More details revealed for Douglas Horse Tram sale

Posted on Monday 15 August 2016 by Gareth Prior

Following the news at the end of the week that Douglas Borough Council were to make six surplus trams available for sale by auction further details have now been released including confirmation of which six trams will be up for grabs. As mentioned previously any individuals or groups who are interested in purchasing one of the trams are required to show that they are seriously interested in preserving the vehicles and not just to purchase them without a plan.

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Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway | 4 Comments

An illuminating Bank Holiday ahead

Posted on Sunday 14 August 2016 by Andrew Waddington

The August Bank Holiday weekend is now looking even more colourful than it did for the Blackpool tramway, with the announcement that the weekend’s heritage tram action will be book-ended by appearances from the illuminated feature cars. On Friday 26th August there will be a rare chance to ride two of them to Fleetwood, whilst on Tuesday 30th they will be out again for the popular annual ‘Ride the Lights’ event.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 1 Comment

Douglas Bay Horse Tramway celebrates 140 years

Posted on Friday 12 August 2016 by Gareth Prior

It was an anniversary which it was feared may be celebrated without any trams running but on Sunday 7th August the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway was the centre of attention on the Isle of Man as 140 years of operation were celebrated. The highlights of the day included a nine tram cavalcade, the use of two horses hauling double decker no. 18 and trams on display outside the depot at Strathallan.

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Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway | 3 Comments

Horse trams for sale!

Posted on Friday 12 August 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Despite recent positive developments regarding the future of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway – which is currently looking more secure than it has done all year – there remains an unavoidable fact that the current tram fleet is far larger than is required. Bearing this in mind, it has been confirmed that six trams have been declared surplus to requirements and are to be sold at auction later this month.

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Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway | 9 Comments

Advert livery changes north and south

Posted on Friday 12 August 2016 by Gareth Prior

Both London Tramlink and Manchester Metrolink have seen some advertising livery changes in the past couple of weeks with the former seeing the application of a new vinyl wrap whilst in Manchester we won’t be thanking Crunchie any more!

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Posted in London Trams, Manchester Metrolink | 6 Comments

Report released into Supertram collision

Posted on Friday 12 August 2016 by Gareth Prior

In one of the speedier releases from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch a report has recently been released on the collision at Shalesmoor on Stagecoach Supertram between trams 118 and 120 which took place on 22nd October 2015. The main causes of the collision have been put down as 120 not being “driven in a manner appropriate for the conditions”and of the brakes on the tram not providing the “level of braking the driver expected”.

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Old tram tracks discovered in Nottingham

Posted on Friday 12 August 2016 by Gareth Prior

During recent construction works in Nottingham City Centre on Station Street workmen discovered some tram tracks from the original Corporation Tramway. Two tracks side by side curving from Station Street into Carrington Street were found as this photo from Bob Gell shows.

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Track replacement works for NET

Posted on Friday 12 August 2016 by Gareth Prior

Sunday 28th August will see track replacement works take place on Nottingham Express Transit in the David Lane and Cinderhill areas causing a revised service to operate. All services from Clifton South and Toton Lane will only run as far as Wilkinson Street with a replacement bus service running from there to Phoenix Park calling at all stops including Bulwell. Passengers for Hucknall should change at Bulwell for a shuttle tram.

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It must be August…Tramlink closures for track relaying

Posted on Friday 12 August 2016 by Gareth Prior

As has become tradition recently August has arrived and London Tramlink services through central Croydon have been suspended to allow for track replacement works to take place. The disruption started from late on Friday 5th August and will be continuing through until Tuesday 16th August. Throughout this period no trams were able to travel along Addiscombe Road between East Croydon and Sandilands with, at various times other sections of the tramway also closed.

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Late night trams for Edinburgh Festival

Posted on Friday 12 August 2016 by Gareth Prior

Extra tram services will run on Edinburgh Trams for the majority of August to aid passengers travelling back from events including the Festival and Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The special timetable started operation on 5th August and will be in use until 29th August with Saturdays seeing a new 0035 departure from York Place to Edinburgh Airport.

