Picture in Time: Paisley 68

Posted on Thursday 31 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

This week’s Thursday archive image again comes from the Glasgow Garden Festival in 1988 as we take a look at the third of the trams running during the event – Paisley 68.

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In Pictures: Poppies carried on Supertram

Posted on Wednesday 30 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

Monday 11th November is of course Remembrance Day and as a mark of respect trams on Stagecoach Supertram have started to carry poppies on the driver side windows. Many UK tramways use this as a way of showing their respect for those who gave their lives in the line of duty and this year Supertram seem to be quickest off the mark in displaying their poppies. This year, for the first time, those Citylink vehicles in use on the Tram-Train service to Rotherham Parkgate have also received vinyl poppies on cab ends with all other trams continuing to carry the more traditional plastic versions on either the cab side or front.

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In Pictures: 21 gains the full blue livery leaving just one tram to go

Posted on Wednesday 30 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

The days of any resemblance of the old Network West Midlands livery are rapidly drawing to a close with 20 of the 21 strong Urbos3 trams now carrying the full blue vinyls – 21 is the latest to join the ranks leaving just special liveried 19 left with white/silver sections. 21’s new livery retains the red based adverts for Just Eat.

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More days to forget for the Tyne and Wear Metro

Posted on Wednesday 30 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

It looks as if the Tyne and Wear Metro isn’t a fan of the clocks going back as ever since they changed there seems to have been issue after issue affecting the service from the overhead coming down, trains not being available to run peak services, a bridge strike, poor rail conditions and heavy passenger loadings. And all that happened in just two days at the start of this week.

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In Pictures: A day of disruption for Supertram

Posted on Tuesday 29 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

Saturday 26th October was a day where the service across the Stagecoach Supertram network was disrupted – firstly, by the pre-advertised service suspension from Cathedral to Middlewood and Malin Bridge before and after the Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds United football match at Hillsborough but also by flooding between Rotherham Parkgate and Rotherham Central which saw the Tram-Train service having to be diverted to Meadowhall.

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In Pictures: Just another Saturday at Crich

Posted on Tuesday 29 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

The operating season may be continuing to start to draw to a close at Crich (not before the expected busy week of the Starlight Event though) but there is still time for the trams to continue running and the visitors to take a trip to Derbyshire to enjoy them as they do! In this pictorial we take a look at the trams in service on Saturday 19th October which saw a standard three tram service running with Leeds 180, Sheffield 510 and Blackpool 630 plus Liverpool 869 out on a driver experience. Trevor Hall was one of those who paid a visit.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 712

Posted on Tuesday 29 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

It’s Tuesday which can only mean one thing – we are off to Blackpool for another look at a photo from the archives. We start off a selection of photos taken in 2007 with a look at Blackpool Balloon 712.

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In Pictures: Work completed at Crumpsall

Posted on Monday 28 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

The first stage of work ahead of the start of services on the Metrolink Trafford Park line is now completed with the revamped stop at Crumpsall now fully open – this includes the addition of a new platform face and track for trams terminating from Trafford Park as well as other stop improvements including a new entrance from Crumpsall Lane.

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Centenary 642 returns to service

Posted on Monday 28 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

Centenary 642, one of the three trams planned to return to service during the September Spectacular in Blackpool, has now been used for the first time since the start of the year being allocated to the afternoon Promenade heritage service on Wednesday 23rd October. It was also used on Friday 25th October showing that the tram is truly back in service once more!

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More Metro extension work in Wolverhampton

Posted on Monday 28 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

Piper’s Row in Wolverhampton City Centre is closed for two weeks as the last works connected to West Midlands Metro for 2019 take place. The road was closed from Sunday 27th October and will remain so until Sunday 10th November with work taking place on finishing off the area although it won’t be the last works needed as that will be at the railway station end of the new line once redevelopment works there are completed.

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Around the World in Trams: Milan 1825

Posted on Sunday 27 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

We remain in Milan for today’s look at trams from outside of the British Isles and its another Peter Witt tramcar in the below image.

