Temporary Metro depot starts to take shape

Posted on Monday 6 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

The new temporary depot at Howdon in North Tyneside, being built to house a number of Metrocars on the Tyne and Wear Metro whilst rebuilding work takes place at South Gosforth Depot, is starting to take shape according to an update from Nexus. The first track is now in place with it due to be used for the first time by the end of summer 2020.

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Training exercise at Gogar Depot as Fire service practice lifting tram

Posted on Sunday 5 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

Edinburgh Trams may now have been running in the Scottish capital for five and a half years and now the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service recently visited Gogar Depot to put the theory of lifting a tram into practice. Although this was the first time the fire service had actually lifted a physical tram the two organisations had been working together since the line opened to ensure that if the worst happened the fire service would be prepared.

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More cars manage to find their way onto Metrolink tracks

Posted on Sunday 5 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

It may be a new year but you can still expect the usual “cars drive onto tram tracks and delay services”! With its extensive network Manchester Metrolink brings us the most of these incidents and the Christmas and New Year period was no different with another couple taking place.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 5 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

In truth its a gentle start to 2020 on British Trams Online with just a few small updates added:

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Balloon 704 in the works

Posted on Saturday 4 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

When completed it will be the biggest restoration job since the advent of Blackpool’s Heritage Tram Tours and work is now underway on returning Balloon 704 to the rails. Now privately owned by Iain Taylor the tram will go on permanent loan to Heritage Tram Tours when the work is completed with Mr Taylor providing the finance as well as for additional resource within the heritage workshops which should see the return of other trams to service in the near future as well.

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Trams in Video: Granada Tram – September 2017

Posted on Saturday 4 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

The last in our current series of “Trams in Video” is here (it may be back in the future, any feedback on this will be gratefully received!) is back into Europe as we head into Spain to take a look at trams running in Granada. Filmed on 30th September 2017 this footage comes just nine days after the tramway opened using 15 CAF Urbos3 trams – including battery power.

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In Pictures: The antlers have gone!

Posted on Saturday 4 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

Management at Edinburgh Trams obviously can’t wait for Christmas to end as the antlers applied to a few trams in the lead up were soon removed after 25th December! At least 260, 262 and 269 all received the antlers in the lead up to Christmas but by 30th December they were gone on 260 as Christmas was obviously over!

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In Pictures: More from Lightopia

Posted on Friday 3 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

The trams at the Heaton Park Tramway are now receiving some well earnt rest after the conclusion of their use during the Lightopia event taking place in the park but as seen in this article they were still being used almost right until the end of December with the special lighting effects still around and the trams popularity showing no signs of fading. With Blackpool 623 and Manchester 765 again seeing use, Stockport 5 also came out from the depot to provide an extra vantage point of the trams in the dark. Joshua Haworth provides us with the following pictures.

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In Pictures: Boating in December!

Posted on Friday 3 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours decided to go out in style for 2019 with Boat 227 running not once but twice over the last weekend of the heritage service – bracing weather for it but is it ever too cold for an open top tram ride?! 227 ran on both Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th December with it on both occasions being part of a two tram Prom service.

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In Pictures: Hogmanay service on Edinburgh Trams

Posted on Thursday 2 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

As has become the norm when there is a major event taking place close to Princes Street in Edinburgh, the tram service from the Airport was only able to run to West End from early evening on Monday 30th December until mid-morning on Wednesday 1st January. The standard operating pattern used at times such as these was in operation again with trams from the Airport terminating in the usual inbound platform at West End before departing from the same platform and using the crossover at Shandwick Place to regain the normal track. Roy Calderwood captured the following images of the temporary operation.

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In Pictures: Triple Balloons tour for the FTS

Posted on Thursday 2 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

The annual Christmas Fylde Tramway Society tour took place on Saturday 28th December 2019 with three Balloon Cars hired at times during the day: 715, 717 and 718. Sadly the hoped for 707 is still unable to run in service with continued problems with its batteries precluding it from returning but the three Balloons selected proved to be popular with those who attended the tour. David Maxwell was one who provides us with the following photos.

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Trams in Video: Edinburgh Trams – May 2014

Posted on Thursday 2 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

We head north of the border for today’s moving images of trams as we feature some of the first public service trams to run on Edinburgh Trams on 31st May 2014.

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Well, 2020 what have you got for us?

Posted on Wednesday 1 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

Another year, another decade even, is upon us but what does the tram world in the British Isles have in store for us? It is only the first day of the year and a lot of plans for events etc. haven’t yet been made available but we do know a little of what to expect and it will be a year of anniversaries in various locations…

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Metro industrial action called off

Posted on Wednesday 1 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

Tyne and Wear Metro services should start to get back to normal again after the RMT agreed to suspend industrial action pending an improved offer from Nexus. Throughout December there had been an overtime ban which had led to many peak services unable to run and this was followed by a 48 hour strike on 20th and 21st December with a further strike due to take place on 6th and 7th January.

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They Ran in 2019: Blackpool Standard 147

Posted on Wednesday 1 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

We finally reach the 32nd and final edition of “They Ran in 2019” and we are once again in Blackpool as we take a look at Standard 147.

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15 Years Apart: Blackpool Centenary 648

Posted on Wednesday 1 January 2020 by Gareth Prior

Happy New Year one and all! As we arrive in 2020 it is time to say goodbye to 2019 with the final edition of “15 Years Apart. With there having been a Blackpool bias to this series where else would we finish than the Fylde Coast and the tram is Centenary 648.

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Trams in Video: London Trams & Trolleybuses – 2016

Posted on Tuesday 31 December 2019 by Gareth Prior

More video for you today and this time we features both trams and trolleybuses from London in action at the East Anglia Transport Museum in Carlton Colville. Taken on 9th July 2016 this was filmed during a special London event which the first short-term loan tram in action in the form of London County Council 106 along with resident with London Transport 1858.

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Edinburgh Trams first UK light rail operator to achieve ServiceMark accreditation

Posted on Tuesday 31 December 2019 by Gareth Prior

Edinburgh Trams received a pre-Christmas present after learning they had become the very first UK light rail operator to achieve ServiceMark accreditation. This is awarded by the Institute of Customer Service based on customer satisfaction feedback and is an assessment of employee engagement with an organisation’s customer service strategy.

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They Ran in 2019: Blackpool Marton 31

Posted on Tuesday 31 December 2019 by Gareth Prior

We now come to the penultimate edition of “They Ran in 2019” and are off to Beamish again as we feature resident tram Blackpool Marton 31.

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15 Years Apart: Blackpool Balloon 711

Posted on Tuesday 31 December 2019 by Gareth Prior

In the penultimate edition of “15 Years Apart” we are once more in Blackpool as we take a look at yet another Balloon Car – this instalment shows 711.

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