Public consultation launched for Bradley Lane Park and Ride

Posted on Friday 20 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

Centro have launched a three week public consultation on their plans to add another Park and Ride site to Midland Metro. This time a 196 car park would be constructed at Bradley Lane allowing Metro travellers to park for free to travel to Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

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In Pictures: More destinations from the past appear in Blackpool

Posted on Thursday 19 February 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The dedication of French tram enthusiast Peter Watts continues to bear fruit, with three members of the Blackpool Heritage Trust’s collection of trams now sporting brand new period-style destination blinds which he has kindly made at no cost to the Trust, and these were fitted during a visit to Rigby Road on February 17th. Following on from Twin set 272+T2, the latest beneficiaries of Peter’s efforts are Brush Railcoach 631 and Balloon 715 – the latter of course being in the works ahead of a planned return to service during 2015.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 16 Comments

Blackpool trams to line up at Beamish

Posted on Wednesday 18 February 2015 by Andrew Waddington

A special mini-event aimed at tram enthusiasts is to be held at Beamish Museum on the weekend of Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th March. This will feature an intensive four-tram service, behind-the-scenes tours and photo opportunities, the highlight of which is likely to be a line-up of four former Blackpool trams in front of the depot on both days. In addition, this event will provide one last chance to ride on Blackpool 280 before it leaves to begin a new life at Manchester.

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In Pictures: Liverpool 245 back on track for public launch

Posted on Tuesday 17 February 2015 by Andrew Waddington

On Saturday 15th February, Liverpool 245 undertook a succesful day of test running on the Birkenhead heritage tramway. This follows some further remedial work to try and rectify problems which had been experienced with the tram following its initial testing after a major restoration, financed by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

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Picture in Time: Leeds 155

Posted on Tuesday 17 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

Today’s archive image in the “Picture in Time” series comes from Leeds from way back on 8th November 1958 and shows Horsfield car 155 – the first production car of this famous class of trams.

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MTPS members to decide Warrington 2’s future

Posted on Tuesday 17 February 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Members of the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society are set to be given a unique opportunity to decide on the future for one of the Society’s collection of vintage tramcars. The derelict lower deck of Warrington 2 was acquired by the MTPS from the St Helens Transport Museum several years ago, and since then a significant amount of work has been undertaken to restore the tram to operational condition. However, the car has sat untouched for the last two years for a number of reasons, and now an important decision needs to be made regarding its future preservation.

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Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway | 9 Comments

Spring is in the air at Heaton Park

Posted on Monday 16 February 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The 2015 season got underway at Manchester’s Heaton Park Tramway on Sunday 15th February – the first public operating day for this popular attraction. Although trams had in fact operated for some private guests the week before, this was the first time since before Christmas that a proper passenger service had been operated on the tramway and appropriately it was the park’s flagship tramcar Manchester 765 which inaugurated the year’s service.

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A Valentines Day surprise from Blackpool Transport

Posted on Monday 16 February 2015 by Andrew Waddington

To the amazement of many people, two of Blackpool Transport’s modified ‘B Fleet’ Balloon cars were used in ordinary passenger service on Valentines Day, Saturday 14th February. The two chosen cars were 700 and 719, both of which spent the day running between Pleasure Beach and Little Bispham to a set timetable.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Coronation 642

Posted on Friday 13 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

We head back to Blackpool for our latest “Picture in Time” image and this time our time machine ends up in August 1968 with a view of one of the immensely popular Coronation Cars – no. 642.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Picture in Time | 3 Comments

Market Street Metrolink stop to get makeover

Posted on Friday 13 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

Market Street stop in Manchester City Centre is set to receive a makeover to improve its appearance and to make it easier for passengers to circulate around the stop. The work will start from 2000 on Friday 13th February with the first phase seeing the stop closed to passengers until Saturday 21st February (this phase has been timed to coincide with the final works at Victoria).

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Next phase of Supertram rail replacement works announced

Posted on Friday 13 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

The 2015 phase of rail replacement works on Stagecoach Supertram will commence on 28th March and will continue until the end of August with four distinct phases of track closures. The first phase will be between Hillsborough and Infirmary Road and will affect services on both the Blue and Yellow routes although details of a revised timetable have yet to be confirmed.

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Normal service is resumed – collision and errant car on tracks trouble Metrolink

Posted on Friday 13 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

The past few days has seen more problems for Manchester Metrolink with cars once again causing problems. On Tuesday 10th February a car drove into a tram close to St Peter’s Square and this was followed just two days later by a car managing to make a wrong turn and finding itself on the tracks at Baguley.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 11 Comments

Heaton Park Tramway prepares to re-open for 2015

Posted on Thursday 12 February 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Manchester’s Heaton Park Tramway is set to re-commence public operations on Sunday 15th February, after a relatively short winter hibernation. This will be the first chance for members of the public to travel along the heritage tramway in 2015, with Blackpool Vanguard 619 and Manchester 765 both currently available for duty (so if any readers of this website decide to visit, warm clothing is advisable!).

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A new role for Blackpool Centenary 641

Posted on Thursday 12 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

After three Illumination periods it has been announced that the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust’s Blackpool Brush 290 is to be replaced on the short section of display track adjacent to the Pleasure Beach loop and replaced by Centenary car 641. The Centenary car will redecorated to celebrate the Town’s football history and the FHLT are offering supporters of the Fylde coast’s premier football team the chance to see their names alongside images of some of the club’s favourite players.

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Posted in Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust | 6 Comments

In Pictures: Metrolink Second City Crossing track laying

Posted on Thursday 12 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

Manchester City Centre is the place to be at the moment if you want to see Metrolink construction works with three high profile projects currently underway. As well as the recently illustrated works at Victoria and Deansgate-Castlefield track is starting to be laid on the Second City Crossing and this small update shows some tracks now in place outside the National Football Museum. Photos courtesy of David Lloyd.

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Daylight testing commences on NET Phase Two

Posted on Tuesday 10 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

The next step towards the start of public services on Nottingham Express Transit’s Phase Two extensions has been made with the commencement of daylight testing in The Meadows and on to Wilford Lane. The first test runs took place on Monday 9th February with Citadis 223 the tram in use on this first day.

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Picture in Time: Sheffield 523

Posted on Tuesday 10 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

Nowadays if you think of the original Sheffield Tramway’s Roberts cars you think of the two preserved examples: 510 at Crich and 513 current at the East Anglia Transport Museum. But for our trip down memory lane today we feature a long-gone member of this popular class of trams: 523.

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Metrolink strike called off

Posted on Tuesday 10 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

It has been confirmed that the planned strike due to take place on Manchester Metrolink on Wednesday 11th February has been called off. MRDL and Unite met at ACAS on Monday 9th February and agreement was reached on an improved offer which will now be taken to the union members for another ballot but in the meantime the strike will not take place meaning normal services will run.

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In Pictures: Blackpool trams on driver training

Posted on Monday 9 February 2015 by Andrew Waddington

On Friday 6th February, two members of the Blackpool heritage fleet made winter appearances out on the tramway for driver training purposes. Both Fleetwood Box 40 and Balloon 700 were used for this role, and both trams were fitted with the familiar ‘L’ boards on their dash panels. Thanks to Chris Callan we are able to bring you some images of the duo at Bispham on their day out.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 4 Comments

Picture in Time: Manchester Metrolink T68s

Posted on Sunday 8 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

Today our Picture in Time goes back to 1992 as we take a look at Queen’s Road Depot on Manchester Metrolink – before the network had welcomed its first fare paying passengers.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink, Picture in Time | 1 Comment