In Pictures: Midland Metro rail replacement project goes on

Posted on Friday 13 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

The severely over running rail replacement project on Midland Metro between The Royal and Wolverhampton St George’s is continuing as efforts are made to re-open the line this month as promised by Centro earlier this year. In this latest picture update we show the current state of affairs which seems to suggest that there is a lot of work to be completed with some of the excavations not yet fully filled in and a large amount of track still to be laid. Photos courtesy of Andy Walters.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 1 Comment

Date confirmed for 680’s Heaton Park debut

Posted on Friday 13 March 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The much-anticipated entry into service of Blackpool Ex-Towing car 680 (currently known by its earlier identity of 280) at its new permanent home, the Heaton Park Tramway, has been confirmed to take place on 26th April. Having just made its farewell passenger appearance at Beamish Museum last weekend, the tram will shortly be transported to Manchester to begin its new life as a member of the Heaton Park fleet.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Man hit by tram in Wythenshawe

Posted on Friday 13 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

A pensioner was hit by a tram in Wythenshawe Town Centre on Monday 9th March causing Metrolink services to be suspended for two hours from shortly after 1000. It seems that the man was attempting to cross the tram tracks outside Wythenshawe Civic Centre when he was struck by the tram and emergency services were called to the scene to treat the man who was later taken to hospital. No trams ran between Martinscroft and Manchester Airport until 1215 after which the line was fully reopened.

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 1 Comment

NET Phase Two testing extends again

Posted on Thursday 12 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

The testing and commissioning process on the Nottingham Express Transit Phase Two extensions has once again taken a step forward with both the first weekend daytime tests and the extension of overnight testing as far as University Boulevard on the Chilwell line. At the same time images have appeared of the first Bombardier Incentro tram to run on the extension.

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An eventful early season weekend at Beamish

Posted on Thursday 12 March 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Beamish Museum staged two days of enhanced tramway activity on the weekend of Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th March, with all of the currently operational tramcars in service and others displayed prominently for photographic opportunities, plus some bonus evening events for a modest extra charge. Highlights included the very last appearance of Blackpool 280 in service at the museum before it moves to a new home, and the first public appearance by Blackpool Brush Railcoach 621 since joining the resident tram fleet.

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Posted in Beamish Tramway | 6 Comments

In Pictures: Cambridge Horse Tram 7 restoration

Posted on Thursday 12 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

One of the lower profile tram restorations in the UK is that of Cambridge horse tram no. 7 which has been undergoing restoration for two years now at the Ipswich Transport Museum. We have previously reported on the remarkable discovery during the initial stages of the restoration that the tram was in fact third hand to Cambridge having previously run in both Bradford and Bath and now progress is being made on the Heritage Lottery Funded project.

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Posted in Ipswich Transport Museum | 2 Comments

Urbos 3s run a complete weekday service on Midland Metro

Posted on Thursday 12 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

The day many had feared would come has finally arrived – a complete Midland Metro weekday service has been operated by the new Urbos 3 trams. The fateful day – or historic day depending on your viewpoint – occurred on Thursday 12th March with the only 10 available CAF built trams being used in service without any obvious problems.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 2 Comments

In Pictures: Ipswich 33

Posted on Thursday 12 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

The Ipswich Transport Museum isn’t only home to the Cambridge horse car (see separate story for news on its restoration) as Brush built Ipswich Corporation Tramways 33 is also on display at the Museum.

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More chances to support the Blackpool Heritage Trust

Posted on Tuesday 10 March 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Fans of Blackpool’s heritage trams are being offered the chance to purchase a unique souvenir and by doing so, help to raise vital funds to help with the preservation and restoration of these vehicles. A strictly limited edition framed ‘destination blind’ print is being offered for sale by the Blackpool Heritage Trust, inspired by the series of new period style blinds being progressively fitted to members of the heritage fleet.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 2 Comments

Picture in Time: STIB Brussels 9062

Posted on Tuesday 10 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

Although this series will primarily be featuring UK trams we will also from time to time be featuring trams from across the world which have been in the UK and today’s images show STIB Brussels 9062 which ran from the late 1980s at Summerlee Industrial Museum in Scotland but has since been scrapped following vandalism.

