Private and public events to mark ‘TMS 60’

Posted on Thursday 20 August 2015 by Andrew Waddington

As reported previously, the Tramway Museum Society celebrates its sixtieth anniversary this year and this milestone will be marked with a special event entitled ‘TMS60’ which is being held on Saturday 19th September, incorporating the annual Enthusiasts Day. However, it has just been announced that a second event will also be held on Saturday 7th November, although this will solely be for TMS members and other invited guests.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 1 Comment

In Pictures: Metrolink 3102 enters service

Posted on Thursday 20 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

3102 has entered service on Manchester Metrolink meaning that all of the Bombardier built trams have now been in service on the system since delivery. 3102 first carried passengers on Tuesday 18th August running as a double unit on the Rochdale to Ashton service. For at least the time being the tram is based at Queen’s Road but is not fitted with ATS/VRS equipment so may well in the long term move to be based at Trafford Depot.

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Going for a ride…

Posted on Thursday 20 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

Another week has passed so let’s take a look at just when and where you can enjoy a ride on a traditional tram in the British Isles. Highlights of the next week include a Model Tram and Railway Exhibition at the Crich Tramway Village (Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd August) whilst elsewhere it is just business as usual with normal service patterns in operation. But we aren’t far off August Bank Holiday weekend and we all know what that means by now…

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Railcoaches prepare to return home

Posted on Wednesday 19 August 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Two of Blackpool’s classic single deck Railcoaches are now ready and waiting to return home to Rigby Road thanks to some recent positive developments. The repaint of Ex-Towing car 680 at the Heaton Park Tramway has now been completed, whilst in Blackpool, efforts are being made which should(!) allow Brush car 290 (627) to regain covered accomodation for the first time in three years.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust, Heaton Park Tramway | 5 Comments

Urbos 3 32 joins the Midland Metro operational fleet

Posted on Tuesday 18 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

No sooner have we said goodbye to the last of the T69s then we are welcoming another one of the Urbos 3s into the operational fleet on Midland Metro with 32 entering service on Monday 17th August.

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Crich Tramway Village horse tram operation cancelled

Posted on Tuesday 18 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

The planned Horse Tram Days at the Crich Tramway Village for today (Tuesday 18th) and Thursday 20th August have unfortunately had to be cancelled as the horse driver has had an accident and is now unable to attend the museum. The next chance to have a ride on Sheffield 15 will now be Wednesday 16th September and it is hoped that it may be possible to arrange an extra day of operation at some point this year although that is dependent on availability etc. Unfortunately experienced tram-horse drivers are not easily found particularly as visitor safety has to be the museum’s primary concern. We are sure all enthusiasts reading this wish the horse-tram driver a quick recovery.

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Picture in Time: Douglas Horse Tramway 35

Posted on Tuesday 18 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

In our recent Douglas Horse Tramway Photo Gallery (http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/gallery548.html if you missed it!) we featured no. 35 which is now out of service and stored away from the tramway at the Home for Retired Horses but back in 1973 it was still very much part of the serviceable fleet as today’s Picture in Time image shows.

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Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, Picture in Time | 5 Comments

Incredible events for Blackpool 130th anniversary announced

Posted on Sunday 16 August 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Outline plans have now been revealed for the highly anticipated weekend event celebrating 130 years of the Blackpool tramway in September, and this looks set to be the most ambitious and impressive event in the modern era so far by some distance! As well as having all of the serviceable heritage cars in action on both days, other exciting plans include some unusual photo opportunities and, for the first time ever, the chance to visit both tram depots in the same day! Read on to find out more…

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 12 Comments

This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 16 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

More photos for you this week as we complete the trilogy of photos from the Isle of Man with a gallery from the Manx Electric Railway and we also bring you a small selection of photos from the Docklands Light Railway:

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Picture in Time: Midland Metro 04

Posted on Sunday 16 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

It seems rather apt in the week that the last of the Midland Metro T69s ran in service that the class makes its debut in the Picture in Time series as we take a trip back to September 1999 for a view of 04.