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NET delays after protest

Posted on Friday 12 August 2016 by Gareth Prior

Nottingham Express Transit services were severely delayed on Friday 5th August after a group of protestors blocked the tram tracks in the city centre causing the service to initially be suspended between Royal Centre and Old Market Square and then later as far as Nottingham Station. The situation continued to change as the morning progressed and eventually the Phoenix Park route was amended so trams were only running as far as Highbury Vale. The protestors laid on the tracks protesting under the Black Lives Matter banner and were also apparently planning to “shutdown Nottingham”. The protestors – four of whom have since been charged by the Police – were removed later in the morning with tram services resuming from 1115.

Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | 3 Comments

A new voice for Blackpool’s trams

Posted on Tuesday 9 August 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Since their introduction into service in 2012, Blackpool’s Flexity2 tram fleet have “spoken” with the voice of Blackpool Transport’s Bryan Lindop. However, in recent weeks the recorded announcements on the trams have been updated with new voiceovers recorded by a local radio host.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 16 Comments

An eventful August Sunday?

Posted on Tuesday 9 August 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Two tram preservation groups hosted special events on Sunday 7th August. The North Eastern Electrical Traction Trust (NEETT) played host to their annual ‘Tram & Transport Sunday’ at their headquarters at the North East Land, Sea & Air Museum near Sunderland, whilst over in Manchester, the Heaton Park Tramway paid tribute to vintage transport from nearby Oldham.

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B Fleet Balloon car runs in service

Posted on Monday 8 August 2016 by Andrew Waddington

The small fleet of modified ‘B Fleet’ Balloon cars in Blackpool which were intended to be used on stage carriage work to supplement the core LRT service post-2012, have found themselves with an increasingly confused role of late. Latterly used on heritage tours and little else, it therefore came as a nice surprise to see car 700 make a brief appearance in ordinary service on Sunday 7th August.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 5 Comments

Glasgow 812 goes to war

Posted on Friday 5 August 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Preparations for the next 1940s-themed event at Crich Tramway Village, taking place from 8th to 14th August inclusive, are well underway and this has included preparing a tram in wartime guise for the occasion. Glasgow 812 has been selected, being a fairly typical British tramcar which was around during that period in history.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 1 Comment

This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 31 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

We have another three Photo Galleries for you this week as part of our latest main site update:

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Details revealed for Douglas Bay Horse Tramway 140th Anniversary

Posted on Friday 29 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

We may still be midway through the Manx Heritage Transport Festival (continuing until Sunday 31st July) but already we are looking forward to the next transport event on the Isle of Man – the 140th Anniversary of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway. The anniversary will be celebrated over the weekend of Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th August and Isle of Man Railways have now revealed the plans to celebrate in style which will include intensive services, trams in the evening and a parade of all trams to round things off.

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Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway | 5 Comments

Blackpool reveal details of next two Gold operating weekends

Posted on Friday 29 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

The next couple of months will see a further two periods of the popular Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours Gold timetable operating with outline details of both weekends now revealed. The next time the Gold timetable will be in action will be over the August Bank Holiday weekend (27th to 29th August) with the standard timetable in use and this will be followed by the Anniversary Spectacular (24th and 25th September) which will also include depot tours, rare trams on display and vintage bus tours.

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Metrolink set to return to MediaCityUK

Posted on Friday 29 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

Manchester Metrolink Services to MediaCityUK are set to return from Monday 1st August – subject to the successful completion of testing and commissioning of the new rails. Metrolink services on the Eccles line have not been running since 26th June with the first major rail replacement programme on the Phase Two line taking place but with this work now sufficiently progressed it is possible for trams to get as far as MediaCityUK again.

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In Pictures: Metrolink 3117 enters service

Posted on Friday 29 July 2016 by Gareth Prior

The latest M500 to enter service on Manchester Metrolink is 3117 with these pictures showing the tram in action on Saturday 23rd July, believed to be its first day in service since completing mileage accumulation. On this day the tram was used on the Piccadilly to Shaw & Crompton service. Photos by Steve Kemp.

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