Picture in Time: Great Orme Tramway 4 & 5

Posted on Tuesday 9 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

We head off to North Wales for this edition of our archive photo series with a view on the Great Orme Tramway of the two trams which have operated the lower section service ever since opening in 1902.

Continue reading →

Posted in Great Orme Tramway, Picture in Time | Comments Off on Picture in Time: Great Orme Tramway 4 & 5

Crich depot re-roofed

Posted on Monday 8 January 2018 by Andrew Waddington

The project to improve the main tram depots at Crich Tramway Village is coming along very nicely indeed, with the new roof now in place over the entire complex comprising Depots 2, 3 & 4. This work was actually completed in time for Christmas, at which point the contractors took a short break – but work has now resumed with even more significant progress being achieved already this year.

Continue reading →

Posted in National Tramway Museum | Comments Off on Crich depot re-roofed

‘Winter Gold’ heritage service extends to Starr Gate

Posted on Monday 8 January 2018 by Andrew Waddington

In a welcome development, Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours have announced that their first two ‘Gold’ operating weekends of 2018 will feature a heritage tram service along New South Promenade. From 1020 until 1620 on each day, there will be a heritage tram departing from a special temporary stop located at Starr Gate – meaning that there will be ample opportunities to ride on a traditional Blackpool tram over the whole system in the middle of winter.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 2 Comments

In Pictures: Manchester Metrolink T68s in store

Posted on Monday 8 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

It will be four years since the last T68s ran in service on Manchester Metrolink in 2018 but despite that period there are still four (including one T68A) which are stored at Trafford Depot. Shortly before Christmas Kevin James went down to Trafford Depot and has provided us with the following photos showing the trams continued storage.

Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 2 Comments

Petition launched to support Blackpool Tramway extension to Poulton

Posted on Sunday 7 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Could another extension of the Blackpool Tramway follow that due to open in 2019 to Blackpool North Station? It could if a petition recently launched has its way with a plea to commission a study into extending the tramway from Fleetwood to Poulton using the disused railway line.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 3 Comments

Increase in passengers for Luas

Posted on Sunday 7 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

2017 has seen another increase in passengers for Dublin’s Luas network with 37.6 million passenger journeys recorded over the 12 months. This was an increase of 10.26% of figures from 2016.

Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Luas | Comments Off on Increase in passengers for Luas

Picture in Time: Midland Metro 01

Posted on Saturday 6 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

We travel back in time to the year 2000 for this edition of Picture in Time with the Midland Metro system the focus of our attention.

Continue reading →

Posted in Picture in Time, West Midlands Metro | Comments Off on Picture in Time: Midland Metro 01

Custom House DLR station to reopen

Posted on Saturday 6 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

After an 11 month closure the Docklands Light Railway station at Custom House is set to reopen to passengers on Monday 8th January. The station has been closed since 3rd February 2017 to allow for vital modernisation work and to expand the station.

Continue reading →

Posted in Docklands Light Railway | Comments Off on Custom House DLR station to reopen

New crossing at Crumpsall

Posted on Saturday 6 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

The improvement works at Crumpsall stop on the Manchester Metrolink line to Bury have been continuing over the past few weeks with a new pedestrian crossing opening to passengers on Wednesday 3rd January. This new crossing replaces the old footbridge and ramp which will be demolished later this month.

Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | Comments Off on New crossing at Crumpsall

In Pictures: Brush cars bring 2017 to a close for the heritage fleet

Posted on Friday 5 January 2018 by Andrew Waddington

The last public operation by the heritage trams in Blackpool consisted of three ‘Santa Special’ running days on Saturdays 9th, 16th & 23rd December. However, that wasn’t quite the end of the year for the heritage fleet as on 30th December, the Fylde Tramway Society hired two Brush cars for its annual Christmas tram tour.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway | Comments Off on In Pictures: Brush cars bring 2017 to a close for the heritage fleet

Continued growth for Edinburgh Trams

Posted on Friday 5 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

The new higher frequency timetable introduced on Edinburgh Trams during 2017 has helped to contribute to a 19% increase in passenger numbers over the past 12 months. 6.6 million passenger journeys were recorded in 2017 – an increase of more than 1 million.

