Picture in Time: Blackpool Marton VAMBAC 11

Posted on Thursday 5 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Hopefully you haven’t had too much of looking at Blackpool Marton VAMBAC 11 over the past couple of weeks as the final part of our trilogy is featured today as we take another look at the tram whilst in operation at the East Anglia Transport Museum.

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In Pictures: Box 40 runs for the last time at Beamish

Posted on Wednesday 4 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Sunday 1st September was the last opportunity to enjoy a ride on Blackpool & Fleetwood Box 40 at Beamish ahead of its departure from the north east to return to Crich, where it was last seen for a brief spell in 2014. On the day – another busy and sunny day at Beamish – it was part of a four tram service operating around the museum and amongst the many visitors was David Maxwell.

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In Pictures: Blackpool Illuminations off and running for another year

Posted on Wednesday 4 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

A sure sign that summer is almost over is the switching on of the illuminations in Blackpool and for trams that also means their busiest period of the year – especially for the heritage trams with illumination tours now underway. As has now become the norm no standard illumination tours are able to run on switch-on night with the first tours this year being Saturday 31st August – when no fewer than six trams were allocated to tour duty, including both operational Boats!

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Card and contactless payments on the way for Supertram

Posted on Wednesday 4 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

As the way we pay for things continues to evolve it has been confirmed that Stagecoach Supertram will shortly be accepting card and contactless payments aboard the trams. A new ticket machine is being developed and will be piloted on a limited number of services from Wednesday 4th September. Not all conductors will have the new machines at this point but those who do will be easily identified as they will be wearing a pink hi-vis vest. A date for full switch-over to these new machines will be confirmed in due course by Stagecoach Supertram.

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In Pictures: Heaton Park pull out the stops for late summer event

Posted on Tuesday 3 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

In the wake of the cancellation of the Trans Lancs Rally because of ground conditions on the rally ground in Heaton Park the Heaton Park Tramway organised a short-notice late summer event which saw all three operational passenger trams in service with stored trams on display plus a model tram exhibition in the Middleton Road Depot – all combining to fill in the gap in the special events calendar. Steve Kemp visited as seen in the below photos.

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In Pictures: More blue with a dash of green on West Midlands Metro

Posted on Tuesday 3 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Well, we now know that West Midlands Metro blue and lime green do not go together! The latest tram to receive the full blue West Midlands Metro blue livery has also become the first in these colours to receive adverts – with the company advertising on the tram being OLA (a company similar to Uber who have an app enabling you to hire taxis from your phone). 27 is the tram in question with it debuting in service with its new look on Sunday 1st September.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Hovertram 735

Posted on Tuesday 3 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Sticking with the illuminated tram theme for this week as we take a look at another of the 1960s feature cars. This time around it is the Hovertram, one of thosenow back at Rigby Road but stored.

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In Pictures: Boat 228 operating in San Francisco as 233 gets ready to join it

Posted on Monday 2 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

It may be a long way from home but 2019 has seen the return to full service of one of San Francisco’s two Boat Cars with it being regularly rostered to service on Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the summer (save for a short period out of use for motor repairs). The Boat being used for this service has been the longer-term resident of this part of America, 228, and as is always the case with a Boat Car – regardless of which side of the Atlantic it may be! – it has proven to be a very popular addition to the historic trolley service offered in San Francisco.

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Posted in Around the World in Trams, Blackpool Tramway | 1 Comment

Edinburgh Trams supports Pedal for Scotland again

Posted on Monday 2 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

The annual Pedal for Scotland event, due to be held on Sunday 8th September, will once again be supported by Edinburgh Trams with extra trams due to run in the early morning exclusively for participants in the event between Haymarket and Ingliston Park and Ride.

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Appeal for information over tram derailment

Posted on Monday 2 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

As we reported last week a tram on London Tramlink suffered a derailment close to the stop at Phipps Bridge on Thursday 29th August and now it has transpired that an investigation is suggesting an object may have been placed on the track causing the incident. The British Transport Police are now appealing for information to help them further with the investigation.

