Blackpool and Crich announce tram swap for 2014

Posted on Wednesday 12 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Following a considerable amount of speculation, it has been announced that Blackpool Transport and the Tramway Museum Society have successfully concluded negotiations for an exchange of trams during the 2014 summer season. Blackpool ‘Pantograph’ car 167 of 1928 is set to revisit its native system for a visit, whilst Crich will play host to an operational Balloon car – and very surprisingly, the chosen vehicle is heavily modernised car 711!

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, National Tramway Museum | 35 Comments

Bryan Lindop reveals Blackpool heritage plans for 2014

Posted on Tuesday 11 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Blackpool Transport have announced details of the plans for its heritage tram service during the 2014 season. Disappointingly, despite encouraging passenger numbers last summer, the number of running days has been reduced for the second consecutive year. Outside of the illuminations period, it is currently planned that the heritage service will operate on just nine days during 2014 – compared with fifteen days in 2013.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 25 Comments

This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 9 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

We have another two Photo Galleries as part of this week’s main site update of British Trams Online:

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In Pictures: Nottingham Express Transit Citadis 220

Posted on Sunday 9 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

The eight Alstom Citadis trams already delivered to Nottingham are continuing to undergo mileage accumulation and testing with this taking place overnight whilst the other service trams are tucked up in Wilkinson Street Depot. This included at the end of last year 216 and 218 running coupled to test the ability of the trams to tow and push each other in case of failure.

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Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | 3 Comments

Mobile Midland Metro exhibition launched

Posted on Saturday 8 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

Centro have launched a mobile exhibition to give the public a chance to find out more about the forthcoming Birmingham city centre extension with the first outing having taken place this week. The idea is that the vehicle will make its way around the Centro area so that anyone can find out more information about not only this extension but also future plans to expand the network.

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LTHS launch new improved website

Posted on Saturday 8 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

The Leeds Transport Historical Society – who restored Leeds horse car 107, one of nominated trams for the Tram of the Year 2013 – have recently relaunched their website (http://lths.co.uk/). The news section is now being regularly updated with updates on the work the group are now doing on other tram restoration projects. Support is currently being given to the restoration of Cambridge horse car 7 with a set of running gear being built for this car whilst parts are also being made for the Leamington and Warwick car at Beamish. You can find out more on these projects – and so much more! – at http://lths.co.uk/.

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Tram lines discovered in Stoke

Posted on Saturday 8 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

Over 85 years since they were last used a small section of tram track has been uncovered during roadworks in Stoke-on-Trent. The tracks were discovered under Trinity Street in Hanley – where trams last ran in 1928 – and they will now be photographed by Stoke-on-Trent City Council archaeologists before they are removed to allow the roadworks to be completed.

Posted in General | 1 Comment

A record-breaking year for Beamish Museum

Posted on Saturday 8 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Management, staff and volunteers at Beamish Museum are celebrating this week following the announcement that 2013 was the North East attraction’s most successful year ever. Over the past twelve months an incredible 589,474 visitors came to sample the delights of this open air museum, shattering the previous annual record attendance figure of 520,000 people!

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Posted in Beamish Tramway | 2 Comments

Heritage trams visit Starr Gate

Posted on Friday 7 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

The presence of two tram depots in Blackpool has added some added intrigue to an already fascinating tramway, with various trams being moved between the two sites for a number of reasons. Most of the operational heritage cars have now visited the new Starr Gate depot complex despite normally being stabled at Rigby Road, and two such moves have occurred recently.

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Start date confirmed for Metrolink Victoria works

Posted on Thursday 6 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

A nine month project to completely redesign and expand Manchester Victoria Metrolink stop will start on Friday 21st February it has been confirmed. The work will see additional platforms provided to accommodate the new Second City Crossing (2CC) and will mean that the stop is closed completely to all services with passengers advised to use Shudehill instead with there also be changes to services being provided.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 9 Comments

Manchester Metrolink Improvement Works: Sunday 9th February

Posted on Thursday 6 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

Further improvement works on Manchester Metrolink will see a revised service in operation on Sunday 9th February. Trams will run Altrincham-Piccadilly, East Didsbury-Piccadilly, Eccles-Ashton under Lyne via MediaCityUK, Rochdale-Central Park with replacement buses in operation between Bury and Piccadilly and from Central Park to Piccadilly. No replacement buses will serve Victoria, Shudehill or Market Street.

