Lytham 43 takes shape

Posted on Friday 27 March 2015 by Andrew Waddington

It has been a while since we provided an update on the restoration of the last surviving Lytham St Annes tramcar, so to rectify that here is some news on how the project has been progressing – although really it is the accompanying pictures that best illustrate the incredible progress that has been made so far this year.

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Glasgow 1245 restoration continues

Posted on Thursday 26 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

The restoration of Glasgow 1245 – a 1937 built Coronation car and reputed to be the last tram in Glasgow – is continuing at Summerlee with recent progress seeing the completion of the restoration of the tram’s motors.

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Posted in Summerlee Museum Tramway | 11 Comments

Going for a ride…

Posted on Thursday 26 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

It’s the “big return” this week as both Blackpool and Crich re-open for the first time in 2015 along with the Snaefell Mountain Railway whilst it is also the time for both Beamish and Seaton to commence daily opening. And before our next heritage tram running update the East Anglia Transport Museum will also return to action. So there is no excuse not to get out and about for some heritage tram action! Read on to find out just when and where you can get your tram fix…

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Man arrested after driving car onto tracks at Manchester Central

Posted on Thursday 26 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

A 26 year old man has been arrested for drink driving after he drove his car onto the Metrolink tracks on the ramp outside the Manchester Central convention centre. The car was driven onto the tracks at around 2100 on Tuesday 24th March and was not removed until early the following morning.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 6 Comments

Edinburgh Trams fares to rise

Posted on Thursday 26 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

Less than a year after opening it has been announced that some fares on Edinburgh Trams are to increase from 19th April. Although the majority of fares will be increasing from this date it has been confirmed that the £1.50 city zone fare, all child fares, the Airport zone fares and the Day & Night ticket will remain at their present levels.

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Supertram services change for the Queen

Posted on Thursday 26 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

Her Majesty the Queen will be visiting Sheffield on Thursday 2nd April and as a result Supertram services will be altered from the start of service until approximately 1330. These changes are in addition to the alterations which will be in place from Saturday 28th March for rail replacement works.

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Blackpool 680 arrives at Heaton Park

Posted on Tuesday 24 March 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Some five years after it was acquired for preservation by the Manchester Transport Museum Society, Blackpool Ex-Towing car 680 finally arrived in Manchester for the very first time late on the night of 23rd March. This follows a highly successful operating loan period at Beamish Museum, but now the tram is ready to settle down into service at its new permanent home, the Heaton Park Tramway.

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Blackpool Balloon 726 joins Facebook!

Posted on Tuesday 24 March 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Blackpool Balloon 726 has become the latest of a select few trams to be given its very own Facebook page! A new page has recently been created to provide updates on what is described as a ‘fun restoration’ project to return 726 to near-original condition. This follows a few years of uncertainty for this tram which has been the subject of various different proposals, but hopefully this time the tram will at last be able to look forward to a brighter future.

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Picture in Time: Sheffield 189

Posted on Tuesday 24 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

Another Sheffield tram which has survived as part of the national collection is no. 189 but it has been 35 years since this tram last carried passengers and it awaits funding and a space in the workshops before it can be considered for a return to service.

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Birkenhead Tramway prepare to celebrate 20 years of service

Posted on Tuesday 24 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

On 14th April 1995 a unique tramway started operation – the Birkenhead Heritage Tramway. The tramway was to be the first – and to date only – new permanent heritage tramway to open outside of a Museum and now 20 years later the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society are preparing to celebrate the occasion with a special event taking place on Saturday 18th April 2015.

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Great Orme Tramway gets off to a smashing start

Posted on Tuesday 24 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

The first tram movements of 2015 on the Great Orme Tramway took place on Saturday 21st March with clearance runs on both of the lower and upper sections. Unfortunately things did not quite go according to plan as a car parked adjacent to the tracks on the lower section was struck by one of the trams causing damage to the car.

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Helping the Hovertram

Posted on Monday 23 March 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The North Eastern Electrical Traction Trust have launched an online appeal to assist with the cosmetic restoration of one of the most distinctive preserved Blackpool trams in existence today – the illuminated Hovertram 735. The iconic feature car was transported to NEETT’s base near Sunderland last year after spending several years hidden away from public gaze in Scotland, and mere months later plans are being formulated which will hopefully result in another improvement in its fortunes.

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Posted in North Eastern Electrical Transport Trust | 1 Comment

Totally Transport cancelled

Posted on Monday 23 March 2015 by Andrew Waddington

On the evening of 23rd March, it was announced that the annual Totally Transport event in Blackpool would not be taking place in 2015. The New South Promenade based transport event has been a popular part of the Fylde events calendar every year since 2005 and has usually featured a special vintage tram service through the heart of the site, but sadly this will not be the case this year.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 8 Comments

East Anglia on track for a great season

Posted on Monday 23 March 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The East Anglia Transport Museum at Carlton Colville near Lowestoft, is gearing up for the start of its 2015 operating season on 1st April (this isn’t a joke – the museum does actually re-open on April Fools Day!). During the closed season there has been considerable investment in the tramway infrastructure with new track being laid; something that many visitors will probably not even notice, but which is essential to the future of this museum.

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Centenary car 648 goes back in time

Posted on Monday 23 March 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The latest member of the Blackpool heritage fleet to be fitted with replica period-style destination blinds is Centenary car 648. During yet another visit to Blackpool over the weekend of 21st & 22nd March, Peter Watts – who is supplying these new destination blinds – handed over the latest set which were then fitted to car 648.

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In Pictures: Conductor training in Blackpool

Posted on Monday 23 March 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The process of recruiting volunteer conductors to work on Blackpool’s heritage trams during the 2015 season culminated in a training exercise on Sunday 22nd March, when eleven successful candidates were taken out for a day of intensive training on ‘Princess Alice’ 706. This followed the initial application process and some assessments undertaken a few weeks earlier.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 22 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

This week we bring you another Photo Gallery; this time we head to the Docklands Light Railway for a selection of images:

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Picture in Time: Manchester Metrolink 1024

Posted on Sunday 22 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

It’s modern Sunday again on British Trams Online as our latest trip into the archive sees us visit Manchester for a view of T68 1024 on 6th September 1993 with services on the original Bury and Altrincham routes now over a year in existence.

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Manx Electric Railway starts running for 2015

Posted on Sunday 22 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

Friday 20th March saw the start of the 2015 season for the Manx Electric Railway with Winter Saloon 19 in charge of services on the special “Timetable L”. As the works on Ballure Viaduct have yet been completed services are only running between Derby Castle and Laxey until Saturday 28th March when Ramsey once again becomes the northern terminus.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloons at Tower

Posted on Saturday 21 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

It’s back to Blackpool again for the latest photo in our Picture in Time series but this time we feature not one, not two but three Balloon Cars as we travel back until 1969.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Picture in Time | 4 Comments