September Illumination Tours booking open

Posted on Thursday 13 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

You can now book for an Illumination Tour in Blackpool during September, with confirmation that throughout the month all tours will be in the hands of Balloon Cars with the Illuminated feature cars set not to be ready until later in the extended illumination period. As with the August Bank Holiday weekend, pre-booking is essential as there will be limited capacity on board the trams.

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Whatever Happened To? Blackpool Frigate 736

Posted on Thursday 13 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

In this penultimate instalment of this edition of “Whatever Happened To?” we take at the second of the illuminated feature cars to run during the final weekend of traditional tram operation, the illuminated Frigate.

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Virtual Depot tour launched as Metro celebrates its 40th anniversary

Posted on Wednesday 12 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

Tuesday 11th August marked the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Tyne and Wear Metro and if things had been a bit more normal one of the centrepieces of the celebrations would have been the chance for the public to see behind the scenes at Gosforth Depot. But with Covid-19 restrictions making this impossible Nexus have provided the next best thing – a virtual tour!

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London Tramlink works to see August and September closures

Posted on Wednesday 12 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

The 2020 programme of engineering works on London Tramlink have been announced with closures of sections of line during August and September as part of the renewal of the infrastructure. Most work will affect trams in the vicinity of the town centre but September will also see the closure of the Beckenham Junction line.

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Picture in Time: Midland Metro 10

Posted on Wednesday 12 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

Let it snow again this week as we head back to February 2012 for another look at Midland Metro in this edition of “Picture in Time”.

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In Pictures: Burton & Ashby 14 at the Statfold Barn Railway

Posted on Tuesday 11 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

Whilst we have been concentrating on the reopening of Seaton, Crich, the Manx Electric Railway, East Anglia Transport Museum and Blackpool, there is also another heritage tramway which has just started running again following closure for the pandemic – the Statfold Barn Railway in Staffordshire. Home to just the one tram, Burton & Ashby 14, the tramway is only one small part of the experience of visiting the railway with several other running lines of varying different gauges using steam locomotives. The railway held one of their Enthusiasts Days on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th August which included 14 in operation. Ken Jones was one of those who got tickets for the day.

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Supertram rail replacement works extended

Posted on Tuesday 11 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

Stagecoach Supertram have announced that the current area 3 rail replacement works will now take longer than expected with the period of closure being extended until Monday 14th September. They were originally due to end on Tuesday 1st September. As a result of this extension area 4 works will now started from Tuesday 15th September.

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Still Standing! More tram rosettes in Oldham

Posted on Tuesday 11 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

We have previously had a quick look at tram rosettes on buildings in Oldham’s Union Street in this series but we return to the same location for this edition to take another look at some more survivors.

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MERS offer £9,000 to Isle of Man Railways to operate Snaefell Mountain Railway in 125th anniversary year

Posted on Monday 10 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

When announcements were made in July about the Manx Electric Railway and Isle of Man Steam Railway resuming operation in time for the school holidays it was confirmed at the same time that both the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway and Snaefell Mountain Railway would not be running in 2020. For the Snaefell line this would mean that it would completely miss its 125th anniversary (21st August) year. But now the Manx Electric Railway Society have offered £9,000 to allow its operation for 3 weeks around this anniversary.

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Luas Engineering Works: Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th August

Posted on Monday 10 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

Luas services will again be affected by engineering works over the weekend of 15th and 16th August with the Red line seeing no trams running between Blackhorse and Heuston throughout both days. The work will see track works taking place at Steeven’s Lane near Heuston tramstop.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Engineering Car 753

Posted on Monday 10 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

We move forward to Centenary year on the Blackpool Tramway for this week’s Blackpool “Picture in Time” image as we take a look at Engineering Car 753.

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Trams in Video: Orange Empire Railway Museum, California

Posted on Sunday 9 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

Today’s video heads across to the United States of America and features footage taken at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in California. Shot in January 2002 we see action as the vintage Los Angeles Railway trolleys at this museum are in operation. Also included are still images of other vehicles in the collection between 1981 and 2002.

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Bradford cabmen’s shelter heads away for restoration

Posted on Sunday 9 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

The Bradford cabmen’s shelter which has been a long-term fixture at the Crich Tramway Village’s Wakebridge stop has been removed from its usual home and transported to Bristol for a start to be made on its restoration back to (as near as possible) its 1877 condition.

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Lockdown Walks: Manchester Metrolink 3091+3073

Posted on Sunday 9 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

We head back to Manchester for this latest “Lockdown Walk” with another view of trams in action on Metrolink.

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What’s New on British Trams Online?

Posted on Sunday 9 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

This week we have another collection of photos from the archives:

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More funding confirmed for light rail in England

Posted on Saturday 8 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

Five tram and light rail systems in England outside of London (both the Docklands Light Railway and London Tramlink are covered by the Transport for London funding package) are to receive funding of up to £37.4 million over the next 12 weeks following confirmation of support for the Department for Transport. Manchester Metrolink, Nottingham Express Transit, Stagecoach Supertram, Tyne and Wear Metro and West Midlands Metro will share the funding – but the Blackpool Tramway remains conspicuous by its absence from the announcement.

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Around the World in Trams: Amsterdam 796

Posted on Saturday 8 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

Its been but a brief stay in Amsterdam but we have time for just one more March 1988 image with a look at another of the LHB 9G trams in service.

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In Pictures: Seaton Tramway in August

Posted on Saturday 8 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

The Seaton Tramway in Devon was the first heritage line to reopen following the lifting of government restrictions back on Saturday 4th July. With a recent increase in services – running at least every 20 minutes between 1000 and 1600 every day until the end of September – and further trams now available to run (just 4 and 19 haven’t been cleared fir service now) if you pop down to the tramway you are likely to see a good number of trams operating with up to seven double deckers potentially running each day during August (subject to the usual caveats). This pictorial article takes a look at some of the trams in service over the weekend of 1st and 2nd August, including some of the Covid-19 changes put in place. Photos from Paul Hudd.

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Lockdown Walks: Edinburgh Trams 273

Posted on Saturday 8 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

We go on another “Lockdown Walk” in Edinburgh for this latest photo.

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RAIB release report into incident at Gravel Hill which saw pedestrian hit by tram

Posted on Friday 7 August 2020 by Gareth Prior

The latest RAIB safety digest into an incident on a UK tramway has just been released and it relates to an incident which saw a pedestrian being hit by a tram at Gravel Hill tramstop on London Tramlink on 10th March 2020. This is just a safety digest as the safety learning isn’t a major change of procedures for UK tramways.

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