Final testing set to start on NET Phase Two

Posted on Thursday 30 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

One of the last hurdles to overcome before the long awaited extensions of Nottingham Express Transit open to the public is set to start on Friday 31st July with news that final testing is due to commence. This period of testing will be full shadow running when the trams will run along both the Chilwell and Clifton lines to the timetable but without passengers between Nottingham Railway Station and the new termini.

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Going for a ride…

Posted on Thursday 30 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

Welcome back to our latest look at just when and where you can go and enjoy a ride on a traditional tram in the British Isles over the next seven days or so. Over on the Isle of Man at the moment the Manx Heritage Transport Festival is in full swing (until Sunday 2nd August) and on Friday 31st July there is a rare chance to get a guaranteed look at no. 4 on the Seaton Tramway as it is out for Pirate Day. Looking slightly further ahead the next special event takes place at the Crich Tramway Village between Monday 3rd and Sunday 9th August with WW2 Home Front and of course there are plenty of other tramways who although they don’t have special events are still running and will gladly welcome anyone who wants to go for a ride…

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Picture in Time: Grimsby & Immingham 20

Posted on Wednesday 29 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

Today in our “Picture in Time” series we are heading back more than 50 years ago to 1963 with a view of Grimsby & Immingham 20 on the day it arrived at Crich. Of course we now know this tram better as Gateshead 5.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum, Picture in Time | 1 Comment

In Pictures: Progress on Hull 96

Posted on Monday 27 July 2015 by Andrew Waddington

It has been a while since we provided an update on progress with the restoration work being undertaken on Hull 96 at Manchester’s Heaton Park Tramway, so to rectify this here are a few images showing some of the recent work which has been carried out. After seemingly months of having various bits taken off it, it is pleasing to see many fittings are now being put back on and the tram is looking much more presentable again as a result.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 26 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

This week we bring you three more Photo Galleries as we conclude our Scottish tram trilogy and also take in some photos from Crich as well:

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M5000 3102 arrives on Manchester Metrolink

Posted on Sunday 26 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

Deliveries of the Bombardier built M5000s to Manchester Metrolink are continuing with 3102 the latest to arrive at Queens Road Depot on Saturday 25th July. The tram made the now very familiar trip across mainland Europe and then ferry via Rotterdam and Hull before heading across England to Manchester arriving in its usual lunchtime slot. 3102 will now be commissioned into service and undergo mileage accumulation before it can join the operational fleet with its sisters.

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Picture in Time: South Yorkshire Supertram 06

Posted on Sunday 26 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

Today the tram to feature as part of our “Picture in Time” series is South Yorkshire Supertram 06 which is seen in the city centre shortly after the system opened in 1994.

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It’s almost time: Manx Heritage Transport Festival 2015

Posted on Saturday 25 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

The annual Manx Heritage Transport Festival takes place between Wednesday 29th July and Sunday 2nd August with the usual mix of events on the Isle of Man Steam Railway and of more interest to us on this website the Manx Electric Railway with a few other events taking place across other areas of the island as well. Since we last gave you an update on the event on British Trams Online there have been some changes and additions and what follows is a complete list of what is happening and when across the island.

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Posted in Manx Electric Railway, Snaefell Mountain Railway | 3 Comments

It’s Chillwell isn’t it?

Posted on Friday 24 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

We’ve all done it, added an extra letter into a word and not realised before publishing it but at least when you write something for a website you can quickly make the amendment hoping nobody has noticed. Unfortunately for Nottingham Express Transit this isn’t an option as one of the new tramstop signs has seen a rather unfortunate mistake with the stop at Chilwell Road receiving a sign with an extra l making it Chillwell Road. But at least the local media haven’t noticed and made a big deal of it, oh hold on maybe they have!

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Artists sought for Midland Metro extension

Posted on Friday 24 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

Centro are looking for local artists to help decorate the Birmingham City Centre Midland Metro extension with three location cabinets set to receive artwork rather than keep the plain paint jobs as seen elsewhere in the UK. The three cabinets – which will contain signaling and telecommunications equipment – are situated at Bull Street, Corporation Street and Stephenson Street and it is hoped that local artists will enter a competition to decorate these ahead of opening by the end of this year.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Railcoach 680

Posted on Friday 24 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

As I look out the window this evening at the weather at the pouring rain (it is meant to be summer isn’t it!) I have gone through my archive of photos for an image of a tram in the wet and the first one I have come across is of Blackpool Ex-Towing Railcoach 680, a tram which has been in the news already this year as a result of it moving to its home tramway at Heaton Park before a further move to its old home of Blackpool.

