September Review – Blackpool: No. 13 – Blackpool & Fleetwood Box 40

Posted on Wednesday 26 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Although still part of the national collection, Box 40 is a tram which has been a more or less permanent member of the tram fleet in Blackpool for many years (save for a short return “visit” to Crich) and also proves to be very popular whenever it does run.

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September Review – Isle of Man: No. 26 – More Tunnel Cars in service

Posted on Wednesday 26 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Leftover Turkey may be on the menu for you today but to take your thoughts away from that we bring you more photos from September’s Manx Electric Railway 125th anniversary week. This time around we once again feature the Tunnel Cars – which have been plying their trade on the line since 1894.

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September Review – Crich: No. 13 – Open Air through the Derbyshire countryside

Posted on Tuesday 25 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Hopefully Santa has visited you all by now and you are enjoying your Christmas festivities and now as an added present we bring you our second set of photos of the day. This time we are back at Crich and feature a selection of Open Top trams.

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September Review – Isle of Man: No. 25 – The MER meets the SMR

Posted on Tuesday 25 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Happy Christmas everyone! It may be Christmas Day but that doesn’t mean the updates stop! In the first of our return to September photographic series of the day we head to Laxey Station for some views of the Manx Electric Railway meeting the Snaefell Mountain Railway. And we’ll be back later today after you’ve had your turkey and the Queen’s Speech!

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September Review – Blackpool: No. 12 – Pleasure Beach loop

Posted on Monday 24 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

One of the major features of the September Spectacular in Blackpool is the number of trams which can be found on Pleasure Beach loop waiting for their turn to run in service again, providing plenty of extra photographic opportunities. And that is where we find ourselves for this article.

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Sounds & Pictures in Time! Glasgow’s last trams

Posted on Monday 24 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

An extra special Christmas treat for you today as we head to Glasgow on 19th November 1962 for the sounds and pictures of Glasgow’s trams. On this date a group of enthusiasts visited Coplawhill Works to assess 1005 for preservation and it was also the time that the last trams were taken into the works for splitting and handing over to the breakers. Six Mark 1 Coronations were on site and before they were condemned once and for all they were permitted to undertake a few final runs. In the below YouTube video Martin Miller has provided the sounds of the day along with some photos of what happened on that special day.

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September Review – Isle of Man: No. 24 – More Solo Motors

Posted on Monday 24 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Today as we continue our look back at September’s goings on, on the Isle of Man, we once again take a look at some motors in action – just as darkness starts to take hold.

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The Reindeer names of Edinburgh Trams

Posted on Sunday 23 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

In the lead up to Christmas 2018 Edinburgh Trams not only put some Christmas decorations up on their trams but also went to the effort of naming some of the trams after Santa’s reindeer! Trams seem to have received two names – one at each end – and although we don’t have a complete list in the interests of the Christmas spirit below we include details of those noted!

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September Review – Crich: No. 12 – Sheffield 510

Posted on Sunday 23 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Today we have another one of the operational trams at Crich in images. This is currently the only operational electric tram from Sheffield in the national collection and it is of course Sheffield 510 complete with its special Last Tram livery.

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2018 – Thanks for the memories!

Posted on Sunday 23 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

As is traditional as we approach the Christmas and New Year period we look back at the previous year to have a brief review of just what happened over the last 12 months. We’ve said it many times before that this year has been more of a slow and steady year rather than spectacular (with one or two exceptions) but that doesn’t mean that nothing has happened – far from it!

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September Review – Isle of Man: No. 23 – Shunting at Derby Castle sheds

Posted on Sunday 23 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Today we are heading up to Derby Castle Sheds to view some trams being shunted around the yard at various times during the events week (and beyond!). And its not only MER cars being moved…

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 23 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Our final main site update of 2018 brings another couple of Photo Galleries:

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Posted in Docklands Light Railway, Manchester Metrolink, Site News | 1 Comment

Christmas and New Year services 2018/19

Posted on Saturday 22 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

The Turkey gets boring, you’re fed up with yet more repeats on the television and being confined to barracks with the family is starting to get a bit irritating – but what are you going to do? How about going out for some riding and photography on your local tramway or light rail system? Well, if you are so inclined you can find below details of the planned services on each system in the British Isles. For the 2018/19 period there is an improvement in service on West Midlands Metro whilst on Stagecoach Supertram with the national rail network being more or less closed on Boxing Day this means that the Tram-Train service will not run again until 27th December. Meanwhile it is pretty much business as usual across the British Isles, which means that there will be no trams at all in Blackpool on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day in addition to Christmas Day with the Prom bus service considered enough to cater for those wishing to travel. Read on to find out about the planned services…

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Docklands Light Railway, Dublin Luas, Edinburgh Trams, London Trams, Manchester Metrolink, Nottingham Express Transit, South Yorkshire Supertram, Tyne and Wear Metro, West Midlands Metro | Comments Off on Christmas and New Year services 2018/19

September Review – Blackpool: No. 11 – Balloon 719

Posted on Saturday 22 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Another B fleet Balloon for you today as we return to Blackpool’s September Spectacular for our latest photos from September’s tram events. The tram in question is 719.

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Very Light Rail progresses in the West Midlands

Posted on Saturday 22 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

One of the complaints about developing light rail projects in the UK is the large costs involved causing many local authorities to think twice but a new project currently under development in the West Midlands could change all that with the concept of Very Light Rail. It is planned that the first vehicle will be ready by spring 2019 whilst plans are also being developed for the first route, which looks set to be in Coventry.

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September Review – Isle of Man: No. 22 – Another look at MER trailers

Posted on Saturday 22 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Once again today we are featuring the Manx Electric Railway trailer as we take a look at three of the lesser used fully enclosed trailers.

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Support remains strong for retention of Supertram

Posted on Friday 21 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Earlier this year we reported a new consultation looking into the future of Supertram which was asking local residents and businesses whether they supported the overall retention of the network. The background to this was the major investment needing in the coming years to keep the infrastructure running whilst also funding a fleet of new trams to replace the original Siemens-Duewag vehicles. With the consultation now closed it is pleasing to report that 88% of those who responded are in favour of the renewal and modernisation of the system.

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Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | 1 Comment

Nice one Cyrille! Another tram naming set to score on West Midlands Metro

Posted on Friday 21 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

2019 will see another naming of an Urbos 3 tram on the West Midlands Metro with the late West Bromwich Albion legend Cyrille Regis set to be honoured by the accolade. This will just be the third of the CAF built trams to receive a name and comes after rumours for some time that the striker would be so honoured.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 2 Comments

September Review – Crich: No. 11 – Blackpool 762

Posted on Friday 21 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Another Blackpool tram in today’s look at Crich’s Simply Trams event – and a tram, or to more precise its livery, that continues to divide opinion amongst enthusiasts. It is of course Blackpool Jubilee 762 which carries an all over advert for Nickelodeon Land at the Pleasure Beach.

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September Review – Isle of Man: No. 21 – Don’t forget the Snaefell Mountain Railway!

Posted on Friday 21 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

Of the three tramways on the Isle of Man the Snaefell Mountain Railway was the one which didn’t participate too much in events (save for the three no. 1s at Laxey on 2nd September) but that doesn’t mean we are going to completely ignore it!

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