TMS to celebrate 60th anniversary of Crich in 2019

Posted on Sunday 28 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

The 2018 operating season may still have one more week at Crich but that doesn’t mean that we can’t look forward to next year with the first special event dates now released. One of the highlights looks set to be a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the acquisition of the now familiar site at Crich with a two-day event due to take place on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd September 2019.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 8 Comments

In Pictures: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway marks end of an era

Posted on Sunday 28 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

Sunday 21st October is a date which will go down in the history of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway as one of those key dates as it was the very last chance that the service would run on double track throughout its entire length between Derby Castle and the Sea Terminal before Promenade reconstruction works started. To mark the occasion a special day of events took place including several runs of double decker 18, the return to service of enclosed saloon 27 after overhaul and an eight tram Cavalcade.

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British Trams Online announce Blackpool tram tour for 7th November

Posted on Sunday 28 October 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Further to previous reports, we are delighted to announce that British Trams Online will be hosting a very special tram tour in Blackpool on Wednesday 7th November. This will primarily be to showcase Birkenhead 20 – a tram we have sponsored for its visit to Blackpool – but will also feature, subject to availability, a full system trip with the illuminated Trawler 737.

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Tram-Train service launches before collision leads to temporary suspension

Posted on Saturday 27 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

When a much delayed and over budget project finally launches you hope for a smooth start to show everyone that it has been worth waiting for – unfortunately for the UK’s Tram-Train pilot between Sheffield and Rotherham that isn’t what happened after a collision between a Tram-Train and a lorry led to the service being temporarily suspended a few hours after the high profile launch. Even though the collision didn’t really have anything to do with the Tram-Train service per se the publicity it caused in the media will have been the last thing that the pilot needed.

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Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | 1 Comment

Around the World in Trams: San Francisco 1006

Posted on Saturday 27 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

Continuing our world tour today as we head over the Atlantic to the far side on the United States of America and San Francisco.

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Boat 227 named ‘Charlie Cairoli’

Posted on Friday 26 October 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Blackpool Boat car 227 was re-launched into service on the morning of Thursday 25th October, following completion of extensive overhaul and conservation work. The tram has been named ‘Charlie Cairoli’, honouring the legendary star of the world famous Blackpool Tower Circus for a period of more than four decades.

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In Pictures: Nottingham Express Transit August 2018

Posted on Friday 26 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

A small pictorial article looking at some of the trams in action on Nottingham Express Transit during August. Starting off around Old Market Square we not only view the trams but also take a look at the NET shop before we move further afield on the network.. Photos from Hazel Quarmby.

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In Pictures: Nottingham Corporation Tramways 45

Posted on Thursday 25 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

For a system which closed for the last time in 1936 there are a number of Nottingham Corporation Tramways tram bodies which have remained intact in various states. As well as several parts of trams from this network being in the care of the Tramway Museum Society – albeit all stored at Clay Cross waiting their turn for restoration (with the likelihood only one will ever run again and that will be a very long-term project) – there is the lower saloon of a further tram at the Great Central Railway (North) at Ruddington. This is the remains of no. 45.

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Picture in Time: Dublin Luas 3025

Posted on Thursday 25 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

Heading over to Ireland for Picture in Time today as we feature an image from over 10 years ago on the Luas network.

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Birkenhead 20 debuts in Blackpool – with more outings to follow!

Posted on Wednesday 24 October 2018 by Andrew Waddington

At long last, and following workshop attention including the fitting of a new set of tyres to its wheels, Birkenhead 20 carried passengers at Blackpool for the first time on Thursday 18th October. This outing was a tour for its owning group, the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society, was deemed successful enough for the car to be approved for use on a strictly limited number of days before its expected departure next month.

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Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway, Blackpool Tramway | 2 Comments

Half a million passengers use Metro for summer events

Posted on Wednesday 24 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

The popularity of the Tyne and Wear Metro with passengers to get around the local area during special events has once again be shown with half a million extra journeys estimated to have been taken over the summer. Events including sold-out stadium concerts by Ed Sheeran, the Tall Ships Races in Sunderland and the Great Exhibition of the North took place over the summer with extra services out on to cater for the extra journeys.

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In Pictures: East Anglia Transport Museum in July

Posted on Tuesday 23 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

In this pictorial article we take a visit to the East Anglia Transport Museum in Carlton Colville for some views of the trams in service on Sunday 8th July, which was the second day of the Electric Dreams event. On this sunny day the two trams in action were Blackpool 159 and Sheffield 513. Tony Sullivan provides the images.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Brush 634

Posted on Tuesday 23 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

Today’s delve into the archives heads into the mid 1980s for another photo from Blackpool showing one of the many colourful all over adverts carried on the trams.

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In Pictures: All change at Grand Central

Posted on Monday 22 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

As previously featured on these pages, up until next summer, all trams at Grand Central will be arriving at departing at platform 1 to allow for the continuation of construction work of the extension of West Midlands Metro which will eventually reach Edgbaston. This means that trams now use the crossover just after departure from Grand Central instead of drawing forward along Stephenson Street to just outside the Ian Allan bookstore. Photos from Martin Miller showing the new arrangements.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 1 Comment

Five bidders shortlisted for new Tyne & Wear Metro trains

Posted on Sunday 21 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

For the first time since the Tyne and Wear Metro opened in the early 1980s there is to be a new fleet of trains with the five bidders shortlisted to design, build and maintain the new trains recently revealed by transport executive Nexus. The bidders include companies with vast experience in supplying trains and trams to the UK along with some more unfamiliar names.

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Luas fares to be changed in December

Posted on Sunday 21 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

A new simplified fares structure is to be introduced on Dublin’s Luas tram network in December. The new fares are all part of the National Transport Authority’s 2017 proposals to introduce a flat fare across not only Luas but also bus and rail services.

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Around the World in Trams: Graz 510

Posted on Saturday 20 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

Tonight we are heading to Austria and the city of Graz for a view of a tram which is now 40 years old.

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New safety campaign launched in Nottingham

Posted on Saturday 20 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

Accidents and near misses caught on CCTV will be used in a new video as part of a campaign aimed at improving safety on Nottingham’s busy roads with the nights rapidly drawing in. Nottingham Express Transit are urging motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to take care in areas of the city where trams operate with the aim of reducing the number of collisions which would in turn reduce the delays experienced on the tram network.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Saturday 20 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

We continue coverage of the autumn special events with the latest main site update including a double helping of photos: Continue reading →

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27 gets ready for the Douglas end of an era Cavalcade

Posted on Friday 19 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

We’ve already reported on the “New Beginnings” celebration on the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway with trams running on the old double track formation in its entirety for the very last time on Sunday 21st October to allow for the Prom reconstruction works to get underway in earnest. Previously announced was an eight tram Cavalcade on that last day along the whole tramway and now it seems that this will include the first use of Saloon 27 following the completion of its overhaul and a repaint in a different livery.

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