Picture in Time: Manchester Metrolink 1005

Posted on Saturday 11 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

This week we are on the very first day of passenger services on Manchester Metrolink – 6th April 1992. T68 1005 features in the image.

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Digby the guide horse goes for a ride on the Metro

Posted on Saturday 11 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

Here’s one for the bizarre story category – Digby the guide horse has undergone training on the Tyne and Wear Metro in order to get him prepared for his new life with a partially sighted person in London. Digby is an American miniature horse and will be the first ever guide horse in Britain when he starts his new job.

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In Pictures: It’s just another day at Beamish

Posted on Saturday 11 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

Tuesday 7th May saw a three tram service at Beamish with Oporto 196 and Sheffield 264 in action clockwise and Sunderland 16 running anti-clockwise. As the season starts to develop more trams are expected to be seen in service on a daily basis with the current plan being that the five resident trams will be rotated to even out wear. Meanwhile progress continues to be made on the construction of the new bus depot with a completion date suggested for the end of this summer which will then give additional capacity in the tram depot. Trevor Hall is the photographer.

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In Pictures: Bank Holiday B Fleet action!

Posted on Friday 10 May 2019 by Andrew Waddington

Although originally intended for use on public service duties, Blackpool’s small fleet of modified Balloon cars known as the ‘B Fleet’ are a common sight on heritage duties, most of all on the special Gold running days. With two such events on the recent Bank Holidays for both the Easter and May Day weekends, a number of these trams were captured out and about by Rob Bray.

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Gateshead track relay completed

Posted on Friday 10 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

The major project to replace 1.6km of track on the Tyne and wear Metro in the Gateshead area has been completed on target. This is just the first phase of an £8 million project south of the River Tyne and is part of the overall Metro all change modernisation programme which will cost a total of £350 million.

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NET raise £1,200 for MacMillan Cancer Support

Posted on Friday 10 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

Nottingham Express Transit have raised more than £1,200 for MacMillan Cancer Support at the start of a new partnership between the two organisations. The money was raised by staff, passengers and the system operator with NET employees staging a bake sale at the Travel Centre and at Wilkinson Street Depot with members of the travelling public making donations on board trams.

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NET Incentros set to enjoy second refresh

Posted on Thursday 9 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

A £3.5 million project to fully refresh all of the original trams on Nottingham Express Transit – the 15 Bombardier Incentro trams – is underway with the first “new look” tram due to be unveiled on Friday 10th May. This will be the second refresh for the trams – the only second generation trams in the UK to be assembled in the UK – with the previous programme taking place in 2013/4.

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Douglas horse trams set to run for 500 metres to start season

Posted on Thursday 9 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

It now seems that when the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway starts services for 2019 it will only be running for 500 metres between Derby Castle and Switzerland Road. It is still expected that the service will kick off in mid-late May once training of the horses has concluded.

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Picture in Time: Aachen 1010

Posted on Thursday 9 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

Staying on the Isle of Man for this week’s Traditional Tram archive photo we feature a tram which was never purchased to operate on the island but was used to provide parts to update the equipment on the Snaefell cars.

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Tramlink strike called off

Posted on Wednesday 8 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

It has been confirmed that the proposed strike on London Tramlink, due to take place on Thursday 9th May, has been called off. The industrial action had been called as a result of the latest pay offer from Tram Operations Limited (TOL), the operators of Tramlink, and would have been the third 24 hour strike since the dispute started. Talks have started between the TOL and ASLEF to bring a full resolution to the dispute and these will be continuing this week. It currently remains unclear whether the strike also due to take place on Thursday 23rd May will still go-ahead.

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In Pictures: No service for the Volk’s Electric Railway on a Bank Holiday Monday

Posted on Wednesday 8 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

Bank Holidays, a day when the Great British public like to do something with family, maybe head off to the coast to see what’s on offer. For those heading to Brighton it may include a walk down the pier, a trip up the i360 or maybe even a ride on the historic Volk’s Electric Railway for its 1.2 mile length between Palace Pier and Black Rock. Well, not on May Day Bank Holiday Monday, 6th May, they couldn’t as track repairs meant there was no service operated at all.