Continue reading →

Posted in Edinburgh Trams | Comments Off on Continued growth for Edinburgh Trams

Where are they now? Bradford tram in Lancashire

Posted on Friday 5 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

As is well known when many of the UK’s original tram systems closed they sold off their redundant trams for further use with many ending up as holiday homes and sheds. One of these is believed to be a 1902 Bradford tram which ended up at Sunderland Point in Lancashire – and it is still there today as a recent film by Lune Tube has shown.

Continue reading →

Posted in General | 1 Comment

Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloons 709, 708 & Coronation 644

Posted on Thursday 4 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Heading back to Blackpool for this edition of Picture in Time with an image taken in the late 1960s.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Picture in Time | 1 Comment

In Pictures: Hogmanay changes for Edinburgh Trams

Posted on Wednesday 3 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

As has become the norm Hogmanay in Edinburgh City Centre means that tram services are suspended between West End Princes Street and York Place to allow for the celebrations to take place. 2017 leading into 2018 was no different with all trams from the Airport terminating at West End from 1800 on Saturday 30th December until 0930 on Monday 1st January. Roy Calderwood was on hand to show us some of the sights at West End Princes Street on New Year’s Eve.

Continue reading →

Posted in Edinburgh Trams | Comments Off on In Pictures: Hogmanay changes for Edinburgh Trams

Picture in Time: Modern Electric Tramways 7, 6 and Mobile Shop 01

Posted on Tuesday 2 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

In our first delve into the archives for 2018 we go back over 50 years ago to Eastbourne for an image taken of three trams on the Modern Electric Tramways operation on the Sussex coast before it headed over to Devon.

Continue reading →

Posted in Picture in Time, Seaton Tramway | Comments Off on Picture in Time: Modern Electric Tramways 7, 6 and Mobile Shop 01

Happy New Year!

Posted on Monday 1 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

And so 2017 is now behind us and we start with another year, a year where we should hopefully see more positive developments on tramways in the British Isles both those systems which provide a daily service to commuters and also those heritage tramways we all seem to enjoy visiting.

Continue reading →

Posted in Site News | Comments Off on Happy New Year!

In Pictures: Snow for Sheffield

Posted on Monday 1 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

The Christmas period saw some further snowfall across the UK and this time we head to South Yorkshire for some images of trams running in the white stuff on Friday 29th December. As we have come to expect the snow didn’t severely affect the tram services on Supertram although many bus routes had to be suspended. Stuart Cooke with the photos.

Continue reading →

Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | Comments Off on In Pictures: Snow for Sheffield

Around the World in 18 Trams: Basel BVB 5028

Posted on Sunday 31 December 2017 by Gareth Prior

And we come to the end of our very first world tour of trams with another trip to the Swiss system of Basel.

Continue reading →

Posted in Around the World in Trams | 1 Comment

British Trams Online at 15 – Loan Trams: Blackpool Pantograph 167

Posted on Saturday 30 December 2017 by Gareth Prior

And we end this series with the 26th different tram to have left its usual home for an operating loan – Blackpool Pantograph 167. As with Marton Box 31 which started off this series this is a tram which has been on the move on three different occasions although not all of them were a complete success.

Continue reading →

Posted in Beamish Tramway, Blackpool Tramway, British Trams Online at 15, Loan Trams, National Tramway Museum | Comments Off on British Trams Online at 15 – Loan Trams: Blackpool Pantograph 167

British Trams Online at 15 – Events: Manchester Metrolink extensions

Posted on Saturday 30 December 2017 by Gareth Prior

And so we come to an end of our look at 15 key events over the past 15 years and although we have deliberately not put them in any particular order there is little doubt that one of most key events in this period has been the expansion of Manchester Metrolink with four all new lines plus the MediaCityUK spur and the Second City Crossing.

Continue reading →

Posted in 15 Events, British Trams Online at 15, Manchester Metrolink | Comments Off on British Trams Online at 15 – Events: Manchester Metrolink extensions