In Pictures: Volk’s Electric Railway closes the season with three car service

Posted on Tuesday 5 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

For the first time in over 25 years the Volk’s Electric Railway operated a public three car service on Sunday 3rd November, a day which also marked the last day of the regular operating season for the year (although there will be Santa Special trips in the lead up to Christmas). Before the day it was announced that 3rd November would see the very first three car service for a long time and that 7+8, 9 and 10 would all run, subject to availability, but in the event 4 replaced 7+8. To enable a three car service – instead of the usual two car – trains used single line tokens for each section they operated in and saw the rare use of the passing loops along the line instead of the more usual passing at Halfway Station. Tony Sullivan provides us with the following photographic action from the day.

Continue reading →

Posted in Volk's Electric Railway | Comments Off on In Pictures: Volk’s Electric Railway closes the season with three car service

Information events to take place for Metro extension to Brierley Hill

Posted on Tuesday 5 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

Local residents and businesses will get a chance later this month to find out more information about the planned West Midlands Metro extension from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill via Dudley at a number of events taking place across the area. The 11km route is expected to start operation in 2023 and these events are all part of the engagement exercise to make sure everyone gets the chance to find out more before construction begins.

Continue reading →

Posted in West Midlands Metro | Comments Off on Information events to take place for Metro extension to Brierley Hill

Picture in Time: Blackpool Jubilee 761

Posted on Tuesday 5 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

We head back another 12 years for this edition of Picture in Time as we take a look at a tram in Blackpool during 2007.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Picture in Time | Comments Off on Picture in Time: Blackpool Jubilee 761

In Pictures: Metrolink stops get a makeover – Cornbrook

Posted on Monday 4 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

Over the late summer and early autumn period Manchester Metrolink have been working on the refurbishment of a couple of key stops on the network with the aim of improving the overall waiting environment for passengers. One of these stops has been Cornbrook which has become a major interchange for passengers with the Eccles-Ashton-under-Lyne, East Didsbury-Rochdale, Altrincham-Bury (and Altrincham-Piccadilly) and Manchester Airport-Victoria services all calling there but is in an exposed location. This pictorial update from Steve Hyde shows the work undertaken on the stop.

Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | Comments Off on In Pictures: Metrolink stops get a makeover – Cornbrook

In Pictures: A busy Half Term Day at Beamish

Posted on Monday 4 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

It’s the last hurrah before Christmas, the October Half Term school holidays as many heritage attractions open fully for the last time of the year, and as far as Beamish is concerned it’s another busy period, especially with Halloween evening events also taking place. On Thursday 31st October itself, a cool but sunny day, the crowds at the museum merited a three tram service as seen in the below photos from Trevor Hall.

Continue reading →

Posted in Beamish Tramway | Comments Off on In Pictures: A busy Half Term Day at Beamish

Automatic braking system being installed on London Tramlink

Posted on Monday 4 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

A new on-board automatic braking system is being fitted to all trams on London Tramlink as Transport for London and Tram Operations Limited (TOL – operator of the network) put into practice another of the RAIB recommendations following the tragic derailment at Sandilands on 9th November 2016. The system will see braking automatically applied at pre-defined locations on the system if the tram is found to be overspeeding.

Continue reading →

Posted in London Trams | Comments Off on Automatic braking system being installed on London Tramlink

Around the World in Trams: Milan 1862

Posted on Sunday 3 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

Milan is again the location for this week’s look at trams from outside the British Isles.

Continue reading →

Posted in Around the World in Trams | Comments Off on Around the World in Trams: Milan 1862

In Pictures: A late October day in Blackpool

Posted on Sunday 3 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

Wednesday 30th October was just another illumination day in Blackpool with a two tram afternoon heritage service along the Prom followed by evening illumination tours. With it still being October Half Term in various areas of the UK it was a busy day, especially during the evening, which necessitated five trams in use on illumination tours and even with those there were fairly lengthy waits for tours. In this pictorial, we see photos from Peter Narramore of the afternoon service in the hands of recently returned Centenary 642 and Balloon 718 before we take a look at a Balloon on evening tour duty and throw in a Flexity for good measure as well!

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway | Comments Off on In Pictures: A late October day in Blackpool

Over a million passengers enjoy the Tram-Train service within the first year

Posted on Sunday 3 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

On 25th October the Tram-Train pilot between Sheffield and Rotherham celebrated its first anniversary with the news that over a million passengers had travelled on the service during the first 12 months of operation. The millionth passenger journey was recorded during October.