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Collision in Laxey

Posted on Wednesday 8 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

Manx Electric Railway Tunnel Car 6 was involved in a collision with a car in Laxey as it was heading north to Ramsey on Monday 6th May. The incident happened at the junction of Mines Road and Dumbell Terrace shortly after departure from Laxey Station at approximately 1410. This location is a non-signalled crossing and is the second of two crossings for northbound trams in close proximity. It isn’t known exactly what happened in this instance but photos from the scene showed that there was damage to the front steps of the tram and to the left-hand side of the car. No injuries were reported at the scene with the BBC describing the tram as “full of passengers” and then going on to say there were 14 on board! After the Police attended the scene and started an investigation the line was reopened through the area, around one hour later.

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In Pictures: Western Train out and about for latest Blackpool Gold weekend

Posted on Tuesday 7 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

In recent years a tram not often seen in use for public tours outside of the illumination period is the Western Train but on Saturday 4th May – as part of the latest Blackpool Gold heritage timetable – the tram was in use, initially on a Private Hire for the Fylde Tramway Society and then a couple of public trips. With seven other heritage trams also in action on this day (Balloon 713 was a temporary replacement for Boat 227 in the morning but the open car did run in the afternoon) there was plenty for both enthusiasts and the general public although passenger loading were a little sparse, possibly not helped by the Fylde Tramway Society convention weekend. Trevor Hall captured the following photos.

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In Pictures: Works continues on Birmingham Westside extension

Posted on Tuesday 7 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

The next part of the West Midlands Metro system which will open will be phase one of the Birmingham Westside extension which will travel from the current Grand Central terminus to Centenary Square via Victoria Square. New stops will be provided at both of the Squares although work on the construction of these doesn’t appear to have yet got underway. What is underway though is the laying of track from the former end of the line in Stephenson Street up the steep incline of Pinfold Street and into Victoria Square. The following images show the current state of affairs on the extension which is due to open at the end of 2019.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Centenary 641

Posted on Tuesday 7 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

We stay in Fleetwood for this week’s Blackpool Tramway archive image but this time we head back in time a bit further to the 1980s for a view of Centenary Car 641.

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In Pictures: Llandudno & Colwyn Bay 7 on parade

Posted on Monday 6 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

As has become traditional every May Day Bank Holiday weekend the North Wales coastal town of Llandudno holds a Victorian Extravaganza which amongst other events includes a number of vintage vehicles on display with the centrepiece being a special parade on all three days of the event. Taking place at midday on each day amongst the vehicles involved in 2019 was once again the replica Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Railway 7 with the faithful Matador lorry pulling the tram around the town. Kevin James captured the following images of 7 on the move.

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In Pictures: Douglas Prom redevelopment continues

Posted on Monday 6 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

As we have reported over the winter (and before with the eternal debates over exactly what form it would take) Douglas Promenade is currently being redeveloped which as far as this website is concerned involves a significant amount of work securing the future of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway. With the track being relaid – using rail obtained from the abandoned Merseytram project across the water in Liverpool – this first stage is seeing a like for like replacement as far as Villa Marina although there is a slightly wider gap between the two tracks and the quality of the track would, in theory, enable the Manx Electric Railway to extend further into Douglas. In this pictorial update Geoff Pickles provides us with the latest images of both the trackwork and also the start of work to erect a new marquee to house the trams at Derby Castle.

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New report looks for major transport revolution in Glasgow

Posted on Monday 6 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

Could Glasgow be the second Scottish city to enjoy the benefits of a light rail type transport system? If ambitious plans revealed in a new report come to fruition it could although it wouldn’t come cheap with the complete package of transport improvement proposed said to come to £10 billion. Described as a Metro network it would link Glasgow City Centre with the Airport – similar plans have recently been rejected as not feasible – going via Renfrew, Braehead and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

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In Pictures: Worksite cleared in Talbot Square – but more snagging works to come

Posted on Monday 6 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

It’s a case of good and bad news for the Blackpool North Railway Station extension of the Blackpool Tramway. Firstly, the major worksite at Talbot Square has now been cleared of all equipment showing off the new layout here in full for the first time but then on the flip side Blackpool Council have announced that there will be some further temporary road closures to come to allow for remedial work to take place along Talbot Road.

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Around the World in Trams: Giardinetti Railway 834

Posted on Sunday 5 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

This week we have one final image from the Giardinetti Railway in Rome.

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