In Pictures: Glasgow 22 continues testing at Crich

Posted on Tuesday 18 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

Glasgow 22 is approaching a return to service at Crich with extensive test running taking place before it can be cleared to rejoin the operational fleet. 22 last ran in service at the end of the 2014 season at which point it was withdrawn from service requiring workshop attention which has been taking place over the last 18 months. The overhaul has taken longer than originally envisaged and has included a lift but the tram started to run under its own power again during September. It is not expected that 22 will return to service before the end of this season but this workhorse of the Crich fleet looks set to be part of the operational fleet from the start of the 2017 season.

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Works coming to an end on the Second City Crossing

Posted on Tuesday 18 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

Work on constructing Manchester Metrolink’s Second City Crossing (2CC) is coming to an end with the majority of works set to be completed in time for Manchester’s famous Christmas markets. To this end there will be some changes for traffic access on some of the roads in the city centre from Saturday 22nd October.

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Manchester Metrolink Service Change: Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd October

Posted on Tuesday 18 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

Improvement works on the Altrincham line will see changes to Manchester Metrolink services throughout the weekend of Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd October. The Altrincham line is closed in its entirety with no services from East Didsbury, Manchester Airport or Eccles running into the city centre.

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399 206 arrives in Sheffield

Posted on Tuesday 18 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

The sixth of seven Citylink tram-trains for Stagecoach Supertram has now arrived in Sheffield. 399 206 was delivered to Nunnery Square Depot late on Monday 17th October following transportation from Stadler’s Valencia plant. The vehicle has now been unloaded and commissioning will start ahead of a full testing programme.

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Metrolink goes gold

Posted on Monday 17 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

Manchester Metrolink M5000 3091 has gone gold in celebration of Team GB’s golden summer at the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games. The tram has received a special vinyl wrap livery – mainly avoiding the windows – as part of a day of celebration in Manchester which has culminated in a Heroes Parade through the city. 3091 has been chosen specifically for the livery as that is the total number of gold medals won by both Team GB and Paralympics GB during the summer.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 7 Comments

Preserved trams to run at Fleetwood docks?

Posted on Monday 17 October 2016 by Andrew Waddington

The Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust are now reaching an advanced stage of planning a new visitor attraction in Fleetwood, as part of a major redevelopment of the town’s docks. Associated British Ports have confirmed their own plans and now the Trust have submitted their own concepts for a waterfront site in which to display, and potentially operate, trams from its collection.

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Posted in Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust | 5 Comments

Big cash boost for Beamish Museum

Posted on Monday 17 October 2016 by Andrew Waddington

There is a lot of celebrating going on at Beamish, the Living Museum of the North, following the announcement that the museum had received a £10.9 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This successful bid will enable significant strides forward with the ‘Remaking Beamish’ initiative, primarily involving the creation of a 1950s themed area within the grounds of the massive open air museum site.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 16 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

We bring you another three Photo Galleries as part of our latest main site update:

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From Rigby Road to a Rugby school

Posted on Friday 14 October 2016 by Andrew Waddington

The new home of Blackpool Centenary car 643 has now been revealed, with the tram arriving at Brooke School in Rugby, which will presumably be its final destination. The tram has been undergoing an interior refurbishment at a railway maintenance facility in the Midlands for the last few months, having been sold on by its previous custodians, the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Western Train 733+734

Posted on Friday 14 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

We take another look at Blackpool’s Illuminated tram fleet in our latest visit to the archive with a view of the Western Train 733+734 back in October 1962.

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It’s a yes for Trafford Park

Posted on Thursday 13 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

Just when it looked as Metrolink construction work was coming to an end comes the news that the UK’s largest tramway network is to expand even further with full government approval now given to the Trafford Park line. Chris Grayling, Secretary of State for Transport, has granted the legal powers for the construction of the 3.4 mile line through the Transport and Works Act order which means work could start as soon as this winter.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 9 Comments

London County Council 106 loan recognised at Derbyshire Heritage Awards

Posted on Thursday 13 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

The loan of London County Council 106 from the Crich Tramway Village to the East Anglia Transport Museum – the first time a tram from the national collection has run at Carlton Colville and the first short-term loan of a tram – has been recognised at the Derbyshire Heritage Awards 2016. The loan was Highly Commended in the Best Volunteer Project at the ceremony which took place at the museum on Friday 7th October.

