In Pictures: Rush Hour on the Railways ends in style

Posted on Tuesday 23 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

The first enthusiast event of 2019 on the Isle of Man is now over with the four-day Rush Hour on the Railways concluding on Easter Monday, 22nd April. The Manx Electric Railway again played a significant part in the event on this day with behind the scenes tours at Derby Castle Sheds available (photos from this will follow in an article later this week) whilst out on the main line Crossbench 32 was in service with Trailer 59 also seeing use – not together! In this pictorial article David Maxwell provides photos of goings on out on the Manx Electric Railway.

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Very Light Rail unveil planned routes in Coventry

Posted on Tuesday 23 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

At the end of last year we reported on the Very Light Rail plans which it is hoped will provide a cheaper and more energy efficient option for public transport across the UK. The brainchild of various academics with support of the Department for Transport and Network Rail amongst other partners at the time it was said that the first vehicle would be ready by this year with a planned route in Coventry following soon afterwards. At the time the exact details of where that route would go hadn’t been announced but the latest update has given this information plus confirming that they plan eventually the vehicles will be self-driving. If everything goes according to plan – and as we all know things seldom do! – they will be running by 2024.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 707

Posted on Tuesday 23 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

A tram expected to return to service in Blackpool this year will be Balloon 707. In this week’s Blackpool Picture in Time feature we include that tram just after its conversion to a flat fronted format.

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In Pictures: 2019 rail replacement works start at Hillsborough

Posted on Monday 22 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

The start of four months of rail replacement work on the Stagecoach Supertram network got underway on Good Friday, 19th April, with the first stage seeing work concentrated in the Hillsborough area. With all trams on the Blue and Yellow routes terminating at Hillsborough throughout this phase of works – due to continue until 2nd June – and bus replacements in operation there was a large amount of congestion in the area; hopefully not a sign of thing to comes for the next six weeks. In this first of our pictorial updates on the rail replacement, Stuart Cooke shows us the first stages of the work.

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More Boat running in San Francisco for 2019

Posted on Monday 22 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

Since arriving in San Francisco the two Blackpool Boat cars have proven to be very popular when they have operated and now in 2019 – incredibly some 35 years since 228 arrived in the city – it is planned that there will be regular operation of 228 each week through the main summer season.

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DLR services disrupted after “Extinction Rebellion” protestors climb onto train

Posted on Monday 22 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

It possibly hadn’t escaped your notice that this week a group of activists – known as Extinction Rebellion – have been causing transport chaos in London as they protest against climate change warning the government acts “now on the climate and ecological emergency”. Rather than just targeting standard traffic – which they have done by blocking various bridges – they have also targeted public transport; something which you may consider counterintuitive as surely they would be encouraging people to use public transport? Included in this was the Docklands Light Railway.

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In Pictures: Easter Saturday at Beamish

Posted on Monday 22 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

Seven days previously Beamish was a tad chilly but fast forward a week to Easter Saturday, 20th April, and with warm and sunny weather across most of the British Isles it was a very different story for visitors to the museum. Whereas at the previous weeks Great North Steam Fair the open toppers were out as a necessity to provide as much capacity as possible this time around not only were they fulfilling that purpose but also the fact that it was just the weather for an open top tram ride! Blackpool 31 and Newcastle 114 were joined by the two loanee trams, Blackpool & Fleetwood 40 and Manchester 765, in a four tram service which included the benefit of seeing trams running both clockwise and anti-clockwise giving extra photographic opportunities. Trevor Hall paid a visit and has shared the following images with us.

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Around the World in Trams: Giardinetti Railway 423

Posted on Sunday 21 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

As we continue our look around Rome we are once again on the Giardinetti Railway for this week’s overseas tram image.

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In Pictures: Rush Hour on the Railways continues

Posted on Sunday 21 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

Day two of Rush Hour on the Railways – Saturday 20th April – didn’t feature any pre-advertised events on the Manx Electric Railway with the main concentration of the day on the Isle of Man Steam Railway but that didn’t stop some action on the MER with more trailers out in service including the rare sight of blue liveried Tunnel Car 7 with red trailer. David Maxwell has again sent the below images through.

