Calls again to extend Blackpool Tramway to Lytham

Posted on Thursday 3 January 2019 by Gareth Prior

A call to undertake more development work on a plan to extend the Blackpool Tramway to Lytham has been made by the Trams to Lytham group with backing given to the project from Blackpool Transport. A new report has just been released on the proposal which seeks to convince local authorities that the proposal would be “hugely beneficial to the local community”. The proposals don’t currently have the backing of the local authorities representing the Lytham and St Anne’s areas but Blackpool Transport have come out in support of the plans which remain at a very early stage with no funding made available to develop further.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 4 Comments

Heritage tramways on Isle of Man continue to be popular

Posted on Wednesday 2 January 2019 by Gareth Prior

2018 was another successful year for the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, Manx Electric Railway and Snaefell Mountain Railway with increased passenger numbers recorded throughout the year on all lines. Indeed, of those lines operated by Isle of Man Railways the only one to see a reduction in passenger numbers was surprisingly the Isle of Man Steam Railway which has helped to mean the overall increase is only at 0.4%.

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Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, Manx Electric Railway, Snaefell Mountain Railway | 1 Comment

Farewell to return tickets on NET

Posted on Wednesday 2 January 2019 by Gareth Prior

Anyone travelling on Nottingham Express Transit from Monday 7th January will see some changes to the fare structure with the removal of all return tickets based on “customer feedback” and aimed at “simplifying” fares. From this date anyone wanting to make a return trip on the same day will either have to buy two separate singles or alternatively purchase a day ticket (which works out cheaper than two singles but is more expensive than the current return).

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September Review – Blackpool: No. 16 – Railcoach 680

Posted on Tuesday 1 January 2019 by Gareth Prior

Happy New Year one and all! We finally reach the end of our September retrospectives of those three big tram events in 2018 with one final feature from Blackpool’s September Spectacular which took place over the weekend of 22nd/23rd September. In this edition we feature another tram which is on long-term loan to Blackpool – Railcoach 680.

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Balloon 711 on standby for snow

Posted on Monday 31 December 2018 by Andrew Waddington

For many years it has been the norm for at least one of Blackpool’s Balloon cars to be fitted with snowplough equipment for the winter. In the last few years, members of the ‘B Fleet’ have been used in this capacity and for 2018/19, car 711 has been chosen to receive a plough at one end.

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September Review – Crich: No. 16 – Blackpool Standard 40

Posted on Monday 31 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Just before you head off for your New Year’s celebrations we have one final update for you as we conclude our look at September’s Simply Trams event at Crich. The final star of this series is Blackpool Standard 40.

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New Snow Hill entrance will finally provide a direct link from St Chad’s

Posted on Monday 31 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

When the West Midlands Metro extension into Birmingham City Centre opened a new stop was provided at Snow Hill to provide access to the railway station of the same name, and replacing the former terminus which was actually in the station. However, access to the station was convoluted and as such a few months later the stop was renamed St Chad’s with passengers for the railway station advised to travel to Bull Street and change instead. But now plans have been confirmed for a new station entrance to be built giving much better access for passengers transferring from between the two.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 1 Comment

September Review – Isle of Man: No. 31 – One final looks at the Crossbenches

Posted on Monday 31 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

And so with it being the last day of December we reach the conclusion of this series looking at events on the Isle of Man during the MER 125th anniversary. And for this edition we once again feature the Crossbench Cars in actions on the line.

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September Review – Blackpool: No. 15 – North Pier

Posted on Sunday 30 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

With the shop tram – Balloon 711 – constantly stabled on the loop line at North Pier this was another location during the September Spectacular that provided differing photographic opportunities as we see in today’s retrospective.

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Businesses have their say on support needed if Edinburgh extension goes ahead

Posted on Sunday 30 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

It may be a few months before we find out for definite whether Edinburgh Trams’ extension along Leith Walk and on to Newhaven will get the go-ahead but the work to put into place support for businesses who may be affected by the construction is continuing with businesses in the locality giving their views on the packages which may be offered. Amongst those ideas backed are cargo bikes, local discount schemes and a business continuity fund.

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September Review – Isle of Man: No. 30 – The MER and SMR meet again

Posted on Sunday 30 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

We are back at Laxey today as we once again look at some images showing both the Manx Electric Railway and Snaefell Mountain Railway together in the station.

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September Review – Crich: No. 15 – Inside the depots

Posted on Saturday 29 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Over the winter of 2017/18 major work was undertaken on the depots at Crich which saw them improved to conserve the trams better in the future. This resulted in a very different view with internal walls included for the first time. Today we take a peek inside the depots at trams, well mostly anyway.

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Tyne and Wear Metro to feature in new TV documentary

Posted on Saturday 29 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

The Tyne and Wear Metro is set to become a television star in its own right with ITV commissioning a new four part series looking behind the scenes on the system – the first time in the network’s history that access has been granted to the cameras. The show will follow the stories of the staff, the passengers and the communities whose “lives revolve around a unique rail network”.

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September Review – Isle of Man: No. 29 – Another look at the horse trams

Posted on Saturday 29 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Today we head back to the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway for another look at the horse trams in service. This time around we feature those horse cars which aren’t in service that often – 1, 12 and 18.

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September Review – Blackpool: No. 14 – Balloon 717

Posted on Friday 28 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

It is a tram that usually goes about its business with the minimum of fuss regularly operating on heritage tours, illumination tours and private hires. Probably harshly Balloon 717 is a tram which doesn’t have that “wow” factor with many enthusiasts but is a tram which is over 80 years old and still runs having enjoyed a major overhaul earlier this century.

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In Pictures: Concrete base in place on Pinfold Street

Posted on Friday 28 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Whilst for many the pre-Christmas period is a time of winding down getting ready for the festivities that is far from the case on West Midlands Metro construction works with significant milestones reached on the both the Birmingham Westside and Wolverhampton City Centre lines. In Wolverhampton the tracks from the points at St George’s to the road bridge, just short of the railway station, are now fully tarmacked whilst at the other end of the line the concrete based is in place on Pinfold Street ahead of the installation of tracks. Andy Walters shows the situation in Birmingham.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 2 Comments

September Review – Isle of Man: No. 28 – Even more good vehicles out

Posted on Friday 28 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

For the third time in this series we feature the goods vehicles of the Manx Electric Railway as they see use during the events week (and slightly beyond!). This time around we feature not only the vans – 4 and 16 – but also one of the wagons.

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September Review – Crich: No. 14 – More views of Works Cars

Posted on Thursday 27 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Today as we head back to Crich we feature more photos of Works Cars in action with two locomotives in the frame.

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Man to appear in court over first Tram-Train collision

Posted on Thursday 27 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

A 60 year old man has been charged for driving without due care and attention and for contravening a red light following the collision between a lorry and a tram-train on the first day of the service to Rotherham Parkgate on 25th October. The man, from Rotherham, was driving the lorry when the collision happened at the road crossing between Woodbourn Road and Attercliffe causing 399 204 to derail and services to be suspended. The tram-train remains out of service although the undamaged section has recently been joined to the undamaged sections of 399 202 (also damaged in a collision at the same location) to make one good vehicle. He is due to appear at Sheffield Magistrates Court on 14th February.

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September Review – Isle of Man: No. 27 – The second oldest tram in the world

Posted on Thursday 27 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

1 and 2 are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records jointly as the oldest trams running on their original system but surely one must be a bit newer than the other! It may not be the case that this is actually no. 2 but as its number is higher than 1 we’re taking it to be as we continue our look at just what happened during the MER 125 events.

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