DLR sets new performance records

Posted on Saturday 22 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

The Docklands Light Railway has set a new record for punctuality and performance with 99.67% of trains running on time between 5th January and 1st February whilst during the same period 99.77% of all scheduled services ran.

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Seaton trams return to the road – literally!

Posted on Friday 21 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Just one week ago, the Seaton Tramway in Devon was devastated by severe weather conditions, which flooded the tramway’s offices, damaged overhead poles and washed away part of the track bed, scuppering plans to re-open for business in time for the school half term holidays. However, the attraction is now set to burst back into life thanks the imagination of its operators, who have taken extreme lengths to restore a tram service mere days after disaster struck.

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Posted in Seaton Tramway | 2 Comments

A bright future for the Sunderland Balloon

Posted on Friday 21 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

The long-term future of Blackpool Balloon car 703 is now looking more secure than ever before, following the announcement that it has become the latest tram to be sold by the Lancastrian Transport Trust to a new owner. The tram has now been acquired by Beamish Museum, where it has operated frequently since 2011 in the guise of Sunderland 101.

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Posted in Beamish Tramway, Fylde Transport Trust | 9 Comments

Sheffield 510 comes back to life

Posted on Tuesday 18 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

A major milestone in the extensive overhaul of Sheffield ‘Roberts’ car 510 at the National Tramway Museum, Crich, occured on Tuesday 18th February, when the tram emerged from the workshop under its own power for the first time since major work commenced on it some eighteen months ago. This brings the popular tramcar a step closer towards its return to passenger service, expected at a special event being held in May.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 2 Comments

MTMS launch Blackpool tram support fund

Posted on Monday 17 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

The Manchester Transport Museum Society have launched a new fund which has been created specifically to support the various Blackpool trams it has acquired for operation at the Heaton Park Tramway. This will allow fans of the classic Blackpool cars that have been preserved in Manchester to support them, with a brand new fund being set up to keep money allocated to Blackpool and Manchester trams separate.

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Posted in Heaton Park Tramway | 1 Comment

Edinburgh tram testing set to increase

Posted on Monday 17 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

The next stage of testing on Edinburgh Trams is set to start this week with the commencement of daylight testing into the city centre for the first time. Up until now any testing which has taken place on the city centre line has been done overnight to minimise disruption for these key initial runs but they have not reached a stage where daytime testing can proceed.

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Can you identify this photo?

Posted on Monday 17 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

Can you help to identify when and where this photograph was taken? We have been contacted by the grandson of William Stirzaker trying to discover when and where the photo was taken. William was a wheelwright employed by Dick Kerr and then English Electric in Preston and can be seen in this photo (standing to the left of the tram in the flat cap). As part of his job he travelled around the country delivering and commissioning new and refurbished trams and another photo shows him in Dover. Any help would be greatly received by Richard Stirzaker and if you can help please contact us and we will pass the information on.

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Posted in General | 1 Comment

New owners confirmed for Blackpool 671

Posted on Monday 17 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

After a number of twists and turns in its recent past, Blackpool Towing car 671 is set for a new home with a new name to the transport preservation movement, the Tyne Tees Transport Trust. This group are believed to be closely affiliated with NEETT, although as it is hoped that 671 will end up being loaned to an operating museum tramway once the planned work is completed.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Fylde Transport Trust, North Eastern Electrical Transport Trust | 4 Comments

Seaton Tramway hit by floods

Posted on Sunday 16 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

It isn’t just Blackpool that has been badly affected by the recent storms that have ravaged the British Isles; the Seaton Tramway in Devon has been an even greater victim of the extreme weather conditions. Damage sustained to the tramway’s infrastructure has led to the planned opening for the school half-term holidays having to be abandoned, as essential repairs take priority.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 16 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

The main site update of British Trams Online is now online and once again we bring you two further Photo Galleries as we take a look back at Croydon Tramlink when the trams were still red and white and we commemorate the Manchester Metrolink T68s following their final official withdrawal this week.

