In Pictures: Latest from Beamish

Posted on Sunday 2 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

The past week has seen the May Half Term school holidays across the UK, a week where traditionally things really start to ramp up with various tourist attractions enjoying higher visitor numbers and Beamish was no different. On a visit made to the museum on Thursday 30th May a three tram service was running with Blackpool 31 and Sunderland 16 working clockwise and Sheffield 264 anti-clockwise.

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More Metrolink delays after car collisions

Posted on Sunday 2 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

It has been another week of cars colliding with trams on Manchester Metrolink with two incidents at either end of the week seeing delays to the service. Incidents happened on Monday 27th May in the city centre and Friday 31st May in the Audenshaw area. Neither collision was particularly serious although one person did suffer with minor injuries in the second incident.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 2 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

We have a double helping of Photo Galleries for you this week – both coming from the northwest of England:

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Changes at British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 2 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

Changes are part and parcel of life and this week sees a fairly significant change in the editorial team at British Trams Online as it will be the last week that Andrew Wadington will be writing for the website.

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Horse Trams start running again

Posted on Saturday 1 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

Not previously reported on these pages but on Friday 24th May public services started running once again on the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway. As we’ve mentioned previously the start of this season will see a much shorter tramway in operation with only around 500 metres of track currently available for use (from Derby Castle to a site adjacent to Kings B&B).

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Picture in Time: Luas 3005

Posted on Saturday 1 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

Across the Irish Sea for the start of a few images from Dublin’s Luas system today as Picture in Time continues.

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In Pictures: A closer look at Warrington 28

Posted on Saturday 1 June 2019 by Andrew Waddington

For the past several years the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society have been quietly making some seriously impressive progress on the reconstruction of the last surviving Warrington tramcar in existence – to be known when completed as Warrington 28. MTPS volunteer John Hewitt has shared with us some recent views showing the latest progress on the tram’s restoration, with particular emphasis on the top deck.

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In Pictures: Pomona Spring Bank Holiday weekend works

Posted on Saturday 1 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

Our presumption that the closure of the Eccles line over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend would see the Eccles line and the extension to Trafford Park connected has proven to be incorrect as nothing of the sort happened! The line closure did see some work undertaken around Pomona including some track laying and cable route work amongst other tasks. With the two lines still to be connected this will mean at least one further closure is likely to be required between now and 2020 when the extension is due to open. Steve Hyde with the photos of the latest progress.

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A baker’s dozen of trams but where are the passengers?

Posted on Friday 31 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

The latest Bank Holiday weekend in Blackpool once again saw the more intensive Gold timetable running with six trams allocated to service each day across the tramway between Pleasure Beach and Blackpool. The original allocations were changed throughout the weekend with both the weather and tram faults causing these amendments but in total 13 different trams ran in service. However, despite the number of different trams out and about it was a very quiet weekend with the trams running half empty (at best) for most of the time.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Event Reviews | 2 Comments

Reduced Tram-Train service

Posted on Friday 31 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

Tram-Train services between Cathedral and Rotherham Parkgate will be running at a reduced frequency until at least Tuesday 11th June as rectification work is carried on the Citylink vehicles. As you may recall all the tram-trains were removed from service earlier this year as a result of the discovery of a fault with a temporary fix put in place to enable their return after a few days. Now rectification work to refit the removed bogie covers will be taking place entailing the temporary withdrawal of the vehicles.

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Happy Birthday Edinburgh Trams!

Posted on Friday 31 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

It’s a week of significant anniversaries with Edinburgh Trams celebrating their 5th birthday. Services in Edinburgh finally started on 31st May 2014 after a very problematic construction period but once it was up and running it was soon accepted into the transport infrastructure of the Scottish capital with passenger numbers continuing to increase year on year.

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In Pictures: 19 receives West Midlands Metro 20th anniversary livery

Posted on Thursday 30 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

As we reported last night West Midlands Metro have been celebrating their 20th anniversary with a series of special events across the network. With 30th May the exact anniversary of the formal start of services back in 1999 a special VIP event took place at Wednesbury Depot which saw the unveiling of a special anniversary livery on Urbos 3 19 (surely a missed opportunity to use 20 although with 20 not yet having batteries fitted that probably explains why it wasn’t chosen). The tram then entered service during the afternoon with a party onboard including special goodies and entertainment.

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In Pictures: Supertram trackwork continues along Middlewood Road

Posted on Thursday 30 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

With area one of the Stagecoach Supertram rail replacement works now in their final week the actual worksite has moved further along Middlewood Road with concentration currently on the section between the junction with Hillsborough Grove and between Withens Avenue and Darwin Road to the Middlewood side of Hillsborough. Stuart Cooke is the photographer.

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Picture in Time: Southend Pier Railway

Posted on Thursday 30 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

A tradition on many piers in the UK was the provision of a tramway or railway and whilst the vast majority have now been removed one which still very much remains – probably party because of the length of the pier! – is that on Southend Pier and that is where we head for this week’s Picture in Time image.

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In Pictures: 3116 receives advert for Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet

Posted on Wednesday 29 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

The latest vinyl wrap advert to be applied to a tram in Manchester is for the Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet and is now featured on 3116. A grey design it does feature contravision on many of the windows although only when there are images on writing as part of the advert which does leave some random vinyl free windows! Reece Hughes has provided us with the following photos.

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West Midlands Metro set to celebrate 20 years

Posted on Wednesday 29 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

On 30th May 1999 services finally started on what we now know as the West Midlands Metro and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this momentous occasion a specially liveried tram will enter service during the afternoon of Thursday 30th May 2019. This tram will also have celebrations on board including impromptu entertainment, cupcakes and squeezy model trams (apparently for the kids!). And if you can’t get on board the tram then there will be Metro staff on hand at various tramstops to make sure even more passengers don’t miss out on the action!

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Metrolink strikes off after new pay offer

Posted on Wednesday 29 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

The planned four day strike due to take place on Manchester Metrolink between Friday 7th and Monday 10th June has been called off after talks between KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM) and the Unite Union. This may not need the complete end to the dispute though as the new pay and conditions proposal will go to a fresh ballot of members.

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In Pictures: Balloon 715 returns to the 1970s

Posted on Tuesday 28 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

The Fylde Transport Trust’s Blackpool Balloon 715 returned to service on Friday 24th May sporting a new look following a partial repaint – including period between deck adverts. The tram is now in a coat of 1970s Green and Cream livery having previously carried the 1990s style and there will also be further workshop attention to come for the tram.

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Metro 19 back in service

Posted on Tuesday 28 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

And then there were 10! Saturday 25th May saw the tenth of the West Midlands Metro Urbos3 trams to enter service fitted with batteries fitted when 19 undertook its first revenue earning runs.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Brush 630

Posted on Tuesday 28 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

This week’s archive Blackpool tram image again comes from the final year of the traditional tramway – 2011.

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