The scrapping of the Manchester Metrolink T68 continues to take place at a pace with 1009 the latest to leave Trafford Depot for Booths of Rotherham where it has an appointment booked with the cutters torch. This is the 14th of the T68/T68A fleet to have left Manchester for South Yorkshire but in this case at least part of 1009 will survive going forward.
1009 left Trafford on the back of a low loader on Friday 12th September but unlike its previous 13 sisters which have made the trip across the Pennines one of the cabs of the LRV is believed to have been acquired and this will be carefully removed by Booths before the remainder of the vehicle is cut.
1009 originally arrived in Manchester on 12th January 1992 before entering service on 6th April 1992 although it had carried passengers as early as 26th February 1992 when it was used to transport a group of disabled and able bodied passengers between Victoria and Bury to check on the design and usability of the LRVs. The LRV almost made it to the end of 2013 when it was finally taken out of service on 17th December and even after withdrawal it remained virtually untouched although was not used to undertake shunting around the depot unlike 1013.
1002 and 1025 remain in the workshops where they are undergoing component recovery work ahead of their expected move across to Sheffield.
1009 has just St Peter's Square on 22nd November 2010 in this view. (Photo: Gareth Prior)
Move across to Sheffield!? Rotherham surely!!