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Farewell to the Manchester Metrolink T68s

Posted on Friday 14 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

Monday 3rd February 2014. A date which will go into the record books as a major landmark in the history of second generation tramways as that is the last occasion that the original on street light rail vehicles in the UK ran in passenger service with 1007 and 1022 running as a pair on the Bury-Altrincham direct service until they failed at lunchtime at Bury bringing an end to almost 22 years of service to Manchester.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 13 Comments

Lost Trams 10: Norwich 39

Posted on Friday 14 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

The tenth tram to feature as part of our “Lost Trams” is Norwich 39 – a tram which was for a time on site at the East Anglia Transport Museum but which has since moved on to become a garden room/porch in Norfolk.

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Heritage Trams this week…

Posted on Friday 14 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

It’s back (for one week only for now and will return again towards the end of March). It is our look at just when and where you can go and take a ride on a heritage tram in the UK. With the February Half Term holidays for the schools taking place over the next week a number of tramways traditionally open their doors for the first time in the year and on top of that we have the winter stalwarts continuing operation. This list only includes those tramways which are open during the week so if it isn’t here you won’t be able to get a ride on a tram!

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Centenary Square Metro extension plans to move forward

Posted on Friday 14 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

Members of Birmingham City Council are expected to approve £3 million worth of funding to go towards the design and development of the next planned extension of Midland Metro between New Street and Centenary Square at a meeting to be held early next week.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 1 Comment

Massive interest for NET recruitment programme

Posted on Friday 14 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

A recent successful driver recruitment programme on Nottingham Express Transit has seen over 30 people already start new jobs with many more positions to be filled in the coming months ahead of the opening of the extensions to Beeston, Chilwell and Clifton at the end of this year.

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Manchester Metrolink Improvement Works: Sunday 16th February

Posted on Friday 14 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

Improvement works on Manchester Metrolink in the Victoria area and between West and East Didsbury will mean that a revised service is in operation on Sunday 16th February. Metrolink services will run Bury-Abraham Moss, Eccles-Ashton via MediaCityUK, Rochdale-Central Park and West Didsbury-Piccadilly throughout the day with trams on the Altrincham line running as normal from 0900 but before then only between Timperley and Altrincham. Replacement buses will be in operation from Abraham Moss to Piccadilly, Central Park to Piccadilly, East Didsbury to West Didsbury and Timperley to Altrincham (until 0900 only).

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NET £5 family ticket offer extended

Posted on Friday 14 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

The special £5 family ticket for travel on Nottingham Express Transit will be available every day between Monday 17 and Friday 21 February in addition to remaining available at weekends. The ticket allows two adults and up to three children unlimited travel for day on Nottingham’s tram system.

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A novel use for ex-tram seats

Posted on Friday 14 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

The withdrawal of the original fleet of T68 LRVs from service on the Manchester Metrolink system, has provided a glut of modern tram parts which are potentially up for grabs. One organisation that has been quick to seize this opportunity is the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society, who have requested a number of seats removed from the T68s for a novel purpose.

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Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway, Manchester Metrolink | 1 Comment

Blackpool gala at Beamish confirmed

Posted on Friday 14 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

The planned mini-event at Beamish Museum, starring the four Blackpool trams currently on site, is now expected to take place on the weekend of Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd March. This is likely to be the only such opportunity to see and ride on four Blackpool cars at this museum in 2014, as Marton Box 31 is due to move to Heaton Park in exchange for Stockport 5 before the next major transport event.

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Posted in Beamish Tramway | 3 Comments

Blackpool Transport weather the storms

Posted on Thursday 13 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

On Wednesday 12th February, gale force winds reaching 90mph hit the Fylde coast, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Buildings such as Anchorsholme Library, the cage next to the wedding chapel at North Pier and even the famous Tower all sustained varying degrees of storm damage, and the Blackpool tramway did not escape unscathed either.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 1 Comment