Continue reading →

Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | 3 Comments

This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 3 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

It is another two Photo Gallery week for you this week:

Continue reading →

Posted in London Transport Museum, Site News, West Midlands Metro | Comments Off on This week on British Trams Online

A look at the trams at the London Transport Museum store, Acton

Posted on Sunday 3 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

The London Transport Museum Depot at Acton opens three times a year to the general public – with full facilities available on site on these special days – as well as being open for smaller private group visits by special arrangement. It is widely known that this ‘overspill’ collection, covering all modes of transport in the capital, complements the main London Transport Museum in Covent Garden, where space is very much at a premium. There, the public can see a restored green horse tram (London Tramways Company No.284) and also a four-wheel open balcony West Ham Corporation tram, No.102. This car was not typical of the London electric tram fleet in general, as viewed from the perspective of the fleet during the run-down of tramways, from the mid /late-1930s to the end of the system in July 1952. In this report Dr Robert Blackburn takes a look at those trams held at the Acton store.

Continue reading →

Posted in London Transport Museum | 1 Comment

In Pictures: 251 back into fleet livery

Posted on Saturday 2 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

The latest tram to return to fleet livery in Edinburgh – but as always seems to be the case in Edinburgh the question will be for how long? – is the lowest numbered, no. 251. The tram previously carried an advert for Edinburgh Live but is now back in plain fleet livery which reveals the larger madder stripe above the windows once more which is usually covered by the adverts. With Christmas approaching will this tram soon be advertising events leading up to that and Hogmanay?

Continue reading →

Posted in Edinburgh Trams | Comments Off on In Pictures: 251 back into fleet livery

Picture in Time: Tyne and Wear Metro 4037

Posted on Saturday 2 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

Today we continue our look at the sights seen during the 30th anniversary Depot Open Day on the Tyne and Wear Metro.

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Picture in Time: Tyne and Wear Metro 4037

Power failure leads to delays on NET

Posted on Saturday 2 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

There was major disruption to Nottingham Express Transit services on Thursday 31st October after a power failure just after the morning peak saw part of the network suspended for just over six hours.

Continue reading →

Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | Comments Off on Power failure leads to delays on NET

In Pictures: Starlight Event at Crich

Posted on Saturday 2 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

Over the past few years the Starlight Event at Crich has developed into one of the most popular family events at the museum with trams running in the dark and different themes on each day to take advantage of the darker evenings. The museum has been transformed with lighting and the trams have even got in on the act with Blackpool 166 and Blackpool 236 regular performers with their strings of lights joined by Leeds 399 with lighting on the exterior – trams with lights running at night, it will never catch on! In this pictorial we take a look at the trams running on Thursday 31st October which included those three mentioned cars.

Continue reading →

Posted in National Tramway Museum | Comments Off on In Pictures: Starlight Event at Crich

In Pictures: Overnight testing continues on Birmingham Westside extension

Posted on Friday 1 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

In a little over a month, if everything goes according to plan, the next part of the West Midlands Metro network will be open to passengers with trams travelling from Grand Central onto the Birmingham Westside extension to Centenary Square. In preparation for the opening of the line overnight testing is continuing to make sure everything is exactly as it should be before daytime testing/driver training and then shadow running takes place in the lead up to the opening in December. On the early hours of the last date of October Ian Nightingale found 21 testing on the line.

Continue reading →

Posted in West Midlands Metro | Comments Off on In Pictures: Overnight testing continues on Birmingham Westside extension

Advert changes in Manchester

Posted on Friday 1 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

Its been a few weeks but there has suddenly been an influx of livery changes in Manchester Metrolink with two new advert liveries unveiled whilst a further three trams have lost their advertising vinyls. New advertisers are Pretty Little Thing.com and Lightopia whilst Babyliss and two Vodafone adverts have now been removed.

Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | Comments Off on Advert changes in Manchester

Extra trams for Nottingham fireworks

Posted on Friday 1 November 2019 by Gareth Prior

Nottingham Express Transit will be running a special timetable on Tuesday 5th November to help people attend the city’s free bonfire and firework display at the Forest Recreation Ground, located right next to the tramstop at The Forest. Trams will run every eight and a half minutes from 1500 until 2000 and then every 10 minutes until 2300. A 15 minute frequency will then run until the end of service. There will be firework displays at both 1915 and 2100 and to make it even easier for people to get there the NET £5 Group Ticket will be available after 1600 which allows one or two adults and up to three children to travel across the network.

Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | Comments Off on Extra trams for Nottingham fireworks

No charges to be brought over Tramlink derailment

Posted on Thursday 31 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

It has been confirmed that neither the driver of the London Tramlink tram which derailed at Sandilands on 9th November 2016 leading to the tragic passing of seven passengers nor Trams Operations Limited or Transport for London will be charged following the conclusion of the lengthy investigation into the derailment.

Continue reading →

Posted in London Trams | Comments Off on No charges to be brought over Tramlink derailment

Horse trams to return for last weekend of season

Posted on Thursday 31 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

In an unexpected development, Isle of Man Transport have announced that the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway will run once more this year after all with service operating on both Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd November. With the island’s other heritage lines also running for the last time over this weekend it has been decided that the horse trams should join in the “end of term” celebrations too!

Continue reading →

Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, Manx Electric Railway, Snaefell Mountain Railway | Comments Off on Horse trams to return for last weekend of season