In Pictures: Supertram works move to City Road

Posted on Sunday 19 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

Progress is continuing with the Stagecoach Supertram rail replacement works with the latest site seeing attention being on City Road. Work is taking place on both tracks and is slowly moving towards Manor Top. Trams on the Blue route are now running in two sections between Malin Bridge and Sheffield Station (following the completion of works between the Station and the Delta junction) and from Halfway to Gleadless Townend with the Purple route suspended in its entirety whilst the Yellow route just continues to operate as normal. Photos of progress on City Road are provided by Stuart Cooke.

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Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | 1 Comment

Tramlink to see more service suspension

Posted on Sunday 19 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

Passengers wishing to travel on London Tramlink are set to suffer more disruption with a further service suspension announced for nine days from Wednesday 22nd July. Currently trams are not running between Dundonald Road and Wimbledon to allow for work to take place at Wimbledon Station to allow for an increase in capacity with the extension of the Tramlink platform and now between 22nd July and 31st July there will be no trams between New Addington and Sandilands to allow for rail replacement works in the Addington area.

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Battle Bus visits Crich

Posted on Friday 17 July 2015 by Andrew Waddington

On Wednesday 15th July, an unusual visitor arrived at Crich in the form of London omnibus B2723 – better known as the ‘Battle Bus’ from London’s Transport Museum. The bus in its distinctive khaki livery was one of the star attractions at the museum’s First World War event which has replaced the previous Edwardian Weekend this year, and whilst it may not be a tram, its presence seemed worthy of mention here.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 4 Comments

Picture in Time: Fleetwood Tram Sunday 1992

Posted on Friday 17 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

With the Fleetwood Transport Festival – aka Tram Sunday – due to take place this coming Sunday today’s Picture in Time is heading to the northern extremity of the Blackpool Tramway for a few views of the event in 1992 – which also happened to be on 19th July.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Picture in Time | 4 Comments

Going for a ride…

Posted on Thursday 16 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

And once again we take a look at just where you can enjoy a ride on a heritage tram in the British Isles as we are “Going for a ride…”. Last week we inadvertently said there were no special events taking place although that was actually rubbish as the Crich Tramway Village’s The Great War: The Home Front has been taking place since Monday 13th july and will continue until Sunday 19th July with highlights including Chesterfield 7 as the recruitment tram and, despite not being a tram still worthy of a mention, the London Battle Bus is visiting. Away from Crich and there is another weekend of more intensive operation in Blackpool with a Green timetable on Saturday 18th July and a special Gold timetable on Sunday 19th July which includes heritage trams running to Fisherman’s Walk throughout the day. And then it isn’t too long until the Manx Heritage Transport Festival so plenty to keep you occupied as summer really gets going.

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Stockport 5 returns to Lakeside Depot

Posted on Thursday 16 July 2015 by Andrew Waddington

On Tuesday 14th July, Stockport 5 was transferred from the original Middleton Road depot on the Heaton Park Tramway, to the new depot near to the boating lake. The car has been undergoing some remedial bodywork attention following the discovery of rot but this work has stalled so that efforts can be focussed on completing Hull 96 meaning that 5 is unlikely to run this year.

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Beamish goes Downton for the day

Posted on Wednesday 15 July 2015 by Andrew Waddington

On Monday 13th July, a high-profile filming assignment for the final series of the TV drama series Downton Abbey took place at Beamish Museum. The period setting of the museum’s town area was the perfect venue for some scenes for the costume drama to be filmed, and Newcastle 114 played a starring role in the proceedings, albeit in disguise.

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Picture in Time: Newcastle 102

Posted on Tuesday 14 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

We feature Newcastle 102 again for today’s “Picture in Time” image. Last time we saw the tram as part of this series it was at Crich and was poised to head back to the northeast and that is where we take up the story.

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A new owner for Blackpool Centenary 643

Posted on Tuesday 14 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

Blackpool Centenary Car 643 has a new owner with the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust arranging for the private sale of the tram to a specialist firm responsible for railway equipment sourcing. The tram will remain at the Wyre Dock storage facility for now but will eventually move on to pastures new.