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Around the World in Trams: Prague 9169

Posted on Sunday 1 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Another image from Prague this week as we continue our worldwide tram tour.

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FTT launch appeal for Coronation 304 compressor overhaul

Posted on Sunday 1 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

The Fylde Transport Trust need £3,160 to overhaul the compressor of Coronation 304 and to help raise this money they have launched another appeal. This will be a full overhaul of the compressor undertaken by CMP Engineering in Trafford Park and is essential work to allow 304 to run once more in Blackpool.

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In Pictures: A revised name for a tram stop in Edinburgh

Posted on Sunday 1 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

Since Edinburgh Trams opened some five and a bit years ago one of the city centre tram stops has been known as West End Princes Street (although had been scheduled to be called Shandwick Place in pre-opening publicity) – but no longer! Recently noted at the stop is the removal of the Princes Street part of the name with the signs now just saying West End. It is thought that this has been done so as to prevent visitors to the city wanting the main street alighting here as they still find themselves some distance from where they are likely to want to be, although quite why its taken five years to work this out is unknown!

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 1 September 2019 by Gareth Prior

This week we bring you another couple of Photo Galleries, both from the northwest of England:

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Manchester Metrolink, Site News | 1 Comment

In Pictures: Classic Transport Gathering at Crich

Posted on Saturday 31 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

The Sunday and Monday of the August Bank Holiday weekend was met with fine and sunny weather at the Crich Tramway Village as their latest Classic Transport Gathering took place featuring visiting vehicles dating from pre-1979. On Sunday 25th August a five tram service was provided with an excellent good weather selection of trams in use for visitors – Chesterfield 7, Blackpool 40, London County Council 106, Blackpool 166 and Blackpool 236. Hazel Quarmby was also there and has sent us the following images.

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Picture in Time: Nottingham Express Transit 208

Posted on Saturday 31 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

Another image coming from Nottingham for this week’s modern tram edition of Picture in Time.

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Southampton Tram Project Open Day cancelled

Posted on Saturday 31 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

Unfortunately the planned open day at the Southampton Tram Project’s workshop in Southampton Docks has had to be cancelled. Due to take place on Saturday 14th September as part of a wider Heritage Fayre at West Quay the tram workshop will now not be included in the day’s event.

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Derailment leads to delays on Tramlink

Posted on Saturday 31 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

Tram services on London Tramlink were delayed during the evening rush hour on Thursday 29th August after a reported derailment at Phipps Bridge. As with a previous derailment earlier in 2019 Transport for London’s official Twitter feed again described this as a “faulty tram” but local media reported that there was a derailed tram. No more details of the nature of the derailment are known or which tram was involved. Whilst the tram was attended to no services were able to run between Morden Road and Mitcham Junction. This disruption happened at the same time as engineering works were seeing no trams beyond East Croydon to Beckenham Junction, Elmers End or New Addington.

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First tram runs onto Birmingham Westside extension

Posted on Friday 30 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

We were doubtful on the timescale when it was announced the first tests on the Birmingham Westside extension would take place in August but that is exactly what has happened with Urbos3 28 making the first gauging test this week. This is without doubt a major milestone in the constriction of this line which is still scheduled to be welcoming its first passengers before 2019 is out.

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Extra event for Heaton Park as Trans Lancs Rally cancelled

Posted on Friday 30 August 2019 by Gareth Prior

Sadly the annual Trans Lancs Rally which usually takes place on the first Sunday in September at Heaton Park has had to be cancelled this year because the parade ground in the park is not in a condition where it is possible for the various buses which usually visit to be put on display. But not to be put off by this news the Heaton Park Tramway have announced a special event of their own which will still see an intensive tram service along with a shuttle bus service linking the tramway with the Manchester Museum of Transport at Boyle Street.

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