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Three car service to run on Volk’s Electric Railway to end the season

Posted on Sunday 27 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

For the first time in over 25 years the Volk’s Electric Railway will be running a three car service on Sunday 3rd November, subject to the usual weather constraints. The standard service on the line along Brighton seafront sees two car (or car sets if you prefer as two vehicles are permanently coupled) but experiments earlier this year has shown that it is possible to run up to three at the same time and that is exactly what will happen on the last day of the regular operating season which also happens to coincide with the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

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Old Market Square becomes Old Market Scare for Halloween

Posted on Sunday 27 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

Anyone taking a trip into Nottingham City Centre over the next few days may be in for a scare, especially considering you won’t be getting off at Old Market Square but the renamed Old Market Scare! The renaming has taken place to match the city’s Halloween celebrations which take place until Wednesday 31st October. A selection of events are taking place at Old Market Scare – adjacent to the tramstop – including the Horror Hotel (a live action scare maze) and Nottingham Express Transit’s £5 group ticket is once again available throughout not only the event but the school half term holidays as well.

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New Metrolink trams set to be delayed

Posted on Saturday 26 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

27 new Bombardier built M5000 trams ordered to increase capacity across the Manchester Metrolink are to be delayed because of issues in the supply chain meaning Bombardier will fall behind their construction schedule. The first of trams were originally due to be delivered in February 2020 but a report in the Manchester Evening News has announced a delay with an entry into service now expected during August.

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Picture in Time: Tyne and War Metro 4025

Posted on Saturday 26 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

Today’s archive photo again comes from the 30th anniversary of the Tyne and Wear Metro and their open day at South Gosforth Depot.

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In Pictures: 36 gets full blue livery

Posted on Saturday 26 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

The latest tram to receive the full blue West Midlands Metro livery has been 36, with the CAF built tram retaining its adverts for the My Metro App in the process. As you may remember 36 was the very first Urbos3 to receive external advertising in February this year when it became the first tram to also run in this hybrid livery between the old Network West Midlands and West Midlands Metro colour schemes and now some eight and a bit months later and its all change on the tram once more. 36 was first noted in the new livery on 25th October as captured by Mark Cufflin.

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First tram reaches Centenary Square as preparations for phase one of Westside extension ramp up

Posted on Friday 25 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

With just two months to go until the end of the year we shouldn’t have too long to wait before passengers are able to travel on the first phase of the West Midlands Metro extension to Centenary Square – especially now the first tram has made it all the way with the first gauging run taking place utilising Urbos3 20.

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In Pictures: Manchester 173 at Victoria

Posted on Friday 25 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

Sunday 20th October saw Manchester 173 make a rare trip away from the Heaton Park Tramway as it was displayed at Victoria railway station, part of a special event held to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the opening of the station. This was the first time since 2014 that 173 has left Heaton Park (when it went to Leeds on two separate occasions) and except for the odd outside display during special events on the tramway it has been kept in the depot awaiting workshop space for a start to be made on its full restoration so the sight of the tram outside the station proved popular with visitors.

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Dare we mention 2020? Blackpool reveal special event dates

Posted on Thursday 24 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

Yes, it may only be mid-October 2019 but Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours are quick off the mark with first information on their special events for 2020 with outline dates already revealed. The familiar pattern of Winter Gold and standard Gold weekends throughout the year will take place again with the “big one” the September Spectacular – which marks the 135th anniversary of the tramway – taking place over the weekend of 26th and 27th September.

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Nexus an award winner for campaign encouraging Spice Girls concert goers to use the Metro

Posted on Thursday 24 October 2019 by Gareth Prior

It may not be the most eye-catching of headlines but Nexus are celebrating after winning a marketing award for their campaign encouraging those attended the Spice Girls concerts in Sunderland to use the Tyne and Wear Metro. The award was given at the North East Marketing Awards ceremony in the Best Integrated Campaign – In House category with Nexus said to beat off a strong field of contenders.

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