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Midland Metro offer Family day ticket for February

Posted on Thursday 6 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

A Family Metro Daytripper ticket is to be available during February for just £8.50 which allows unlimited travel for up to six people (including at least one but no more than two adults) after 0930 each day. The ticket is available from the conductor on board the tram and is available at this discounted rate (normally £10) for the duration of February only.

Posted in West Midlands Metro | 1 Comment

Blackpool 167 enters service at Beamish

Posted on Sunday 2 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

On Saturday 1st February, Blackpool 167 became the first tram from the collection of the National Tramway Museum to operate in passenger service during 2014. However, the tram wasn’t running at Crich, but instead at Beamish Museum, where it had arrived on loan just five days earlier. After a very swift commissioning and crew training process, the car was duly approved for service in time to make its public debut on the first weekend of February.

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Posted in Beamish Tramway, National Tramway Museum | 1 Comment

In Pictures: Edinburgh 35’s new/old look

Posted on Sunday 2 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

One of the main incentives behind the decision to have a limited open day at Crich Tramway Village to co-incide with a major shunting operation on Saturday 1st February, was to show off the recent work undertaken on Edinburgh 35. Over winter the tram has been residing in the workshop, where its appearance has been dramatically improved thanks to some relatively minor attention.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 7 Comments

A grand day out at Crich for ‘The Big Shunt’

Posted on Saturday 1 February 2014 by Andrew Waddington

On Saturday 1st February, the doors of the National Tramway Museum were thrown open unusually early, to allow enthusiasts to witness a series of interesting shunting movements involving tramcars which are not currently part of the operational fleet. Although no trams ran in passenger service, there was no shortage of excitement with a total of ten non-runners moving over the course of the day, including some very welcome surprises! Andrew Waddington reports on an unexpectedly action-packed day in Derbyshire.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 3 Comments

This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Saturday 1 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

We have a couple of more Photo Galleries for you as part of our main site update this week on British Trams Online:

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Picture in Time 13: Glasgow 1245

Posted on Saturday 1 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

With Glasgow 1245 in the news recently following progress on its restoration at Summerlee our latest “Picture in Time” takes us back to a time shortly after the tram arrived at the East Anglia Transport Museum in Carlton Colville.

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14th December 2014 named as opening date for NET Phase Two

Posted on Saturday 1 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

The Nottingham Evening Post are reporting that the Phase Two extensions of Nottingham Express Transit are due to open to the public on 14th December 2014. Confirmation of the date was given by Chris Deas – project director at Nottingham City Council – and means that we are just ten and a half months away from welcoming trams to Beeston, Chilwell and Clifton.

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Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | 4 Comments

Plans submitted for Ramsey Transport Interchange

Posted on Saturday 1 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

A planning application has been submitted for the redevelopment of Ramsey Manx Electric Railway station and the surrounding area into a new transport interchange which would include a new terminus for the trams as well as a bus station and parking. The redevelopment would be a joint project between the departments of Infrastructure and Community, Culture and Leisure and Ramsey Commissioners.

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Posted in Manx Electric Railway | 2 Comments

Delay to Clifton NET Phase Two works

Posted on Saturday 1 February 2014 by Gareth Prior

Work on Southchurch Drive and Farnborough Road in Clifton on the route of Nottingham Express Transit Phase Two has been postponed following discussions between the construction contractor Taylor Woodrow Alstom, the Highway Authority and local bus operators. The work was due to commence on Sunday 2nd February but delays in completing the first phase of works on Southchurch Drive has led to the decision to delay the next phase of works. It is likely to be a few weeks before the works start and it is planned to confirm this as soon as possible.

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