In Pictures: Nottingham trackwork

Posted on Friday 16 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

Whilst we are currently in an in between period of trackworks in Sheffield it is the turn of Nottingham to see a revised service as new track is laid. This year the track replacement works are taking place in the section of line between The Forest and High School with trams running from Hucknall and Phoenix Park to The Forest and then from Old Market Square to Clifton South and Toton Lane. In this pictorial update from Martin Miller we see the trackworks around The Forest.

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Power supply problems for Metro line to Airport

Posted on Thursday 15 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

Whilst there were nationwide power supply issues affecting various transport operators on Friday 9th August there were further issues for the Tyne and Wear Metro (which had also been affected during the high-profile failure) on Monday 12th August with the Airport line having to be temporarily suspended whilst these were repaired.

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More summer illuminated trams in Blackpool

Posted on Thursday 15 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

The summer of the illuminated tram in Blackpool is continuing with another planned evening of operation now announced but this time the Western Train will be joined by the Frigate and some of the illuminations will also be switched on as part of the Run the Lights event. Both trams are scheduled to be running on Saturday 17th August for around four hours from just after 1730 and heritage travelcards will be valid along with pay on board fares.

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Picture in Time: Seaton Tramway 4

Posted on Thursday 15 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

Another image taken in 1980 at the Seaton Tramway features in this edition of Picture in Time.

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In Pictures: West Midlands Metro 20 back in service

Posted on Wednesday 14 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

20, the latest tram to have been fitted with batteries on the West Midlands Metro, has now returned to service with it first being noted being used for revenue earning service on Wednesday 14th August having been seen on test the previous day.

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An extended trot on the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway

Posted on Wednesday 14 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

Since the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway reopened for the 2019 season on 24th May the trammers have only been able to haul the trams for a short section between Derby Castle and Switzerland Road. But on Tuesday 13th August the length of available tramway was extended so that all services are now running from Derby Castle to Palace View Terrace.

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Fault at Victoria leads to Metrolink service changes

Posted on Wednesday 14 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

There have been some unusual journeys on Manchester Metrolink over the past few days with an undefined “track fault” at Victoria leading to service changes. The problems started on Monday 12th August and have been continuing since with the Manchester Airport and East Didsbry-Rochdale services swapping their routes within central Manchester.

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In Pictures: Another successful WWII Home Front event at Crich

Posted on Tuesday 13 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

What is about the 1940s events at Crich which seems to encourage extreme weather? With the Easter 2018 version having to be partially abandoned because of snow the August 2019 event saw strong winds invade on day one of the two day event on the weekend of 10th and 11th August. Fortunately by the second day on 11th August the weather had vastly improved allowing a five tram service to run alongside the other activities put on including re-enactors, replica Spitfire and Messerschmitt and 1940s style entertainment.

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Lorry driver fined over first day Tram-Train collision

Posted on Tuesday 13 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

Kevin Hague, the lorry driver whose vehicle collided with Stagecoach Supertram tram-train 399 204 on the first day of public services to Rotherham Parkgate, has been fined after admitting to driving through a red light. A second charge of careless driving was dismissed after prosecutors offered no evidence.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Centenary 645

Posted on Tuesday 13 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

In this edition of Picture in Time we again travel to Blackpool and this time feature one of the one person operated Centenary Cars.

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In Pictures: More blue trams on the West Midlands Metro

Posted on Monday 12 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

You turn your back for five minutes and suddenly the number of blue trams on the West Midland Metro increase still further! We last reported on the fifth fully blue liveried tram (29) which returned to action in the new style on 5th August but since then not one, but two further battery fitted Urbos3 trams have been wrapped in blue.

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In Pictures: Trams at the Bury Transport Museum

Posted on Monday 12 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

If you think of trams in Greater Manchester your thoughts are likely to turn towards Metrolink for modern trams and the Heaton Park Tramway for the more traditional variety. But there are also a couple of other locations you can see trams – the Museum of Transport at Boyle Street and the Bury Transport Museum adjacent to the East Lancashire Railway. The latter is the current home of unique Eades Reversible Horse Tram Manchester L53 (on loan from Heaton Park) and the front of Bury 7. Trevor Hall provided us with the below images.

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Around the World in Trams: Prague 8334

Posted on Sunday 11 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

It’s another photo taken in Prague for this week’s overseas tram image.

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In Pictures: The old order at Trafford Depot

Posted on Sunday 11 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

It may be recalled that back in 2014 when the majority of Manchester Metrolink’s T68 and T68A trams departed the area for either scrapping or storage and possible testing at Long Marston there were a handful which didn’t make the trip. Of these 1007 is being preserved by the Manchester Transport Museum Society and is stored inside at Trafford Depot but that still leaves 1020, 1023 and 2001 which remain stored in the main yard at Trafford with no obvious reason why they are still on Manchester Metrolink property. Anyone who catches a tram past the depot onto the East Didsbury/Manchester Airport line will be able to get a look at these trams as seen in the below images.

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In Pictures: A closer look at the old Hillsborough Depot in Sheffield

Posted on Sunday 11 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

A few weeks ago we featured some images of rail replacement work in Sheffield with the old Hillsborough Depot on Holme Lane in the background and now we take a closer look at the remaining sections of the structure which was last used in 1954.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 11 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

Two more Photo Galleries have now been added to the main website:

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In Pictures: Around the depot at Beamish

Posted on Saturday 10 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

Whilst the rest of the museum is busy with crowds of summer holidaymakers around the tram depot at Beamish it is an all together calmer affair with those trams not needed for service resting ahead of their next use. Wednesday 7th August saw a three tram service running utilising Blackpool 31 (anti-clockwise), Newcastle 114 (clockwise) and Sheffield 264 (clockwise) leaving the rest in the depot or just outside as seen in the following photos from Trevor Hall.

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Picture in Time: Nottingham Express Transit 202

Posted on Saturday 10 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

Its time for a change of location again in our modern tram Picture in Time series and that location is Nottingham for a selection of views taken on the Nottingham Express Transit system.

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In Pictures: Model Trams on display at Crich

Posted on Saturday 10 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

If you look around the edge of the Great Exhibition Hall at Crich you will find a myriad of model trams on display, with some of them occasionally being demonstrated at the once a month Model Tram days. This article takes a quick look at some of these models.

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Metrolink performance increases

Posted on Saturday 10 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

The latest set of performance statistics on Manchester Metrolink have been released and they show an increase in punctuality and reliability with 92.1% of trams considered on time and 99.4% of planned miles having operated in the period between 26th May and 22nd June.

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