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Operating plan for Fleetwood ‘Tram Sunday’ announced

Posted on Tuesday 14 July 2015 by Andrew Waddington

After much speculation a plan of action has now been revealed for the operation of heritage trams to and from the annual Fleetwood Festival of Transport, better known by many as Tram Sunday and happening this year on Sunday 19th July. An impressive total of eight historic trams will feature at this year’s event, six of which will operate a frequent timetabled service whilst two others will be on static display in Fleetwood.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 6 Comments

More volunteer drivers for Blackpool

Posted on Tuesday 14 July 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The Blackpool tramway’s heritage team continue to make positive progress of late, with two more volunteers being issued their tram driving licences this week. This will obviously provide a very welcome boost to the available pool of trained drivers for heritage tours as the most intensive period of the year approaches, with near daily use planned during the school summer holidays and the illuminations.

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In Pictures: 50 years at Carlton Colville celebrated in style

Posted on Monday 13 July 2015 by Andrew Waddington

2015 marks 50 years since the start of the East Anglia Transport Museum at Carlton Colville near Lowestoft, with the site first being acquired for use as a fledging transport museum, and the arrival of the first vehicles on site. This important milestone was celebrated on the weekend of Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July and naturally, the museum’s trams played a key part in the event.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 12 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

The main site update is back this week as we bring you a further three Photo Galleries plus a few updates to the Fleet Lists section:

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Picture in Time: Croydon Tramlink 2553

Posted on Sunday 12 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

We head back to Croydon Tramlink for our latest Picture in Time image today. This time we go to last of the original CR4000 trams – 2553 – for a view at Arena at the very beginning of the lines operating life.

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101 M5000s

Posted on Saturday 11 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

Cruella De Vil may well be interested in Manchester Metrolink now following the delivery of the 101st M5000 to Queens Road Depot. 3101 arrived in the usual Saturday lunchtime slot on 4th July having made its way across Europe via Hull. It was then moved into the workshops where it will undergo commissioning and mileage accumulation works. All recent deliveries have joined the non-ATS/VRS fleet at Trafford but with the line through St Peter’s Square closed this will be unable to happen immediately so it remains to be seen when 3101 enters service. Obviously when 3101 enters service it will have received its spots…

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 5 Comments

Edinburgh & Croydon suffer as the week of woe continues

Posted on Saturday 11 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

Aren’t bad things meant to come in threes? Well the tramway of the British Isles are disproving that theory as following on from a collision in Blackpool and derailments on both Manchester Metrolink and the Manx Electric Railway there have been further incidents in both Edinburgh and Croydon whilst an investigation has been launched into a pedestrian being hit by a tram in Manchester back in May.

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Posted in Edinburgh Trams, London Trams, Manchester Metrolink | 2 Comments

New fare structure & new CCTV system for NET

Posted on Saturday 11 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

Preparations for the opening of the Nottingham Express Transit extensions are continuing with the announcement of a new fare structure whilst a state of the art CCTV system has been switched on. There also continue to be remedial works on the extensions as everything is put into place ahead of the opening later this summer.

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Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | 4 Comments

Picture in Time: Blackpool Marton VAMBACs

Posted on Friday 10 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

We head to the Marton route of the Blackpool Tramway for today’s “Picture in Time” image with a couple of Marton VAMBACs passing on 27th October 1962 – the penultimate day of operation for this line.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Picture in Time | 6 Comments

Going for a ride…

Posted on Thursday 9 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

Yes folks its time once again for our weekly look at just when and where you can enjoy a ride on a traditional tram in the British Isles over the next seven days or so. Again the next week doesn’t have any specific special events taking place but isn’t every day with a traditional tram running special anyway? If you haven’t got anything to do over the next seven days why not chose from one of the 12 tramways below and go and have a ride – you surely won’t regret it!

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Posted in Going for a ride | 1 Comment

Midland Metro completes the Urbos 3 set

Posted on Tuesday 7 July 2015 by Gareth Prior

The 21st and final CAF built Urbos 3 tram for Midland Metro arrived under the usual secrecy on Tuesday 7th July at Wednesbury Depot. Number 37 arrived on the back of two low loaders having travelled from Spain by road and ferry some 21 months since the very first of the new order of trams arrived in the West Midlands.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 3 Comments