Santa Claus is coming to Edinburgh Trams!

Posted on Wednesday 28 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

We are used to seeing Santa Specials on various heritage tramways but a much rarer event is that of a Santa Special on a normal operating tramway but for one day only this year Edinburgh Trams will be running a series of special trips with the big man himself in attendance! On Monday 3rd December three special trips will run between York Place and Gyle Centre with pre-booking required to take part.

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In Pictures: Flower power for M5000 3014

Posted on Wednesday 28 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

Its another day and another article on the application of a new vinyl wrap on a tram in Manchester! This time around the tram involved is 3014 which has received a very floral design for American Express and their campaign urging people to “Shop Small and help Manchester Bloom”. When we see very floral we mean it as it is covered almost completely in flowery images save for a little bit of the American Express branding – and it does once again feature contravision. Kian Lewis has provided us with the image below.

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Edinburgh Trams staff vote in favour of striking

Posted on Tuesday 27 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

Possible strikes on Edinburgh Trams – which would likely take place in the lead up to Christmas and the Hogmanay period – have moved a step forward with members of the Unite union voting overwhelmingly in favour of action in the ongoing dispute over the treatment of workers by management. Nearly 70% of those who voted (in a turnout of 89%) were in favour of striking.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool & Fleetwood 2

Posted on Tuesday 27 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

In this instalment of Picture in Time we are back at Crich for an image from the earlier days of the museum, at a time when Wakebridge was the terminus.

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In Pictures: Batteries installed on 35

Posted on Monday 26 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

The battery revolution on the West Midlands Metro is continuing with the next tram to have received them – the sixth of the class – being 35. The CAF built tram has not yet entered service but has been spotted outside the depot at Wednesbury sporting the battery compartment on the roof. Testing is likely to commence shortly ahead of its entry into service. Andy Walters captured the following images for us.

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In Pictures: Work continues on Blackpool North extension

Posted on Monday 26 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

One of three tramways currently seeing construction works underway for a new line (Manchester Metrolink and West Midlands Metro the others) and the one which may see public services first is that for the Blackpool North station extension and good progress continues to be made on those parts of the line which can be attended to at this time. Peter Dockerty with the photos.

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Communications failure causing Metro suspension

Posted on Sunday 25 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

A Saturday morning in the lead up to Christmas is normally a time when public transport in major cities can except to be very busy as people head out to do their shopping. Alas on Saturday 24th November anyone wanting to catch the Tyne and Wear Metro was to be sadly disappointed as a major signalling and communications failure led to a complete service suspension with no trains running until shortly after 1100.

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Nominations open for Tram of the Year!

Posted on Sunday 25 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

Yes, it is once again that time of year – the time when we start the process of anointing the new winners of the British Trams Online Tram of the Year contest! Last year the winners were Douglas Bay Horse Tramway 36, Stagecoach Supertram 399 202, the Statfold Barn Railway and Statfold’s launch event of Burton & Ashby 14 but just what has done enough in the past 12 months to walk away this time around? Well, it’s over to you as for the next seven days nominations are open for you to help form the shortlists!

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 25 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

We have another couple of Photo Galleries as part of this week’s main site update:

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In Pictures: West Midlands Metro Birmingham Westside extension

Posted on Saturday 24 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

We recently took a look at the West Midlands Metro extension works at the Wolverhampton end of the line and today we head to the other end of the line for some views of recent progress on the extension at the other end in Birmingham. Andy Walters is the photographer.

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Around the World in Trams: Rotterdam 831

Posted on Saturday 24 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

We head to the Netherlands for this final look at trams from around the world this year with the city of Rotterdam the subject of our attention.

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In Pictures: Cambridge Street Tramways 7 – approaching completion

Posted on Saturday 24 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

It is a tram which provided a mystery as to just where it had come from in the initial stages of restoration at the Ipswich Transport Museum but Cambridge Street Tramways 7 is now approaching the end of its work ahead of display at the museum, complete with the obligatory fake horse as all horse trams seem to be partnered with!

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In Pictures: Wolverhampton City Centre extension construction

Posted on Friday 23 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

As we’ve reported over the past few months there is currently West Midlands Metro extension works ongoing at both ends of the current line and in this article Martin Miller brings us a pictorial update on what is happening in Wolverhampton City Centre with plenty of track now in place.

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Wirral Waters tram scheme back in the offing?

Posted on Friday 23 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

Many of you will remember at the start of this decade an ambitious plan to extend the current Birkenhead Heritage Tramway to the proposed Wirral Waters development with several redundant Blackpool trams purchased to be converted for operation on this line. This plan – which was being developed by Merseytravel – was formally abandoned in 2014 which led to the Blackpool trams mostly heading to Fleetwood and it seemed the chances of an extended line on the Wirral were at and end. However, the Wirral Waters development is now back in the news and Peel Holdings are keen on once again developing a tram line to link the project with other local transport.

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Tynwald approves Strathallan Depot reconstruction plans – and future of the horse trams secured too

Posted on Thursday 22 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

Strathallan Depot – home of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway trams – future is secure following the approval by Tynwald of the reconstruction of the structure to a condition that will closely replicate the original 1902 building. At the same debate in Tynwald an amendment was submitted which sought approval for the Department of Infrastructure to continue to operate the line from 2019 and beyond; this was also voted through seemingly securing the future of the tramway in the future.

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Picture in Time: Croydon Tramlink 2546

Posted on Thursday 22 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

Croydon is the location for today’s instalment of Picture in Time as we take a look at one of the early advert liveries on CR4000 2546.

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A new arrival at Crich

Posted on Wednesday 21 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

Its been a busy few days for Crich as following hot on the heels of yesterdays news about the formal acquisition of the Barnsley & District bus comes the arrival of a new tram on site. However, this tram will not ever be seen in service as it has been acquired to give an example of a grounded body – a fate which befell many trams following the closure of their networks – and a major part of tramway history. The tram in question – which won’t become part of the national collection – is Nottingham 45 which was previously stored at the Great Central Railway (North).

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Trams revealed for Blackpool’s last Gold service of 2018

Posted on Wednesday 21 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

It may be only be around a month until Christmas but that doesn’t mean its time for Blackpool’s heritage trams to take a break just yet as the final Gold weekend of 2018 takes place on 24th and 25th November (and not forgetting Santa Specials on the first three Saturdays of December). Six trams will be in service on each day of Winter Gold with the planned allocations now released for both days (subject to the usual availability caveats).

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1913 bus secured for Crich collection

Posted on Tuesday 20 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

The 1913 Leyland “Combination Car” motorbus which operated in Barnsley will now become part of the Crich Tramway Village collection after the conclusion of a successful fundraising campaign. The bus is of a key historic significance and shows the bridge between trams and buses which many towns and cities across the UK experienced in the early part of the twentieth century.

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Picture in Time: Graz 225 & Brussels 9062

Posted on Tuesday 20 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

Today we are back at Summerlee for the conclusion of a look back to the early days of the tramway to mark 30 years of operations. We look at two trams in this article, both of which are no longer part of the collection – Graz 225 and Brussels 9062.

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