Blackpool Brush 298 new underframe to be constructed in Wales

Posted on Friday 13 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

Earlier this year it was confirmed that the full go-ahead had been given for the restoration of Blackpool Brush Car 298 at the Crich Tramway Village and now as the project comes close to a physical start it had been announced that a new underframe for the tram is to be constructed by the Ffestiniog and West Highland Railway as the two organisations come together.

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Tramlink inquest delay confirmed until Spring 2021

Posted on Friday 13 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

It has been confirmed that the inquest into the London Tramlink derailment at Sandilands in November 2016 will now not take place until spring 2021. The inquest had originally been due to start on 10th October but was delayed as a result of Coronavirus restrictions and with England now in lockdown it has been decided this delay will be extended until next year. The derailment saw seven people lose their lives when the tram derailed on the curve at Sandilands as a result of the driver losing awareness and not lowering the speed of the tram sufficiently. The inquest will be heard in front of a jury.

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Picture in Time: Leeds 532

Posted on Friday 13 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

Our final stop in Leeds during 1959 moves on from the Horsfield Cars and takes a look at one of the Feltham trams which had moved north for their final years of service.

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Tram Operations Limited named Operator of the Year at Global Light Rail Awards

Posted on Thursday 12 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

Its the Global Award ceremony where most of the winners seem to come from the UK but the winners have again been announced for the annual Global Light Rail Awards with the “big” Operator of the Year prize going to the operator of London Tramlink, Tram Operations Limited (TOL). They just bear Midland Metro Limited to the award with many other systems, projects and individuals also celebrating virtually on the night.

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In Pictures: Edinburgh Trams 254 receives new Edinburgh Park advert

Posted on Thursday 12 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

We saw last month how Edinburgh Trams 268 had lost its advert for Parabola Edinburgh Park in favour of a revised advert for Edinburgh Park (without the Parabola!) and now a previously unillustrated similar change has also been seen on 254. Also in October, 254 lost the old Parabola Edinburgh Park advert in favour of the new vinyls for Edinburgh Park.

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Stop by Stop Nottingham Express Transit: Clifton South line – Meadows Embankment

Posted on Thursday 12 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

In the second part of our look at the tram stops on Nottingham Express Transit’s line to Clifton South we reach Meadows Embankment.

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Another design change for the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway

Posted on Wednesday 11 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

It would seem that every time you think a final design has been agreed for the relaying of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway there is another tweak and so it is again, although whereas most seem to be further eroding the tramway this one provides a bit more double track. The section where the change has happened is where the tramway crosses from the centre of the road to the sea side of the road.

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Communication issue causes major NET delays

Posted on Wednesday 11 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

Wednesday 11th November didn’t start off particularly well for Nottingham Express Transit – or anyone who wanted to travel on it – as a communication failure at around 0600 meant no trams could run for just over three hours. This isn’t the first time that a communications fault has led to a complete suspension of the service on NET but this time it was resolved relatively quickly (although it was still disruptive for anyone wanting to travel at the time). All trams had been returned to depot during the disruption but from shortly before 0930 they started to leave again and a full service was resumed albeit initially with delays.

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Still Standing! Southport Tram Depot

Posted on Wednesday 11 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

We are heading back to the northwest for this edition of “Still Standing” as we are off to the coast to take a look at another old tram depot still in use for transport today, albeit buses.

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In Pictures: Wilko’s still standing – but only just!

Posted on Tuesday 10 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

The demolition of the old Wilko’s store in Blackpool has been continuing over the past week and although excellent progress continues to be made in its removal there does still remain some of it in place but it can’t be many more weeks before the site is completed devoid of a building.

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Metro cube goes on display at London’s design museum

Posted on Tuesday 10 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

One of the iconic Metro cubes from the Tyne and Wear Metro can currently be seen in London as part of an exhibition celebrating the work of pioneering graphic designer Margaret Calvert at the Design Museum.

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Picture in Time: Docklands Light Railway 47

Posted on Tuesday 10 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

Before our modern tram Picture in Time series takes a break we are again making a stop on the Docklands Light Railway for an archive image dating from 2003.

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Seaton Tramway announce plans for 24 hour Tramathon 2021!

Posted on Monday 9 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

I think we can probably all agree that 2020 hasn’t exactly been the year we hoped it may be and many of us may already been looking forward to 2021 and hoping it will be a far more enjoyable year – and that includes the Seaton Tramway! After the success of their online 24 hour Tramathon earlier this year they have already their plans to do it all again in 2021 – this time hopefully when we’re not in lockdown!

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Manchester Metrolink Engineering Works: Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th November

Posted on Monday 9 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

There will be improvement works on Manchester Metrolink on both Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th November which will see the Bury line affected and no trams running between Bury and Whitefield.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 721

Posted on Monday 9 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

We continue our look at some of Blackpool’s trams as they were in 2007 in this edition of “Picture in Time” as we feature a much more traditionally shaped 721.

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Trams in Video: Beamish – 2009 & 2014

Posted on Sunday 8 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

We head to Beamish for this edition of “Trams in Video” for film shot in both 2009 and 2014. A large variety of trams are included including members of the home fleet such as Blackpool 31, Newcastle 114 and Sheffield 264 along with visitors like Blackpool 167 and Blackpool 280 as well as Sheffield 513, a tram which has spent most of the recent period away from Beamish. As well as film we also see some still shots of the trams and include other transport in action at the museum too.

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First of the extra 27 M5000s for Metrolink set to arrive this week

Posted on Sunday 8 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, has confirmed that the first of the 27 new trams being constructed for extra capacity on the Manchester Metrolink network is set to arrive in the city this week.

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Seaton Tramway cancel Polar Express trips for 2020 – back in 2021

Posted on Sunday 8 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

It is usually a very popular event for families but the Polar Express tram rides for 2020 at the Seaton Tramway have now been cancelled as a result of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the latest lockdown and what may come after it. The decision was taken reluctantly by the tramway after reviewing their options but they have promised they will be back bigger and better than ever before.

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What’s New on British Trams Online?

Posted on Sunday 8 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

There are another couple of Photo Galleries added to the site this week, one from the USA in 1974 and the other from Manchester in November 2020:

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In Pictures: First track laid as part of Trams to Newhaven project

Posted on Saturday 7 November 2020 by Gareth Prior

When you’re constructing a new tramway or tramway extension there are always key milestones – the start of the actual work, laying of track, installation of overhead, building of tramstops to name but a few. And the Trams to Newhaven project in Edinburgh has achieved one of those recently – with the first track on the line laid at Ocean Terminal.

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