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Black Country Living Museum back on track!

Posted on Thursday 23 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

After 18 long months trams are back on track at the Black Country Living Museum following the completion of the first phase of track replacement works. Trams are now running daily on a half route between the tram depot and the mine with full services expected to resume in September after the final stage of track works are finished.

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In Pictures: Blackpool 762 undergoes driver familiarisation

Posted on Thursday 23 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

On Thursday 23rd July Blackpool Jubilee Car 762 was one of the chosen three trams in service at the Crich Tramway Village although its use wasn’t only a random one as the chance was also taken to use it for driver familarisation which it is hoped will mean that it will see increased use during the school summer holidays.

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Going for a ride…

Posted on Thursday 23 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

It’s Thursday evening and so we all know what that means don’t we? Yes that’s right it’s our regular round-up of when and where you can enjoy a ride on a traditional tram within the British Isles. Highlight of the next week or so looks set to be on the Isle of Man where the annual Manx Heritage Transport Festival takes place between 29th July and 2nd July with the MER featuring heavily during the event. But that isn’t all that is on offer this week as with the School holidays in full swing Blackpool starts daily operation until the start of September (unbroken service commences Saturday 25th July) and the Birkenhead Heritage Tramway and East Anglia Transport Museum are also operating on more days for the next few weeks.

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In Pictures: Blackpool’s B Fleet in service

Posted on Wednesday 22 July 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Monday 20th & Tuesday 21st July saw the modified ‘B Fleet’ Balloon cars in use on the Blackpool tramway. Whilst these cars have made occasional guest appearances on heritage tour duties, this time they were being used as they were intended, for normal stage carriage work to boost capacity on the system, although unfortunately due to poor weather on both days they weren’t really needed.

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First part of NET Phase Two set to open

Posted on Tuesday 21 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

Monday 27th July will see the opening of part of the Nottingham Express Transit Phase Two extensions although if you are looking forward to a ride on this stretch of line it won’t take you long! It has been announced that the new Nottingham Railway Station tramstop will open to trams from the start of service on this day following final preparations over the next few days. All trams for both Hucknall and Phoenix Park will depart from the same northbound platform (the southbound platform will not be accessible for now). The last trams will call at the old platforms at Station Street at the end of service on Sunday 26th July after which it will be all change to the new and easier to access tramstop. It’s only a small part of Phase Two but at least it’s a start!

Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | 6 Comments

Picture in Time: Douglas Horse Tramway 34, 33 & 1

Posted on Tuesday 21 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

We are back in the middle of the Irish Sea for today’s Picture in Time image but this time we move away from electricity and feature the Douglas Horse Tramway on a wet day in 1992 with a view at the Strathallan terminus with the usual collection of trams in attendance.

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Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, Picture in Time | 2 Comments

Heritage trams prove a hit with Fleetwood festival crowds

Posted on Monday 20 July 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The annual Fleetwood Festival of Transport, held on Sunday 19th July 2015, provided the incentive for the most extensive service operated by traditional trams to Fleetwood – albeit turning short at Fisherman’s Walk – since the Blackpool tramway upgrade. Six heritage trams operated a twenty minute frequency between Pleasure Beach and Fisherman’s Walk throughout the day, and in addition a further three vintage trams spent the day as static exhibits on Pharos Street.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 4 Comments

Picture in Time: Manchester Metrolink 1008

Posted on Sunday 19 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

We are off to Manchester Metrolink once again for today’s Picture in Time image and this time the star of the feature is T68 1008 when we catch up with the vehicle on 6th April 1992 – the first day of public service on the line.

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In Pictures: Manchester Metrolink M5000 3101 heads to Manchester

Posted on Sunday 19 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

Last week we reported that the latest M5000 for Manchester Metrolink, 3101, had arrived at Queens Road Depot and this week we show a photo of it, courtesy of Christoph Heuer, as it made its way to the UK. All deliveries of the M5000s have to make a ferry trip across the North Sea to Hull and this photo shows the tram as it awaits loading onto the Pride of Hull at Rotterdam on 3rd July.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 3 Comments