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Posted in Picture in Time, Summerlee Museum Tramway | 5 Comments

Sunderland 16 dedicated to a Beamish stalwart

Posted on Monday 9 March 2015 by Andrew Waddington

As part of the Beamish tramway’s enhanced activities on the weekend of 7th & 8th March, a plaque was unveiled which has been installed inside Sunderland 16 in memory of Tony Wickens, who was a founder member of the Beamish Tram Group, and therefore one of the key people involved in making the dream of creating the UK’s longest museum tramway into a reality.

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Liverpool 43 on the move again!

Posted on Monday 9 March 2015 by Andrew Waddington

In order to free up space in the Pacific Road building at Birkenhead, the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society’s beautifully restored horse tramcar Liverpool 43 has recently been returned to the main tram depot at Taylor Street. This means that, for the first time ever, three Liverpool trams are housed together in this building as 43 has now joined electric cars 245 and 762.

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Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway | 1 Comment

Picture in Time: Manchester Metrolink 1006

Posted on Sunday 8 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

We head back to Manchester for today’s Picture in Time image as once again we feature an image of one of the T68s in the early years of Metrolink. The T68 in question is 1006 and we see the vehicle after opening of the system in June 1992.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink, Picture in Time | 2 Comments

Picture in Time: Blackpool Boat 600

Posted on Saturday 7 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

It’s time to head to the northwest coast once again for our latest installment from the “Picture in Time” feature and this time we are in 1981 for a view of Blackpool Boat 600.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Picture in Time | 2 Comments

In Pictures: Information screen start working on Urbos 3s

Posted on Saturday 7 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

The information screens on Midland Metro’s new Urbos 3 trams have now started to work with a number of different cartoons giving important information to passengers. Yes it isn’t the most groundbreaking news we have ever reported but we quite like this cartoons and with thanks to Andy Walters are able to bring you images of these.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 1 Comment

Enhanced peak time service coming on NET

Posted on Thursday 5 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

Nottingham Express Transit are to introduce a new timetable from Monday 16th March which will see extra services running during the morning peak. The new timetable will feature trams running every seven-ten minutes from Hucknall and Phoenix Park which will mean the core section of the network between Highbury Vale and Station Street will see trams every three to five minutes.

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Broken down tram causes disruption in Edinburgh City Centre

Posted on Thursday 5 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

Monday 2nd March proved to be a morning to forget for Edinburgh Trams after a high profile tram failure led to major traffic disruption in Edinburgh City Centre. The tram had a “power issue” at approximately 0850 at the corner of York Place and St Andrew Square but the problems didn’t end there as the tram which was sent to rescue it was unable to move it so a tow truck had to be summoned to complete the rescue.

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Your chance to nominate a name for a NET Citadis

Posted on Thursday 5 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

Ever wanted to name a tram? Well now is your chance! Nottingham Express Transit are inviting members of the public to send in their nominations for the new Citadis trams and they will then make the decision as to which names will be assigned to the trams. It has become tradition in Nottingham for their trams to be named with all of the Incentros carrying names – 5 after local unsung heroes, 5 after local historical figures and 5 after living Nottinghamshire legends – whilst three of the Citadis’ have already been named.

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Market Street stop to get temporary shelters

Posted on Thursday 5 March 2015 by Gareth Prior

Work to install two temporary shelters on the Manchester Metrolink stop at Market Street will necessitate the closure of the stop from 2200 on Sunday 8th March until the start of service on Monday 9th March. The original shelters on the stop were removed last month as part of the modernisation works and eventually a new larger single shelter will be installed but so that passengers will not be exposed to the elements these temporary structures will be in use from the start of service on Monday 9th March.

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 4 Comments

Details of Blackpool’s first ‘Ride & Dine’ event announced

Posted on Tuesday 3 March 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The Blackpool Heritage Trust have confirmed details of the first of their new monthly ‘Dine & Ride’ ventures, featuring a circular tour aboard one of the heritage trams followed by a meal at a town centre restaurant. The new event will be launched on Wednesday 18th March and to celebrate the inaugural event, readers of British Trams Online can claim a 20% discount on an advance booking to participate!

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 18 Comments