Tram allocations revealed for first Blackpool ‘gold’ event of 2018

Posted on Thursday 25 January 2018 by Andrew Waddington

The first ‘Gold’ operating weekend of 2018 for Blackpool’s Heritage Tram Tours is almost upon us, and following the exciting news that a heritage service will operate over the entire system on Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th January, the planned vehicle allocations for both days have now also been revealed. Please note that the advertised trams are all subject to change.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Twin Car 676+686 & Balloon 710

Posted on Thursday 25 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

We are on the way back to 1981 for today’s Picture in Time image as we find ourselves at Pleasure Beach for a couple of views featuring two trams.

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In Pictures: Shunting in the snow at Crich

Posted on Wednesday 24 January 2018 by Andrew Waddington

With further significant progress on the depot refurbishment works at Crich Tramway Village, yet another major shunting operation took place at the home of the National Tramway Museum on Saturday 20th January. Depot 4 now appears to be completed, enabling it to be filled with trams, whilst Depot 3 has now been emptied to allow the new wall insulation to be installed.

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In Pictures: LCC 1 restoration progress

Posted on Wednesday 24 January 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Whilst the big news from Crich Tramway Village this winter may be the ongoing depot refurbishment works – more on which will appear on this website shortly – the reconstruction of London County Council 1, alias ‘Bluebird’, has certainly not been forgotten. As these recent pictures show, the car is now beginning to look much more tram-like.

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Chance to cover all parts of Crich Tramway Village

Posted on Tuesday 23 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

The Branch Line Society are to repeat their highly successful tour of the Crich Tramway Village on Sunday 15th April 2018. Booking for the Crich Tramway Traverser is now open and is available to all, not only members of the Branch Line Society.

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Picture in Time: Dudley, Stourbridge & District 5

Posted on Tuesday 23 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Shortly before Christmas we saw the return of Dudley, Stourbridge & District 5 to service at the Black Country Living Museum following the completion of a major overhaul and in this edition of Picture in Time it is that tram we feature, but in its first period of operation in preservation.

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In Pictures: Aberdeen Horse Tram 1

Posted on Monday 22 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Last year Aberdeen Horse Tram 1 spent four months on display at the old Constitution Street tram depot in Aberdeen, now the Aberdeen Science Centre, on a temporary loan as part of the Silver Stories events – a rare chance to see a tram in its former home. At the time we saw the tram as it was transported from its usual home at the Grampian Transport Museum to the Science Centre but now with thanks to William Brown we can show the tram during its brief display.

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Planning permission given for new depot and stables – but Summer Hill will continue to be used in 2018!

Posted on Sunday 21 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

It has been confirmed that the Department of Infrastructure’s planning application for a new temporary horse tram structure on part of the former Summerland complex adjacent to Derby Castle has been approved. However, at the same time it is also confirmed that Summer Hill stables will continue to be used in 2018!

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In Pictures: Gloucester Horse Tram in Oxford

Posted on Sunday 21 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

A tram we featured back in August was “Oxford Tramway 1” which can be found at the Oxford Bus Museum in Long Hanborough. As we mentioned at the time although currently in City of Oxford and District Tramways Company livery this tram actually comes from Gloucester operating on that system having been built in 1881. However, similar trams operated in Oxford and after a five year cosmetic restoration the tram is now masquerading as being from Oxford. Bob Hodges with these latest images.

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In Pictures: Another C R Smith advert debuts

Posted on Saturday 20 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

It has been three months since the last new C R Smith advert appeared on Edinburgh Trams but this week has seen the debut of 253 carrying the familiar vinyls for the window company. This time round the two areas featured on the advert are The Royal Mile and Balintore. This is the 17th tram to receive the adverts and with the original announcement stating that there would be 18 by our reckoning that means there should be one more to come!

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Picture in Time: Docklands Light Railway 05

Posted on Saturday 20 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

We go back almost exactly 30 years for today’s archive image with a view from the Docklands Light Railway.

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DLR workers to go on strike

Posted on Saturday 20 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Workers employed by contractor ISS are go on a 48 hour strike from Thursday 1st February – but the Docklands Light Railway don’t expect it to have any affect on services. The workers are employed as cleaners, security staff and travel safe officers with the RMT alleging that there has been a complete breakdown of industrial relations. The dispute is connected with a change in working conditions.

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Toastrack 42 the next tram to go for overhaul

Posted on Friday 19 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

The amount of investment which has gone towards the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway since it became part of Isle of Man Railways looks set to see no sign of reducing with the news that Toastrack 42 is now to undergo restoration – the fourth tram to receive major attention over the past couple of years.

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Some fares to go up on Edinburgh Trams

Posted on Friday 19 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Some fares for travel on Edinburgh Trams are to increase from 25th February although most of the popular fares will remain at the same level. The increases in place are the first applied for two years and are necessary because of an increase in operating costs.

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Tramlink Nottingham losing nearly £1million a week

Posted on Friday 19 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Tramlink Nottingham – the company who operate Nottingham Express Transit – are losing almost £1 million a week according to their annual report for the year up to March 2017, which has just been released. More than £3 was being lost per trip with auditors warning that they could be unable to pay its debts in the future.

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Wolverhampton City Centre extension works to start in March

Posted on Thursday 18 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

The project to bring trams into the heart of Wolverhampton and terminating at the railway station will get under way in earnest during March. This second phase of works – which follows on from the installation of the junction during the closure of the line along Bilston Road – is due to take place until the summer, although trams won’t be running until 2020.

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In Pictures: Snow in Edinburgh

Posted on Thursday 18 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Its taken the best part of three years but finally a significant snowfall has struck Edinburgh allowing images of trams in the snow to be recorded. Although the city centre was mainly clear of snow the outlying areas of the tramway did see a dusting of snow – although not nearly as heavy as that seen elsewhere in Scotland. John Hampton braved the cold and provides us with these photos.

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Picture in Time: Rigby Road Depot

Posted on Thursday 18 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Blackpool is the location once again for this edition of Picture in Time as we take a look inside Rigby Road Depot back in 1987.

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October 2019 deadline set for Bluebird restoration

Posted on Wednesday 17 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Over the past three and a half years the workshops at Crich have been dominated by the restoration of London County Council 1, or Bluebird if you prefer, with the work continuing to bring the tram into the operating fleet at the home of the National Tramway Museum. One of the most ambitious and complex restorations undertaken it has now been announced that it is planned to get Bluebird fully restored and operational by October 2019 – surely making it an early contender for 2019’s Tram of the Year contest!

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Bridge removed at Crumpsall

Posted on Wednesday 17 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

The footbridge over the tracks at Manchester Metrolink’s Crumpsall stop has been removed as work on upgrading the stop ahead of trams from Trafford Park arriving in 2020 has continued. The work to remove the bridge was undertaken in the early hours of Sunday 14th January to minimise disruption to passengers.

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