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Posted in East Anglia Transport Museum, National Tramway Museum | 1 Comment

£1 million donated to Seaton Tramway

Posted on Wednesday 12 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

The widow of former Seaton Tramway Chairman Trevor Shears has pledged to donate £1million to the tramway towards the redevelopment of the Seaton terminus. Lyn Shears will be giving the money over several instalments to help fulfil one of Mr Shears’ wishes of a fully modernised terminus at Seaton to welcome passengers ahead of their three mile trip to Colyton.

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2565 completes Tramlink Stadler order

Posted on Monday 10 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

Sunday 9th October saw the twelfth Stadler Variobahn arrive at London Tramlink’s Therapia Lane Depot completing the order (for a third time!). 2565 was delivered during the morning and was unloaded and moved into the workshops where it will now start the commissioning process. The delivery of this tram comes just two weeks after 2564 arrived in Croydon – a tram which has now started test running – and completes the process of deliveries from Stadler which started back in January 2012 with 2554. It remains to be seen whether any more of this class of tram is ordered but for now it is a nice round dozen for Tramlink.

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In Pictures: Steampunk at Crich

Posted on Monday 10 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

It was Steampunk Day at Crich on Saturday 8th October, a day which also marked the exact 56th anniversary since the last original tram ran in Sheffield. The actual event saw Steampunks – who aim to take the very best parts of the past and make them part of a bright future – at the museum with market stalls, tea duelling and some wonderful Steampunk costumes. Meanwhile Sheffield 510 was in service to commemorate the closure of Sheffield Corporation Tramways and was joined by London United Tramways 159 in providing part of the service. In this small pictorial update we take a look at the event plus 510 and 159 in service along with views of the latest progress on London County Council 1. Photos from Hazel Quarmby.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 4 Comments

In Pictures: 17 finally enters service on Midland Metro

Posted on Sunday 9 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

Having been in the UK for almost three years the oldest Urbos 3 has finally entered service on Midland Metro. 17 was used in passenger service for the very first time as one of the evening peak extras on Tuesday 4th October and was then in use again the next day on a full day diagram.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 2 Comments

A new advert on Manchester Metrolink

Posted on Sunday 9 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

After a short period of livery uniformity another M5000 has now received advertising vinyls on Manchester Metrolink. 3117 is the latest tram to be covered in a vinyl wrap with the sponsor being Manchester College, and yes it does feature extensive use of contravision. Mainly green with sections also in white the advert is publicising The Manchester College where you can “be amazing”. This is the first all over advert that 3117 has carried and is also the highest numbered tram yet on Metrolink to run in non-fleet livery.

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Blackpool Brush 636 on the move again

Posted on Sunday 9 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

Blackpool Brush Railcoach 636 has been on the move again with it returning to Stored Energy Technology in Derby having spent the past couple of months at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway where it has been used for testing. The return to Derby is only expected to be temporary with 636 requiring further modifications before the tests can continue.

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In Pictures: Sheffield tram-train project work continues

Posted on Sunday 9 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

It may seem to be the project which has been progressing at a snail’s pace but work is underway on the necessary construction work needed for the introduction of the Sheffield to Rotherham tram-train service which it is hoped may be up and running at some point in 2017. In this photo update – courtesy of Glyn Hill – we take a look at some recent shots of the stage various sections of the project has now reached.

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Midland Metro Alliance apply for Birmingham Eastside extension TWAO

Posted on Sunday 9 October 2016 by Gareth Prior

Plans to extend Midland Metro from Bull Street to Digbeth – the Birmingham Eastside extension – have moved a step forward following the application by the Midland Metro Alliance, on behalf of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), for a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO). This short 1.05 mile line would serve the proposed HS2 station at Curzon Street and is planned to open in 2023.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 3 Comments