End of the line for Southampton 45?

Posted on Sunday 7 September 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Ahead of the hugely anticipated ‘Electric 50’ event at the Crich Tramway Village, comes some less welcome news from the home of the National Tramway Museum, with the announcement that Southampton 45 is due to be withdrawn from service immediately after the event. This is not a total shock as the tram had been sidelined during 2013, only to return to use for the 50th anniversary of electric tram operation at the museum earlier this year.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 3 Comments

Enter the Urbos 3s

Posted on Friday 5 September 2014 by Gareth Prior

As expected Friday 5th September saw the introduction into passenger service of four of the CAF built Urbos 3 trams on Midland Metro with an official launch ceremony taking place at Birmingham Snow Hill attended by Sir Albert Bore, Leader of Birmingham City Council and Cllr Darren Campbell, Leader of Sandwell Council. The tram used at the launch ceremony was 20 and the first day also saw 18, 21 and 23 in service.

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New all over advert for Tramlink CR4000 2531

Posted on Friday 5 September 2014 by Gareth Prior

McMillan Williams Solicitors now have two all over adverts on trams on London Tramlink with the release into service of 2531 in a new style advert. Whereas the livery on 2534 is red and white this latest version uses black as the base colour with white doors and signwriting, the ends have also been finished in white. 2531 entered service at the end of August in this guise and this now means that three trams are in advert liveries (the two McMillan Williams’ CR4000s and Variotram 2554 with its Love Croydon livery).

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In Pictures: Supertram hole continues to cause problems

Posted on Friday 5 September 2014 by Gareth Prior

Stagecoach Supertram services remain disrupted by the hole at Park Square Junction which continues to see Blue and Purple route trams forced to terminate at Sheffield Station, with no end in sight either as a new replacement bus service is due to be introduced from Monday 8th September.

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Finishing touches for Balloon 701

Posted on Friday 5 September 2014 by Andrew Waddington

The second stage of Blackpool Balloon car 701‘s repaint back into its fondly remembered red and white ‘Routemaster’ style livery is now almost complete. Following its debut in an incomplete version of the paint scheme it previously carried in the early 1990s over the August Bank Holiday weekend, 701 was hastily returned to the Rigby Road Paint Shop for some further enhancements to an already stunning repaint.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 11 Comments

Another threat to the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust

Posted on Friday 5 September 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Just a few days after we reported that the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust will have to re-home the trams it has stored at Kirkham Prison before the end of the year, comes news of a further negative development which could have serious implications for this organisation and its collection of historic Blackpool trams. This time, it is the vehicles stored at the Fleetwood fish dock which have been placed at risk.

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Posted in Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust | 14 Comments

Heritage Tram this week

Posted on Thursday 4 September 2014 by Gareth Prior

It might be a new regular day for our weekly look at when and where you can have a ride on a heritage tram in the UK and Isle of Man but we still bring you all the information you should need to plan your trip. This weekend will see the End of Season Gala at the East Anglia Transport Museum (6th/7th September) and the Trans Lancs Rally at Heaton Park (7th September) whilst you can still enjoy daily tram rides at Beamish, Blackpool (well nightly anyway!), Crich, Douglas Horse Tramway, Great Orme, Manx Electric Railway, Seaton, Snaefell Mountain Railway and Summerlee so there is still plenty to keep you occupied. And then next weekend will see the highly anticipated Electric 50 event at Crich (13th/14th September).

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Lost Trams 12: Dundee 2

Posted on Thursday 4 September 2014 by Andrew Waddington

The fact that more than one steam tram trailer from the Scottish city of Dundee survives today when so few of this type of tramcar still exist is quite a remarkable fact, made all the more amazing by the fact that no electric trams from this operator managed to survive into preservation. Most readers will be familiar with Dundee 21 which is of course a static exhibit at the National Tramway Museum, but for this feature the spotlight is on Dundee 2.

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One arrives, one withdrawn at Midland Metro

Posted on Wednesday 3 September 2014 by Gareth Prior

There have been a couple of significant changes to the Midland Metro tram fleet this week with the latest Urbos3 arriving from Spain swiftly followed by the withdrawal of another T69 from service. All of this in the same week as the operating fleet is set to have its biggest shake up since opening with the planned entry into service of the first Urbos3s on Friday 5th September.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 2 Comments

Crich Event Preview: ‘Electric 50’ – 13th & 14th September

Posted on Tuesday 2 September 2014 by Andrew Waddington

On Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th September, Crich Tramway Village will host one of its most ambitious events ever, to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of electric tram operation at Crich. This will see an incredible twenty-five electric trams running in passenger service over the course of the weekend, with fifteen due to be in service at once for most of both days and all of them starring in a mammoth procession, again on both days. Add in some special guest trams and a few unique photo opportunities, and you have the potential for a very special event indeed!

