In Pictures: Gloucester Horse Tram in Oxford

Posted on Sunday 21 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

A tram we featured back in August was “Oxford Tramway 1” which can be found at the Oxford Bus Museum in Long Hanborough. As we mentioned at the time although currently in City of Oxford and District Tramways Company livery this tram actually comes from Gloucester operating on that system having been built in 1881. However, similar trams operated in Oxford and after a five year cosmetic restoration the tram is now masquerading as being from Oxford. Bob Hodges with these latest images.

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In Pictures: Another C R Smith advert debuts

Posted on Saturday 20 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

It has been three months since the last new C R Smith advert appeared on Edinburgh Trams but this week has seen the debut of 253 carrying the familiar vinyls for the window company. This time round the two areas featured on the advert are The Royal Mile and Balintore. This is the 17th tram to receive the adverts and with the original announcement stating that there would be 18 by our reckoning that means there should be one more to come!

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Picture in Time: Docklands Light Railway 05

Posted on Saturday 20 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

We go back almost exactly 30 years for today’s archive image with a view from the Docklands Light Railway.

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DLR workers to go on strike

Posted on Saturday 20 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Workers employed by contractor ISS are go on a 48 hour strike from Thursday 1st February – but the Docklands Light Railway don’t expect it to have any affect on services. The workers are employed as cleaners, security staff and travel safe officers with the RMT alleging that there has been a complete breakdown of industrial relations. The dispute is connected with a change in working conditions.

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Toastrack 42 the next tram to go for overhaul

Posted on Friday 19 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

The amount of investment which has gone towards the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway since it became part of Isle of Man Railways looks set to see no sign of reducing with the news that Toastrack 42 is now to undergo restoration – the fourth tram to receive major attention over the past couple of years.

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Some fares to go up on Edinburgh Trams

Posted on Friday 19 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Some fares for travel on Edinburgh Trams are to increase from 25th February although most of the popular fares will remain at the same level. The increases in place are the first applied for two years and are necessary because of an increase in operating costs.

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Tramlink Nottingham losing nearly £1million a week

Posted on Friday 19 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Tramlink Nottingham – the company who operate Nottingham Express Transit – are losing almost £1 million a week according to their annual report for the year up to March 2017, which has just been released. More than £3 was being lost per trip with auditors warning that they could be unable to pay its debts in the future.

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Wolverhampton City Centre extension works to start in March

Posted on Thursday 18 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

The project to bring trams into the heart of Wolverhampton and terminating at the railway station will get under way in earnest during March. This second phase of works – which follows on from the installation of the junction during the closure of the line along Bilston Road – is due to take place until the summer, although trams won’t be running until 2020.

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In Pictures: Snow in Edinburgh

Posted on Thursday 18 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Its taken the best part of three years but finally a significant snowfall has struck Edinburgh allowing images of trams in the snow to be recorded. Although the city centre was mainly clear of snow the outlying areas of the tramway did see a dusting of snow – although not nearly as heavy as that seen elsewhere in Scotland. John Hampton braved the cold and provides us with these photos.

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Picture in Time: Rigby Road Depot

Posted on Thursday 18 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Blackpool is the location once again for this edition of Picture in Time as we take a look inside Rigby Road Depot back in 1987.

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October 2019 deadline set for Bluebird restoration

Posted on Wednesday 17 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Over the past three and a half years the workshops at Crich have been dominated by the restoration of London County Council 1, or Bluebird if you prefer, with the work continuing to bring the tram into the operating fleet at the home of the National Tramway Museum. One of the most ambitious and complex restorations undertaken it has now been announced that it is planned to get Bluebird fully restored and operational by October 2019 – surely making it an early contender for 2019’s Tram of the Year contest!

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Bridge removed at Crumpsall

Posted on Wednesday 17 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

The footbridge over the tracks at Manchester Metrolink’s Crumpsall stop has been removed as work on upgrading the stop ahead of trams from Trafford Park arriving in 2020 has continued. The work to remove the bridge was undertaken in the early hours of Sunday 14th January to minimise disruption to passengers.

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Open trams for MER and evening service for Douglas in 2018

Posted on Tuesday 16 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Isle of Man Railways have released details of the 2018 timetables for the Manx Electric Railway, Snaefell Mountain Railway, Douglas Bay Horse Tramway and, although out of our scope, the Isle of Man Steam Railway. The regular pattern of different timetables at different times during the years continues with the major noticeable differences being the diagramming of open motors at times on the MER whilst the horse trams will also see an evening service during the peak season.

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Airport services set to be extended to Victoria

Posted on Tuesday 16 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Sunday 29th January will see the introduction of a revised timetable on Manchester Metrolink which will see trams from Manchester Airport extended from Deansgate-Castlefield through to Victoria (except for the early bird services). This will not only provide an extra service through the city centre – running via 2CC – but will also give extra operational flexibility at Deansgate-Castlefield leaving the centre platform free at all times.

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Picture in Time: Liverpool 245

Posted on Tuesday 16 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Going back to 1979 for today’s trip into the archives as we head to Southport for a view of Liverpool 245 whilst it was stored at the old Steamport attraction.

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Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway, Blackpool Tramway, Picture in Time | 1 Comment

Where are they now? Bournemouth, Taunton & Nottingham trams

Posted on Monday 15 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Last week we saw some video footage from Lune Tube of a lost Bradford tram stored on a farm at Sunderland Farm, but as we all know that is not the only tram that is still out there in the UK countryside. British Trams Online reader Royston Morris has recently contacted us seeking information about three more trams and we are throwing out this where are they now request to the wider readership to see if anyone can help him locate the bodies…

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Douglas, Sheffield and Statfold Barn win in Tram of the Year 2017

Posted on Sunday 14 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Douglas Bay Horse Tramway 36 – which returned to service on the very last day of the 2017 season after a major overhaul – has been voted the Tram of the Year (Traditional) for 2017 after six weeks of public voting. Meanwhile the other categories have seen victories for Stagecoach Supertram 399 202 in the Tram of the Year (Modern) category with the Statfold Barn Railway winning both Tramway of the Year and Event of the Year.

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Posted in Burton & Ashby 14, Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, South Yorkshire Supertram, Tram of the Year | 5 Comments

Car on tracks in Croydon

Posted on Sunday 14 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

London Tramlink services running through Sandilands were delayed on Monday 8th January after a car was driven onto the tracks. The elderly driver of the car was said to be lost when he managed to drive onto the tracks at approximately 1625 and then get his car stuck. The London Fire Brigade assisted with removing the car with a service resumed through the area shortly after 1900.

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In Pictures: Delays in Edinburgh after coach collides with post

Posted on Sunday 14 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

There were delays to the tram service in Edinburgh on Friday 12th January after a coach collided with an overhead post close to the York Place terminus. The coach – from Park’s of Hamilton and operating a Perth to Edinburgh service – was turning across the tramway as it approached the St Andrew Square Bus Station when the collision occurred shortly after 1200. Edinburgh Trams services were temporarily suspended between York Place and West End Princes Street whilst the collision was dealt with and the damage was assessed before a full service could resume.

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Picture in Time: Nottingham Express Transit 211

Posted on Saturday 13 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

We go back a little over 11 years in this instalment of Picture in Time with an image taken on Nottingham Express Transit.

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