Picture in Time: Midland Metro 06

Posted on Saturday 24 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

As its nearly Christmas we have some wintery images for our last visit to the archives for 2016 as we are on Midland Metro. The subject of this edition of Picture in Time is T69 06 which had been in the wars following heavy snow fall on 21st March 2013.

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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Posted on Friday 23 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

As this is our last update until early in the new year we would like wish everyone who reads this website a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 2016 has been a year full of ups and downs in the UK tram scene with the good seeing the return of trams to service after restoration/overhaul, popular tram loans and some excellent speciale events. However, unfortunately, it is the bad which has dominated the headlines with the tragic derailment in Croydon bringing trams to the attention of the national media whilst we also saw the fire suffered by Blackpool Twin Car 272+T2 in September make the news.

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Christmas and New Year services 2016-17

Posted on Friday 23 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

This is your complete one-stop guide to services being operated on all tram and light rail networks in the British Isles over the Christmas and New Year period 2016-17. The differences in services being offered is plain to see from the example of Nottingham Express Transit who provide a service until late on Christmas Eve to the opposite end of the spectrum where once again Blackpool has no trams not only on Christmas Day but also on Boxing Day and New Years Day. So if you get bored with the turkey and constant repeats on television take a look to see where you can enjoy some tram action!

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Docklands Light Railway, Dublin Luas, Edinburgh Trams, London Trams, Manchester Metrolink, Nottingham Express Transit, South Yorkshire Supertram, West Midlands Metro | 3 Comments

RAIB release safety digest into Twin Car 272 fire

Posted on Friday 23 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch have released their safety digest into the electrical fire suffered by Blackpool Twin Car 272 on Saturday 24th September during the Anniversary Spectacular event in the resort. As was previously known the fire started as the tram was ascending from Gynn Square northbound and the problem which caused this fire has now been confirmed as a failure of cable insulation.

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Looking ahead to 2017: Crich Tramway Village

Posted on Friday 23 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

As one year rapidly comes to a close our attention starts to turn to the next and plans are made for events at the various heritage tramways across the UK. We have already reported on the events planned for the Isle of Man and Blackpool and now turn our attention to the home of the National Tramway Museum, the Crich Tramway Village.

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Looking ahead to 2017: Birkenhead Heritage Tramway

Posted on Friday 23 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

The Birkenhead Heritage Tramway (and Wirral Transport Museum) will again be operating throughout 2017 with services on their tramway between Woodside Ferry and Taylor Street running on most weekends and during local school holidays. In addition they are also planning a number of special events.

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Looking ahead to 2017: Heaton Park Tramway

Posted on Friday 23 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

One of the first of the UK’s heritage tramways to announce their events plan for 2017 was the Heaton Park Tramway in Manchester with an ambitious plan of events aimed at both enthusiasts and families.

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New year, new fares for Midland Metro

Posted on Friday 23 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

Monday 2nd January 2017 will see the introduction of new fares for Midland Metro and although the cost of off-peak travel (including the day ticket), the city hop fare and group daysavers will not see a change there will be increases on single and return fares.

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In Pictures: Sheffield tram-train construction

Posted on Friday 23 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

It may be the project which seems to be constantly delayed but despite that there is still some progress on bringing the UK tram-train pilot between Sheffield and Rotherham to fruition. In this pictorial update Glyn Hill provides photos from Rotherham Parkgate and Tinsley Viaduct.

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Wolverhampton utility diversion work to start in new year

Posted on Friday 23 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

The scheme to bring Midland Metro further into Wolverhampton City Centre will see a major step forward in early 2017 with the start of the utility diversion stage. From 9th January the work will start in Pipers Row with a number of traffic diversions being put into place during this period.

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Supertram services delayed after car collides with overhead pole

Posted on Friday 23 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

Stagecoach Supertram Blue and Purple route services were disrupted on Thursday 22nd December after a car collided with an overhead pole in the reserved tram section at Hollinsend tramstop. The car – a grey Vauxhall Insignia – suffered fairly major damage when it was driven into the pole with the two occupants of the car suffering minor injuries. At this stage it is not known why the car was on this section of tramway which is on a reserved although paved section of track.

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Man taken to hospital after being hit by tram

Posted on Friday 23 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

A 45 year old man was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries after he was hit by a tram at Roundthorn Manchester Metrolink stop. Reports suggest that the man was sitting on the edge of the platform when it was hit by the tram with the incident happening at approximately 0500 on Saturday 17th December. Tram services were suspended between Manchester Airport and Roundthorn for around an hour.

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Elderly man in hospital after being hit by tram in Sheffield

Posted on Friday 23 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

An 81 year old man is in hospital with life threatening injuries after being hit by a tram in Sheffield. The man was struck by a tram close to Woodbourn Road tramstop just after 1000 on Thursday 22nd December with the tram heading from the city centre towards Meadowhall.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Twin Car 674+684

Posted on Thursday 22 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

Our archive photo time machine has landed in July 1972 for the latest edition of Picture in Time and we are once again in Blackpool as we take a look at Twin Car 674+684 returning to Rigby Road Depot.

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Blackpool heritage running days for 2017 revealed

Posted on Wednesday 21 December 2016 by Andrew Waddington

There may be a little bit of 2016 left, but that has not stopped the operators of Blackpool’s Heritage Tram Tours from planning ahead with a full schedule of planned operating dates for 2017 now available on their website. This includes all of the enhanced running days and events for next year, and these are detailed below.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 7 Comments

Picture in Time: Frankfurt-am-Main 210

Posted on Tuesday 20 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

Picture in Time goes continental today as we take a look at Frankfurt-am-Main 210, a tram which has been in the UK for over 30 years now and in this image we find it at its first home in the West Midlands.

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Rigby Road roof repairs

Posted on Tuesday 20 December 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Whilst plenty of finance and man hours have been devoted to the ongoing preservation of Blackpool’s heritage trams, their home – Rigby Road depot – has been somewhat neglected in the recent past. Happily, this is now being put right with some major repairs to the depot roof currently underway.

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In Pictures: Edinburgh’s 261 receives advertising vinyls

Posted on Monday 19 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

As reported a few days ago Edinburgh Trams has joined the advert vinyl club with the first of the CAF built fleet now in service sporting vinyls for the Hogmanay celebrations in the city centre over the festive period. The chosen tram is 261 which in the main retains its standard white based fleet livery but with added vinyls.

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Picture in Time: Manchester Metrolink 1006

Posted on Saturday 17 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

And we are off to Manchester for the latest edition of our archive photo series Picture in Time. The year is 1992 and the star of this feature is T68 1006.

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Two becomes one

Posted on Friday 16 December 2016 by Gareth Prior

Glasgow 1245 is once again a double deck tram with the top decks of the tram recently reunited in another major milestone in the tram’s restoration. Work on 1245 has stalled over the past year as a result of the Summerlee Transport Group having to divert their resources to returning Glasgow 1017 to service but now that the little single decker is operational again the next stage of the work can commence.

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Posted in Summerlee Museum Tramway | 7 Comments