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Heaton Park Tramway projects progress

Posted on Tuesday 2 September 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Since the opening of the new Lakeside Depot and the return to service of Manchester 765 in July, volunteers at the Heaton Park Tramway have been keeping themselves busy with work on some other trams in the fleet. This short report provides an update on recent progress involving both Blackpool 1 and Hull 96.

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Supertram services part suspended after discovery of hole

Posted on Monday 1 September 2014 by Gareth Prior

Stagecoach Supertram services between Sheffield Station and the city centre have been suspended following the discovery of a hole in the ground alongside the Park Square delta junction on Saturday 30th August. This is affecting services on both the Blue and Purple route meaning trams are only able to operate Halfway to Sheffield Station and Herdings Park to Sheffield Station, the Yellow route is unaffected and trams are continuing to run from Meadowhall to Cathedral (ongoing engineering works are preventing services from running beyond the city centre at the moment).

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 31 August 2014 by Gareth Prior

Another Photo Gallery for you as part of our main site update this week: Continue reading →

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Let there be light!

Posted on Sunday 31 August 2014 by Andrew Waddington

On Saturday 30th August, tours of the Blackpool illuminations by traditional tramcar resumed for the 2014 season with three different trams in operation for this role. Although the illuminations were actually switched on the previous night, part of the promenade tramway was blocked off due to the switch-on ceremony taking place at the Tower Festival Headland and it was therefore not until the second evening that tours were able to commence.

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Escape from Alcatraz… or not?

Posted on Sunday 31 August 2014 by Andrew Waddington

The Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust have confirmed that notice has been given to remove the trams from its collection which are currently stored at Kirkham Prison by the end of the year. Far from most announcements of an imminent release however, this may not be such good news for the trams involved as the decision places a question mark over their future survival.

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Posted in Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust | 14 Comments

Bus and tram collide in Edinburgh City Centre

Posted on Saturday 30 August 2014 by Gareth Prior

There were severe delays to both Edinburgh Trams services and traffic in the city centre during the morning rush hour on Friday 29th August after a collision involving a bus and a tram (no. 253). The collision took place shortly after 0745 when a bus operating the First X38 service crossed over into the tram lane in West Maitland Street and despite efforts by the drivers of both the tram and the bus a low speed collision occurred. Reports in the local media have suggested that a cyclist may have caused the bus to swerve into the path of the tram but these have not been verified and investigations are underway.

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In Pictures: Shunting at Crich as 167 returns home

Posted on Saturday 30 August 2014 by Gareth Prior

On Friday 29th August in preparation for the return of Blackpool 167 shunting took place around the depot at the Crich Tramway Village with several Blackpool trams being moved to ensure that 167 could be easily housed undercover. Hazel Quarmby was again on site to record the moves of the trams and we also include a shot of 167 back at Crich, in the workshop.

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In Pictures: Metrolink M5000 3086 enters service

Posted on Saturday 30 August 2014 by Gareth Prior

3086 has become the latest M5000 to enter service on Manchester Metrolink with it noted operating on the Eccles to Ashton-under-Lyne service on Friday 29th August. As with all other recent vehicles to enter service it is only able to run on TMS enabled routes so expect to see it running on both that service and also the MediaCityUK service for now. Photos by Steve Kemp.

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Plans put forward for new line in Croydon Town Centre

Posted on Saturday 30 August 2014 by Gareth Prior

Transport for London have officially revealed plans for a second line in Croydon Town Centre which would not only add extra capacity to Tramlink but would also provide an alternative route which would enable trams to turn in the town centre without the need to traverse the entire Croydon loop.

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Heritage Trams this week

Posted on Saturday 30 August 2014 by Gareth Prior

September dawns and that means we enter another busy period for the UK’s heritage trams and this is a quick glance at what to expect over the next few weeks. Of course the Blackpool Illuminations are now shining nightly until Sunday 9th November and with that the heritage trams are in action every night whilst the East Anglia Transport Museum enjoy their End of Season Gale over the weekend of 6th and 7th September. And we aren’t too far off Electric 50 at Crich either…

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