Heaton Park Tramway hit by overhead wire theft

Posted on Tuesday 24 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

When writing this website a lot of what I get to write is positive as new developments are announced and come through but unfortunately not all is positive and it is sad to report that the Heaton Park Tramway in Manchester has been forced to close indefinitely after a section of overhead wire was stolen.

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Blackpool Standard 143 launched back into service

Posted on Tuesday 24 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

After very nearly 62 years, Blackpool Standard 143 has carried passengers once more following its official launch back into service with a special trip and buffet during the evening of Monday 23rd September 2019. The restoration – started by the then Lancastrian Transport Trust back in 2005 – is the culmination of a long-standing, high-quality project to return this tram back to the rails and what a sight it is to see an open platform, open balcony tram back on Blackpool Prom!

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In Pictures: Yorkshire takes centre stage as Crich celebrates 60 years

Posted on Tuesday 24 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

The annual enthusiasts event at the Crich Tramway Village this year took place over two days on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd September to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the site at Crich for the siting of a planned tramway museum. It was January 1959 that the first inspection of the site had taken place and now 60 years later it was time to celebrate that a home was found for a tramway museum, and a museum which has gone from strength to strength in the intervening years.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Brush 627 and more

Posted on Tuesday 24 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Another trip to Blackpool’s Rigby Road Depot in the 1970s for today’s Picture in Time image as we take a look at some trams not required for service on this day.

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In Pictures: High above the West Midlands Metro

Posted on Monday 23 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

With the same trams, running on the same lines, year after year we are often looking for new ways to see and photograph the vehicles operating services on tramways in the British Isles and that is exactly what Roland Bull did on the very last day of May. In this short pictorial we take a look at some of the trams on the West Midlands Metro (as they looked at the time with livery changes very much in evidence since!) in the vicinity of the stop at St Chad’s including some views of the closed old terminus at Snow Hill.

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In Pictures: A Belgian resident in Suffolk

Posted on Monday 23 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Think trams in Suffolk and you would probably immediately go East Anglia Transport Museum or the Ipswich Transport Museum. However, there is another tram in the area in Southwold on the site of a proposed new museum called Steamworks. It is a tramcar trailer from Charleroi and has been in the UK for a number of years since withdrawal in 1975.

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Around the World in Trams: Den Haag 1024

Posted on Sunday 22 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

We stay in Amsterdam for this week’s overseas tram image but show a tram from elsewhere in the Netherlands, Den Haag to be precise.

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In Pictures: Birmingham 107 at Aston Manor Road Transport Museum

Posted on Sunday 22 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Across the UK there are a number of small transport museums run by volunteers with limited opening hours which tend to go under the radar somewhat but still have many key exhibits which have been saved for the future. One such museum is the Aston Manor Road Transport Museum which amongst several buses has the lower deck of Birmingham Corporation Tramways 107 on display.

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Memorabilia from old South Shields station to be donated to museum

Posted on Sunday 22 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Items from the old South Shields Tyne and Wear Metro station – which was replaced by an all new interchange in August – have been donated to the South Shields Museum and Art Gallery. The “iconic” items include signage and one of the famous yellow Metro station cubes will go on display at the museum with a special exhibition of public transport in the area set to follow in 2021.

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Picture in Time: Docklands Light Railway 04

Posted on Saturday 21 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

We are off to London’s Docklands again for today’s image from the archives as we head back to 1994 for a photo taken in a different time for the Docklands Light Railway.

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In Pictures: Blackpool 31 in action at Beamish

Posted on Saturday 21 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Beamish is now without any loan trams following the departure of first Manchester 765 and now Blackpool & Fleetwood 40 meaning the standard service at the museum is being operated by the home based fleet solely. The schools may now be back but Beamish remains busy with plenty of coach trips making the trip to the northeast for a day out at this excellent museum, indeed on Tuesday 17th September there were no fewer than 10 coaches noted in the car park. And with fine late summer weather still being enjoyed it was a chance for the open top trams to stretch their wheels a bit more.

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In Pictures: 4040 returns to service on Tyne and Wear Metro

Posted on Saturday 21 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Whilst we have been concentrating on the new Tyne and Wear Metro fleet currently being procured we mustn’t forget the current fleet which continues to operate the service. Shortages of the Metro Cars are often seen with peak time extras unable to run which does mean that some of the unrefurbished vehicles are pressed into service at times. The four which weren’t refurbished were 4001, 4002, 4040 and 4083 with 4040 recently seen back in service for the first time in 2019.

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Tram on the move

Posted on Friday 20 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

A tram that little is known about is set to move soon, leaving its home of the past four years in Colwyn Bay for pastures new. The replica tram – which has been around for a number of years and is believed to have at one stage been used by Balfour Beatty for publicity events – was cosmetically restored and put in Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay but its time there is now at an end.

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Final piece of track for Phase One of Westside extension welded into place

Posted on Friday 20 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Construction work which will enable West Midlands Metro trams to run on the first phase of the Birmingham Westside extension to Victoria Square and Centenary Square by the end of this year is now entering its final stages with the latest significant milestone of all track in place being achieved this week.

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Standard 143’s restoration in the final stages

Posted on Thursday 19 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

On Monday 23rd September a tram is set to be returned to service in Blackpool, some 62 years since it last carried passengers. That tram is Standard 143 which is coming to the end of its extensive restoration with the final few jobs being completed at Blackpool Transport’s Rigby Road Depot ahead of its big return.

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Have Hitachi been unsuccessful in their bid to build new Metro trains?

Posted on Thursday 19 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Reports on the BBC have suggested that local train builder Hitachi – local as in they have a factory in the north east at Newton Aycliffe – have been unsuccessful in their bid to build the new trains for the Tyne and Wear Metro but Nexus have denied they have made a decision yet. The new trains are set to be introduced on the network from the end of 2021 with three companies in the running to supply the fleet of 42 vehicles: Hitachi, Stadler and CAF.

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Picture in Time: Glasgow 1100 and 1297

Posted on Thursday 19 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Another trip to Crich for this latest edition of Picture in Time as we take a look at the 1973 Grand Transport Extravaganza.

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See inside the tram depot at Summerlee for Doors Open Day

Posted on Wednesday 18 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

On Saturday 21st September the annual Doors Open Days will be taking place across Scotland and this year Summerlee – The Museum of Scottish Industrial Life will be taking part, which include the chance to see behind the scenes in the tram depot and to see latest progress on the restoration of Glasgow 1245.

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In Pictures: 269 makes it three AMEX trams in Edinburgh

Posted on Wednesday 18 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

We previously brought you news that there were two trams in Edinburgh advertising American Express and now there is a third! Following hot on the heels of 264 and 270, 269 has also seen the adverts applied and as with the other two trams the adverts are identical extoling the virtues of an American Express credit card with suggestions where you can use them in Edinburgh.

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In Pictures: Blackpool Boats in action during Muni Heritage Weekend

Posted on Tuesday 17 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

They may be 5,151 miles away from home but the San Francisco Blackpool Boats were both in action over the Muni Heritage Weekend on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September with the more long-standing resident 228 in service on both days whilst newer arrival 233 only put in an appearance on the Saturday. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world but it would appear that Blackpool Boat Cars are popular anywhere with both cars proving popular in a well organised event which saw many historic streetcars and trolleys from around the world in action during the two days. Stephen Cobb visited and the below photos show the Boats (and newly found friends!) in action.

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