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Operating procedures not being followed by staff blamed for MER derailment

Posted on Saturday 15 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

Isle of Man Railways have revealed that the derailment of trailer 58 at Laxey on 7th July was down to the staff involved in the shunting manoeuvre not following the correct operating procedures. As we reported at the time 58 derailed and toppled over at Laxey during a routine shunt which led to services on the Manx Electric Railway to Ramsey being suspended for a day whilst the tram was recovered.

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Another naming in Nottingham

Posted on Saturday 15 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

Local journalist Colin Slater MBE has become the latest person to have their name added to the side of one of Nottingham Express Transit’s new Citadis trams. A special ceremony took place this week where Mr Slater revealed his name on the side of 223, which has become the seventh of the new trams to receive a name. Colin Slater has reported on Notts County football matches on BBC Radio Nottingham since the radio station started. All of the Citadis trams are expected to eventually receive names.

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Edinburgh Trams continues to perform better than targets

Posted on Saturday 15 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

Edinburgh Trams has exceeded its performance targets in the first year of operation as the latest set of figures are released. The first set of annual accounts have been published and show that the services generated revenue of £6.4 million in the first seven months of operation – 3% higher than predicted in the business plan. Despite this apparent good news it is disappointing to have to report that the local media have jumped on any negativity they can find in the accounts.

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NET VIPreview tram trips a success

Posted on Saturday 15 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

The two special tram trips which took place on the two new Nottingham Express Transit lines have been hailed as a success as the extensive testing period continues in the build up to the opening of Phase Two. The journeys took place on Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th August with community stalwarts, civic leaders and competition winners all on board to get a special preview of the new lines.

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Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | 18 Comments

Rain stops play on Metrolink

Posted on Saturday 15 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

Parts of Greater Manchester were hit by nearly half of August’s average rainfall on Friday 14th August leading to the suspension of service on the Metrolink lines to the Airport and East Didsbury for several hours. The torrential downpours led to severe flooding on the lines which meant it was not possible for the trams to pass the area safely.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 1 Comment

Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 714

Posted on Friday 14 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

Our latest Picture in Time subject is a tram which has never featured on these pages before; well at least not in this form – Blackpool Balloon 714, now know as Jubilee 762.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Picture in Time | 2 Comments

Farewell to the Midland Metro T69s

Posted on Friday 14 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

Next time you take a trip on Midland Metro your journey is now guaranteed to be on a sleek and modern CAF Urbos 3 tram following the withdrawal of the last of the T69s. The highest numbered of the 16 strong class of the T69s – which not unsurprisingly is numbered 16 – was used in service for the last time on Friday 14th August running several public journeys between Birmingham Snow Hill and Wolverhampton St George’s before it embarked on a final private trip to depot bringing an end to 16 years of service for the class. But its final trip was very nearly delayed because of a fault on a tram – not the tram which was being retired of course but one of the new Urbos 3s!

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 4 Comments

The tram that can’t be moved

Posted on Friday 14 August 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The task of transferring Blackpool Brush Railcoach 290 from its current location to storage at Rigby Road sounds a simple one on paper, but unfortunately it has turned out to be anything but. It will be recalled that this tram has been on static display on its own specially laid siding near the Pleasure Beach for the last few years but is now due to be removed so that Centenary car 641 can take its place for the 2015 illuminations; however, the first stage of this did not go according to plan!

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Posted in Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust | 4 Comments

Book Review: ‘The Tower to Bispham – the Blackpool Tramway since 1960’

Posted on Thursday 13 August 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Last year, well-known Blackpool tramway historian Brian Turner released the first of a trilogy of books taking a detailed look at the changing face of this much-loved system in the period since 1960, focussing on the section from Starr Gate to Tower. This book was quite rightly regarded as an instant classic, and so the release of the second instalment has been much anticipated – and the wait was certainly worth it!

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In Pictures: WW2 Home Front – Crich

Posted on Thursday 13 August 2015 by Gareth Prior

Last weekend also saw the culmination of the WW2 Home Front at the Crich Tramway Village with an intensive tram service in operation alongside the usual re-enactors and also a visiting replica Spitfire. These photos were mainly taken on the final day of the event – Sunday 9th August – and show the five trams in service and we also feature the replica Spitfire which proved to be a popular exhibit for many of the visitors to the event. Photographs courtesy of Hazel Quarmby.

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