Picture in Time: Blackpool OMO 5

Posted on Saturday 30 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

Today we feature one of the very first photos I ever took of a tram back in 1992 – little did I know at the time that this would be the only photo I ever took of an OMO in normal passenger service!

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English Light Rail journeys suffer small fall for first time in eight years

Posted on Saturday 30 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

Over the past few years the number of passengers has been on the increase almost across the board but this overall increase has come to a halt in the latest figures released which have shown 416,000 fewer journeys were made in 2017/8 compared to 2016/7. Its not all bad news though as Manchester Metrolink, Nottingham Express Transit and the Blackpool Tramway did all see increases on the previous years stats.

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NET 220 receives its new name

Posted on Saturday 30 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

Nottingham Express Transit Citadis 220 is now running with its latest name following a special ceremony at Wilkinson Street Depot on Wednesday 27th June. 220 is the tram used each year to celebrate the overall winner at the Nurse and Midwife Awards and for the next 12 months it will be named Luisa Avanzado.

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Marton 31 returns to service at Beamish

Posted on Friday 29 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

After over two years popular open topper Blackpool Marton 31 has returned to service at Beamish with the tram carrying its first passengers again at the museum on Thursday 28th June 2018. And it’s a very welcome return ahead of the main summer season at Beamish!

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In Pictures: New advert for Edinburgh Trams 276

Posted on Friday 29 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

Edinburgh Trams have obviously felt left out by all the adverts revealed on Manchester Metrolink in recent days as they have re-entered the new vinyl adverts game with 276 receiving an advert for The Edinburgh Dungeon. This tram previously advertised last week’s Royal Highland Show.

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‘Princess Alice’ 706 restoration appeal launched

Posted on Friday 29 June 2018 by Andrew Waddington

One of Blackpool’s best loved trams is undoubtedly the unique open-top Balloon car, ‘Princess Alice’ 706. The tram was always hugely popular whenever it appeared in service since its conversion to open-top condition in 1985, until the end of the 2015 season when it was withdrawn from use as it was in need of major workshop attention. The Fylde Tramway Society are now raising funds to enable this to be carried out, and donations from the public are needed to help!

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Fylde Tramway Society | 3 Comments

New Seaton terminus opens to the public

Posted on Thursday 28 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

Nine months since the last passengers departed the old Seaton terminus the new look modernised terminus building has opened to the public with all tram services once again running from Seaton to Colyton. The brand new terminus is two metres higher than previously and provides fully covered accommodation for both trams and visitors – no more waiting in windswept conditions for the tram to arrive!

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In Pictures: More adverts on Metrolink

Posted on Thursday 28 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

The magic number of 10 has been reached of vinyl wrap liveries on Manchester Metrolink following the application of an advert for Capital Radio on 3030. Meanwhile the fourth Vodafone advert has been confirmed as being carried on 3100.

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Around the World in Trams: Vienna 4-103 & 18

Posted on Thursday 28 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

Heading into Austria as part of our look at trams from around the world today with a view from Vienna.

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Edinburgh Trams profit up

Posted on Wednesday 27 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

For a system (or single line if you prefer) which had a very traumatic start in life, Edinburgh Trams seems to be on the up and up with ever increasing passenger numbers, good reliability figures and now higher than expected financial returns. The latest set of annual accounts have shown a £1.6m pre-tax operating profit – against the business model prediction of £333,000.

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In Pictures: Progress on Wolverhampton City Centre extension

Posted on Wednesday 27 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

West Midlands Metro will be a much bigger network in the future with work on extending the line at both ends currently underway ahead of further work to build a line from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill. In this pictorial update we take a look at recent progress on work to bring the line into the centre of Wolverhampton. Ken Jones with the pictures.

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Balloons everywhere at Totally Models

Posted on Tuesday 26 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

The second annual Totally Models event took place in Blackpool over the weekend of 23rd and 24th June and the Balloon Car was the star of the show – especially on the Sunday of the event – and not only with those trams in service on the Prom! The weekend also saw the chance to see behind the scenes at Rigby Road with depot tours provided alongside the model exhibition.

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In Pictures: Supertram rail replacement works move on

Posted on Tuesday 26 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

Area 2 of the 2018 rail replacement works on Stagecoach Supertram have now commenced with no trams running between Birley Lane and Halfway until 8th August. The first stage of these works are taking place at Hackenthorpe with the road crossing approaching the stop and a short section after the stop now having already completed. Work has now moved on to Donetsk Way inbound from the stop to a point where it becomes private right of way at the bottom. Stuart Cooke provides us with the photos of progress so far.

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Picture in Time: Midland Metro 14

Posted on Tuesday 26 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

In this instalment of Picture in Time we take a look at Midland Metro with one of the original T69s in service.

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Low key launch for West Midlands Metro

Posted on Monday 25 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

The new era for Midland Metro is here although from the outside there is currently no major change with all trams still running in the Network West Midlands Silver and Magenta livery as carried since the Urbos3 trams entered service. Branding has been updated at the stops and staff have new uniforms but for many passengers they probably aren’t even aware they are now travelling on West Midlands Metro!

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In Pictures: Adverts galore in Manchester!

Posted on Monday 25 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

At the end of last week we reported on how a new deal would see four tram covered in vinyl wraps for Vodafone on Manchester Metrolink but that isn’t all as a new advert has also been revealed for Heart FM. All five new adverts (only three of the Vodafone trams have been spotted so far but the deal is for four) are red based and feature full contravision on passenger windows.

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In Pictures: A Bank Holiday at Carlton Colville

Posted on Sunday 24 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

We previously featured views of Sheffield 513 operating all the way through to the extremity of the tram line at the East Anglia Transport Museum on Sunday 27th May and in this pictorial we show some more photos from the camera of Bryan Grint from a sunny Bank Holiday weekend.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Centenary 645

Posted on Saturday 23 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

Blackpool is again the location for our next instalment of Picture in Time as we go back to the year 2000 for a view of one of the many all over adverts carried on a Centenary Car.

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A new home for the Blackpool Tram Shop

Posted on Saturday 23 June 2018 by Gareth Prior

At the end of 2017 the Blackpool Tram Shop at North Pier – a regular haunt we would imagine for many readers of this website – closed its doors for the final time with the promise of a much bigger shop where they would be able to showcase many more of the products also sold through the Videoscene website. It may have taken longer than anticipated but it has been announced the new shop will open on Saturday 14th July – although you will need to get your walking boots on if you want to visit it without a car of your own.

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Manx Electric Railway 125th anniversary events announced

Posted on Friday 22 June 2018 by Andrew Waddington

For some time, it has been known that there would be a big event taking place on the Isle of Man to celebrate 125 years of the Manx Electric Railway. Full details of what is planned are now available, with extensive information of all the events happening on the MER, with a few extra events involving the other trams on the island, between 1st and 8th September – and it looks set to be spectacular!

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