More details on ‘The Big Shunt’ at Crich

Posted on Friday 31 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

As previously announced, Crich Tramway Village will be open to the public on Saturday 1st February to allow enthusiasts to witness some unusual shunting movements, with several trams due to be moved in and out of the Exhibition Hall. In addition to the previously confirmed Edinburgh 35 and Leicester 76, details have now been released on which trams are expected to appear in daylight on this day.

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Blackpool 167 runs at Beamish

Posted on Thursday 30 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

After arriving at Beamish Museum on Monday 27th January, Blackpool Pantograph car 167 didn’t have to wait long to make its debut on the tramway. Following some minor attention, the car was out on test around the site later the same day, with driver familiarisation taking place on Tuesday 28th January.

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Cosmetic attention for Beamish and Seaton trams

Posted on Thursday 30 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Now that we are in the depths of winter, the requirement for open top vehicles on the few heritage tramways that remain open for business is low, allowing some of these trams to receive some well-deserved attention. At Beamish Museum, Newcastle 114 is receiving some minor work ahead of the peak season ahead, whilst Seaton 12 from the Devon tramway’s fleet is being treated to a full repaint.

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London Tramlink staff to go on strike

Posted on Thursday 30 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

A 24 hour strike has been called by the ASLEF union on London Tramlink. An ongoing dispute between the union and First – operators of Tramlink – over the dismissal of two drivers has led to the calling of the strike which will take place on Wednesday 5th February. Talks are said to be ongoing between the two sides in the hope that the severe disruption this walk out is likely to bring can be avoided.

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Picture in Time 12: Burton and Ashby 14 prepares to head to the US

Posted on Tuesday 28 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

At the weekend we featured Burton and Ashby 14 in our “Lost Trams” series including a photo of it after it had been exported to Detroit and now the very same tram features as part of our “Picture in Time” series, this time before it had embarked on its longest ever journey.

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Docklands Light Railway strike called off

Posted on Tuesday 28 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

The strike originally called by the RMT on the Docklands Light Railway on Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th January has been called off following discussions between Serco and the union. An improved offer on pay and offer conditions was received and as a result the decision making body of the union agreed to suspend the action. Normal services will now run on all DLR lines on these dates.

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Blackpool 167 swaps North Station for Rowley Station

Posted on Monday 27 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

For the second time this year, Beamish Museum took delivery of a very special tramcar on the morning of Monday 27th January, courtesy of the National Tramway Museum. Blackpool ‘Pantograph’ car 167 arrived on loan from Crich on this day, for a three month period of operation at the North East museum.

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Oldham town centre extension opens

Posted on Monday 27 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

Manchester Metrolink has once again expanded with the opening of the Oldham town centre extension as planned at the start of service on Monday 27th January. 3036 was the LRV chosen to do the honours of operating the first service departing Trafford Depot shortly before 0500 for Rochdale.

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Changes at Station Street as work starts on connecting Phase Two NET line

Posted on Monday 27 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

From Monday 27th January the platforms at Station Street will be closed at various times to enable essential works to take place in preparation for the connection of Phase Two to the current line. Only one platform will be closed at a time, on an alternate basis, to allow a normal service to continue to operate but there will also be some changes to walkways providing pedestrian access to the stop. The work is expected to last approximately eight weeks.

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Manchester Metrolink Improvement Works: Saturday 1st February

Posted on Monday 27 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

There will be improvement works on Manchester Metrolink this Saturday, 1st February which will see alterations to services through the city centre. Trams will only operate from Ashton-under-Lyne to Bury and from Rochdale to Piccadilly with all other lines served by replacement buses (Altrincham-Piccadilly, East Didsbury-Victoria and Eccles-Piccadilly via MediaCityUK).

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 26 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

We have a couple more Photo Galleries for you to enjoy this week along with a major update to the Events Diary as well as some of our Fleet Lists:

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Lost Trams 9: Burton and Ashby 14

Posted on Saturday 25 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

Our irregular series of “Lost Trams” returns with a look at another American export; Burton and Ashby 14 – a tram that is currently lost completely from the public eye. This tram headed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1980 for use on a new extension to a tramway in Detroit which has sadly since closed which has meant 14 is now stored out of public view.

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Birkenhead Heritage Tramway change operating times

Posted on Saturday 25 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

The Birkenhead Heritage Tramway – one of only two places where you can enjoy a ride on a traditional tram in England currently – have announced a slight tweak to their operating times to fit in with the current ferry departures from Woodside Ferry following passenger comments. They have also revealed that they are now planning to open during the February Half Term holiday.

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Oldham town centre line almost ready to open

Posted on Saturday 25 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

The new Oldham town centre extension of Manchester Metrolink is almost ready to welcome its first fare paying passengers with final testing and commissioning work due to take place over this weekend. Provided that no problems are experienced during this work the first tram is due to leave Manchester Victoria at 0509 on Monday 27th January, this will then return from Rochdale Railway Station at 0600.

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In Pictures: More from Nottingham Express Transit

Posted on Saturday 25 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

Earlier this week we brought you a selection of images from Nottingham Express Transit as Citadis 222 became the seventh Alstom built tram to arrive at its new home. During the same photography session David Beardsell also took some more images of the fleet in action including 205 which has been fitted with a new corner panel – still in the old livery – as well as some other general sights around Wilkinson Street and the city centre.

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Strike dates announced for Docklands Light Railway

Posted on Saturday 25 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

The RMT union have announced that their members on the Docklands Light Railway plan to walk out for two 48 hour strikes in a dispute over, what else, pay and conditions. The first strike will start on 29th January with the second taking place from 4th February – the second of these dates will coincide with a strike on London Underground.

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Another car drives onto the tracks on East Manchester line

Posted on Saturday 25 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

An elderly woman has become the latest person to manage to drive their car onto the tram tracks at Holt Town causing delays to Manchester Metrolink services to and from Ashton-under-Lyne. The incident happened on Sunday 19th January at approximately 1420 with services being suspended for over an hour.

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Tramlink delays after dewirement at East Croydon

Posted on Saturday 25 January 2014 by Gareth Prior

Services through East Croydon were severely disrupted for three hours on Thursday 23rd January following an incident involving 2552 which saw the tram dewire. The incident happened on the pointwork where the loop line converges to become one line through to East Croydon and saw the pantograph (or “aerial” according to one local newspaper!) become entangled in the overhead wires. Services were suspended between Wellesley Road and Sandilands between approximately 1400 and 1700 whilst the tram was removed (2543 was used to tow it back to Therapia Lane) and repairs were undertaken to the overhead.

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Crich invites enthusiasts to witness winter shunting

Posted on Friday 24 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

In an unusual but very welcome development, Crich Tramway Village will throw open its doors on Saturday 1st February to allow enthusiasts to see some unusual shunting movements. A number of trams which rarely emerge into the great outdoors are scheduled to be moved on this day as part of a major shunting operation, some of which are then unlikely to move into the open air again for the foreseeable future.

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Sunderland 16 gets ‘Binned’

Posted on Thursday 23 January 2014 by Andrew Waddington

Sunderland 16 has become the latest member of the Beamish tram fleet to receive external advertisements for Binns, featuring the famous ‘Shop at Binns’ slogan on the upper deck end panels. This famous advertisement was once carried by the entire Sunderland tram fleet, and so its application to preserved car 16 is highly appropriate.

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