In Pictures: Latest from the Birmingham Westside extension

Posted on Thursday 7 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

The West Midlands Metro Birmingham Westside extension (phase two) looks likely to be the next UK tram line to open to the public (due to be somewhen in 2021 although no specific date or even time of year has probably sensibly been announced yet) and in this article we take a look at some early 2021 images to show the progress being made on the construction of the line. Andy Walters provides us with these photos.

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In Pictures: Snow on the Tyne and Wear Metro

Posted on Thursday 7 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

More snow pictures for you! This time around we head to the north east and the Tyne and Wear Metro with just a light dusting having fallen on South Gosforth Depot. As we’ve reported over the past few months this depot is about to embark on a major redevelopment in preparation for the delivery of the new Stadler built trains. Trevor Hall took a trip out to capture this shot.

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Stop by Stop Nottingham Express Transit: Clifton South line – Holy Trinity

Posted on Thursday 7 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

Today we continue our way towards Clifton South on the Nottingham Express Transit network and we reach Holy Trinity.

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In Pictures: Latest from Trams to Newhaven extension

Posted on Wednesday 6 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

The Trams to Newhaven project in Edinburgh – due to see trams running from the end of the current line at York Place to Newhaven via Leith Walk and Ocean Terminal from 2023 – may have had a Christmas shutdown but before then a good deal of progress was made with the November and December period seeing the first track laid. In this latest pictorial update John Hampton brings us a couple of images taken in late December showing some of that track now in place.

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In Pictures: And it snows in Manchester too!

Posted on Wednesday 6 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

Not to be outdone by Edinburgh and Sheffield we can also bring you a photo of snow in Manchester! The snow we feature in Manchester comes from a couple of days later, on the very last day of 2020 and is again a fairly light dusting which didn’t cause any major issues to the service. Keith Chadbourne is our photographer for this one.

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Still Standing! Oldham Metrolink tracks

Posted on Wednesday 6 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

Throughout this series so far we have been concentrating on first generation tramway infrastructure which is still standing, but there are also some more recent items which are no longer in use but still remain. And we are going up-to-date in this edition of “Still Standing!” as we take a trip to Oldham.

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In Pictures: Sheffield snow!

Posted on Tuesday 5 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

The snow which hit the UK at the end of December also affected Sheffield, although with the differing altitudes that the Supertram system serves it was very much a mixed picture as to how much snow there was on the ground! The city centre was mostly clear with just a light dusting which soon disappeared but in some other areas – such as out at Herdings Park – there was much more allowing the “Christmas card” type views as seen in the below images. Bob Hayes provides us with these photos from 29th December 2020.

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Blackpool Brush 625 and Balloon 726 join the FTT collection

Posted on Tuesday 5 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

In an unexpected move the Fylde Transport Trust have announced that they have acquired two further trams with Brush Car 625 and Balloon 726 joining the collection. These two trams were in private ownership but after a change in circumstances were made available at the end of last year with the FTT now stepping in to secure their future.

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Whatever Happened To? Midland Metro 08

Posted on Tuesday 5 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

Its time for another edition of “Whatever Happened To” as we head back to the West Midlands to take a look at one of the original T69s.

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In Pictures: Lightopia at Heaton Park

Posted on Monday 4 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

There’s always something magical about trams running after dark, even more so when there are special lighting effects and it’s a fairly rare occurrence. For the second year in a row Manchester’s Heaton Park Tramway has supported the Lightopia Festival which has taken place in the park during December and into early January with a special after dark system running on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

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Metro drivers get look at new trains through virtual reality

Posted on Monday 4 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

Drivers on the Tyne and Wear Metro have got their first look at the new trains with Stadler – the builders of the new trains – providing virtual reality headsets. These allow drivers to see the inside of the cabs before it has been built.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool OMO 8

Posted on Monday 4 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

In this latest look at archive photos from the Blackpool Tramway we are again in September 1976 with the subject of our attention this time around being one of the OMO cars, a tram which have been credited with saving the tramway in the 1970s.

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Trams in Video: Trains and Trams of Mallorca – 2009-2013

Posted on Sunday 3 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

Today “Trams in Video” is off to Mallorca to take a look at the many varied different trams in operation on that island as well as some of the trains too. With frequent Metro services featuring we see a side not often noticed by the tourist.

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In Pictures: Snow in Edinburgh!

Posted on Sunday 3 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

The end of 2020 saw snow fall in various parts of the UK which led to the chance to capture trams running through the white stuff. One such tramway was Edinburgh which saw a dusting of snow on 29th December although there was no significant disruption to services with the current revised timetable able to operate throughout. John Hampton braved the cold to capture these images.

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NETGO! prices to increase

Posted on Sunday 3 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

Prices of tickets purchased for use on Nottingham Express Transit using the NETGO! app are to increase from Sunday 3rd January 2021 – bringing them in line to the standard prices charged when buying tickets through the ticket machines. In a press release NET have confirmed that the lower prices through the app were only due to be for a short promotional period following the introduction of the app and this had been extended as a result of the pandemic but will now revert to standard prices.

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What’s New on British Trams Online?

Posted on Sunday 3 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

Happy New Year everyone! Its still that tricky part of the year when you know that Christmas is over but its a bit of struggle to move yourself from the sofa as you watch numerous repeats of Home’s Under the Hammer, Antiques Road Trip and Helicopter ER! As such this week’s update isn’t particular significant although we have moved the Advent Calendars into the Gallery section:

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Sheffield 264 tops the mileage charts at Beamish for 2020

Posted on Saturday 2 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

This article usually starts by mentioning how the trams at Beamish are the hardest working heritage trams in the UK with over 25,000 miles covered across the fleet during 2019. But, as can be expected and in a phrase everyone is probably bored with hearing, 2020 was not a normal year with the overall milage of the trams down to below 3,000 miles with the trams not having run in passenger service since the first lockdown back in March 2020. Despite the shortened operating season four trams saw use during 2020 and of these Sheffield 264 covered the most miles.

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Around the World in Trams: Berlin 4009

Posted on Saturday 2 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

For the last time we are off to Germany and Berlin in “Around the World in Trams”.

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In Pictures: Antlers returned to Edinburgh Trams for Christmas

Posted on Saturday 2 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

One of the features of Edinburgh Trams over the last couple of years had been the application of antlers and reindeer names to some of the trams in the fleet in the lead up to Christmas but with 2020 being a somewhat odd year it had appeared that this “tradition” would not be met – but it did happen albeit on a limited basis.

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They Ran in 2020…

Posted on Saturday 2 January 2021 by Gareth Prior

As we put 2020 “to bed” we bring you this look at those heritage trams which ran in the British Isles during the calendar year of 2020. Obviously, nowhere near as many trams ran during 2020 as in previous years with those tramways which did run after the first lockdown only needing a limited operating fleet with all the restrictions which were in place. This list includes all trams we believe ran during 2020 and where possible we have shown whether this was before or after the first lockdown between March and July 2020. As always, if you notice any errors or omissions please let us know!

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Posted in Beamish Tramway, Birkenhead Heritage Tramway, Black Country Living Museum, Blackpool Tramway, Burton & Ashby 14, East Anglia Transport Museum, Heaton Park Tramway, Manx Electric Railway, National Tramway Museum, Seaton Tramway, Summerlee Museum Tramway, They Ran in 2020, Volk's Electric Railway | 2 Comments