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In Pictures: Easter Bunnies in Blackpool!

Posted on Sunday 21 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

If you’ve ever been to Blackpool and have hung around Pleasure Beach for any length of time you will probably have seen a colony of wild rabbits running around the grassed area looking for food. As its Easter and we all love a bunny at Easter in this pictorial article we take a look at trams and rabbits plus a photo from the archives showing when the loop was relaid in 2008. Peter Dockerty with the images.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 21 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

We have the conclusion of our coverage from the Great North Steam Fair this week with a collection of photos:

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Trams to return to Glory Mine in time for the 1940s

Posted on Saturday 20 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

Since the Crich Tramway Village re-opened for the 2019 season all trams have only been running between Town End and Wakebridge because of the over-running track and overhead works at Glory Mine. But now in time for Easter – and the 1940s weekend taking place on Sunday 21st and Sunday 22nd April – trams are set to be able to run to Glory Mine, although still not quite all the way.

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Picture in Time: Stagecoach Supertram 114

Posted on Saturday 20 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

One final visit to Sheffield for the time being as our look into the past sees another of the original Siemens-Duewag trams in action.

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In Pictures: Heritage Trams in action on Blackpool Prom

Posted on Saturday 20 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

If you head to Blackpool at the weekend during 2019 you will be able to see heritage trams in action with each and every week due to see at least two trams in service. One such standard operation was on Saturday 13th April when three different trams operated on the Prom – including both operational Boat Cars. Graham Gough was in town to capture the below images.

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In Pictures: Tamper at Meadowhall Interchange

Posted on Saturday 20 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

Over the past few weeks – on and off – a Tamper has been stabled in the spare platform at Meadowhall Interchange (with one platform all that is really needed since the Purple route was permanently curtailed in Sheffield City Centre). It is not known whether the Tamper has actually been used on the Supertram network but it has been on Supertram metals which makes it newsworthy for this website! Andrew Nolan captured the below image.

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In Pictures: Parallel run gets Rush Hour on the Railways off and running

Posted on Friday 19 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

Now firmly part of the special events calendar on the Isle of Man, Rush Hour on the Railways is a four day event taking place over the long Easter weekend with plenty to see and do across the island’s heritage railway, of course including the Manx Electric Railway. The very first event on Friday 19th April saw Tunnel Car 9 run in parallel with the 0940 timetabled departure between Derby Castle and Laxey with barely a cloud in the sky. David Maxwell provides the following photos for us.

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RAIB investigate after passenger falls onto tracks at Ashton

Posted on Friday 19 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

The RAIB have announced they are conducting an investigation after a passenger in a “vulnerable condition” fell onto the tracks at the Ashton-under-Lyne on Tuesday 12th March. The passenger had alighted from the tram and had leant on the side of the tram and fell onto the track when the tram departed.

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Tram allocations revealed for an Easter weekend of heritage tram action in Blackpool

Posted on Friday 19 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

It’s a bank holiday weekend and that means only one thing – the Gold heritage tram timetable will be in operation in Blackpool! The six tram service will run on thee days over the weekend: Saturday 20th, Sunday 21st and Sunday 22nd April with the return of the Green timetable and four trams on Friday 19th. A mix of trams will run on each day with seven different types of trams on show and if that’s not enough there is an Easter Treasure Hunt at Pleasure Beach on the Saturday and Sunday!

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No confirmed start date for Douglas Bay Horse Tramway but testing imminent

Posted on Thursday 18 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

It’s just a week before the previously published start date of services for 2019 on the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway but it remains unclear just when passengers will be able to enjoy a ride with Isle of Man Transport stating that services will start once training for staff and horses has been completed. It has now been confirmed this is expected to commence from Thursday 25th April.

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In Pictures: First track laid on Pinfold Street

Posted on Thursday 18 April 2019 by Gareth Prior

With trams due to start running on the first part of the Birmingham Westside extension by the end of this year it is no surprise to see that good progress is now being made on track laying. Following on from the first tracks in Victoria Square the first are now in place on Pinfold Street.

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