info @ http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=15877.
The information provided above is given in good faith and is correct to the best of our knowledge. If you know of any errors please contact us by using the comments section below or by emailing gareth@britishtramsonline.co.uk
With the news that Blackpool Coronation 304 has been back on the rails in Blackpool this week ahead of a possible use on the heritage service this weekend what more excuse do we need than to show a photo of the tram? It is seen here on 23rd September 2010 (during the 125th anniversary events) approaching Pleasure Beach. (Photo: Gareth Prior)
This comment is about heritage trams, but not UK cars strictly speaking.
The owners of the narrow-gauge Detroit Washington Avenue heritage line, which closed some years ago, (I believe its SEMTA, the Detroit and area transit agency) is auctioning its cars some time in October.
These are ex-Carris Lisbon cars for the most part, but also include a car from Vevey in Switzerland and Burton & Ashby 14.
Is there any information as to whether Carris in Lisbon knows of this auction and might be interested in re-patriating some of these cars to augment their historic and heritage operating fleet?
As for the Burton and Ashby car, in view of the recent correspondence concerning “lost” UK cars, would this be a candidate for repatriation and if so, where, given that it’s 3′ gauge.
More accurate details I would expect to be on the SEMTA website, and possibly on other US museum trolley sites as well.
A. D. Young