In Pictures: Crich with its Covid restrictions

Posted on Wednesday 30 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

The Crich Tramway Village has been open again since Saturday 11th July with the expected Coronavirus restrictions in place to ensure the safety of visitors, volunteers and staff alike in these unprecedented times. As we’ve reported before this has included timed tram travel tickets (with only one ride initially available to all visitors), the closure of depots and restrictions around the exhibitions (including the now obligatory one way system). David Maxwell took a trip to Crich on a relatively quiet midweek September day with the following photos showing what a 2020 visit to Crich looks like.

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Another bridge to be demolished for West Midlands Metro Brierley Hill extension

Posted on Wednesday 30 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

While we’ve reported recently on construction work elsewhere on the West Midlands Metro network, the extension through to Brierley Hill is at a much earlier stage with more concentration on removing redundant structures at this point. The next structure to be removed will be an old railway bridge in Coneygree Road, Tipton.

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Picture in Time: Nottingham Express Transit 212

Posted on Wednesday 30 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

In this instalment of “Picture in Time” we again take a look at one of the Bombardier Incentro trams towards the beginning of their operating careers.

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In Pictures: Blackpool’s Illuminated Frigate returns to service

Posted on Tuesday 29 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

Blackpool’s Illuminated Frigate, HMS Blackpool, numbered 736 in the fleet has returned to service after a protracted overhaul was completed allowing it to enter service again on Saturday 26th September. The work on the tram has been concentrated on its lighting which because of the harsh coastal environment it has to work in had seen many of the bulb holders suffer damage which meant it wasn’t as easy as just putting a new bulb in.

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Revised timetable to be introduced on West Midlands Metro

Posted on Tuesday 29 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

As from Monday 12th October another revised timetable will be introduced on the West Midlands Metro, offering a slightly reduced frequency to the standard timetable which had been in operation again since the start of September.

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Still Standing! Tram track in Chester

Posted on Tuesday 29 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

It has been over 90 years since the last tram ran in Chester but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still some remaining tramway artefacts, including some track in the vicinity of the old depot.

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We’re back – sorry for the downtime!

Posted on Tuesday 29 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

Apologies to anyone who tried to access the News & Features page from late on Wednesday 30th September until during Friday 2nd October. As could probably have been predicted the upgrade didn’t go quite according to plan and the WordPress software that this section runs on seemed to go missing (although all information was still there in the background). Fortunately, it was able to be fixed and after a slight issue with me not having admin access to update any articles or add anything new I think we may be back to normal! Thanks for your patience and a big thank you to everyone who let me know about the outage.

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In Pictures: Progress continues on the painting of Lowestoft 14

Posted on Monday 28 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

We reported a little while ago that preparations were being made for the painting of Lowestoft 14 at the East Anglia Transport Museum and since then further progress has been on the paintwork.

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In Pictures: Nexus Learning Centre at South Shields

Posted on Monday 28 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

The new Nexus Learning Centre being built on the site of the old South Shields Metro Station in the town centre is nearing completion although as yet no word from Nexus as to when its first recruits may be heading through the facility. The £8.4 million project is due to provide training for apprentices, front line leadership and management development as well as ensuring all Metro staff are able to continually develop and adapt to the ever changing practices on the network.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Twin Car 673+683

Posted on Monday 28 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

We head back to Blackpool once more today for another view of one of the Metro Coastlines liveried Twin Cars.

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Trams in Video: Lisbon Trams – October 2015 & September/October 2016

Posted on Sunday 27 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

We take another trip to Lisbon for this edition of “Trams in Video” with excerpts from the DVD “Lisbon Trams” (available from the link below). In this video we take a look at the trams in action both in October 2015 and September/October 2016 with the familiar sight of the trams running around this Portuguese city.

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In Pictures: More tram track discovered in Liverpool

Posted on Sunday 27 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

Yes, its another of those articles as we take a look under the road surface to see what’s been lurking there for 60+ years! This time we head to Liverpool and find yet more tram track – plus the cobble setts which formed the old road surface – which has been uncovered during utility work.

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Lockdown Walks: Manchester Metrolink 3103

Posted on Sunday 27 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

Its time, once again, to take a look at a tram running during 2020 with the location on the Trafford Park line of Manchester Metrolink.

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Car on the tracks disrupts Metrolink Airport services

Posted on Sunday 27 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

Services to Manchester Airport were disrupted on the evening of Saturday 19th September after a car got stuck on the tracks close to Sale Water Park. The car made a wrong turning at Hardy Lane and continued along the reserved section of tramway before becoming stuck as the line rises to go over the motorway. The car was in situ for three hours from 1700 with no services able to run through the area until gone 2000. During this time trams from Manchester Airport terminated at Northern Moor and those on the other end of the line were diverted so they ran Victoria to East Didsbury.

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In Pictures: More from Birmingham Westside extension

Posted on Saturday 26 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

We recently brought you the news that the second phase of the Birmingham Westside extension between Library and Hagley Road was making good progress with firstly the new tracks connected with the existing line at Library and then a few days later a significant concrete pour to encase those rails into the surface. On Monday 21st September, Dan Noon took a walk along the extension and the following photos show what he found.

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Around the World in Trams: Innsbruck 352

Posted on Saturday 26 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

Another photo from Innsbruck today.

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Level crossing collision on the MER

Posted on Saturday 26 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

Manx Electric Railway Winter Saloon 19 was involved in a collision with a car on a level crossing at Cornaa on Sunday 20th September. No injuries were reported either on board the tram or in the car (the car had two adults and two children on board) following the collision which happened at around 1535. 19 did suffer minor damage and was able to return to Derby Castle under its own power for the damage to be assessed and repairs to take place.

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Lockdown Walks: Edinburgh Trams 263

Posted on Saturday 26 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

Another tram running in 2020 for you today as we head back to the Scottish capital city, Edinburgh.

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In Pictures: Supertram extra trackworks

Posted on Friday 25 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

In addition to the major rail replacement works currently taking place around Crystal Peaks on the Blue route the weekends of 19th/20th and 26th/27th September have seen extra works taking place around Hillsborough (weekend one) and University (second weekend). Described in various publicity as essential track bed maintenance and repairs to the concrete track slabs, the work has only involved a small section of track but has seen trams on both the Blue and Yellow routes unable to run beyond Cathedral to either Malin Bridge or Middlewood. Stuart Cooke captured the following shots of the work on the first weekend.

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New book on Lytham Trams by Brian Turner out now!

Posted on Friday 25 September 2020 by Gareth Prior

In 2018 Brian Turner released the first in what was planned to be a series of books on the tramways of the Fylde Coast with the release of Stopping Car to Fleetwood. And now the second book in this series has been released – Lytham Trams: The Blackpool, St Annes & Lytham Tramway. Initially a limited print run of 100 copies was produced and this sold out within two and a half weeks so a further run of 50 copies will follow soon.

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