Heaton Park Tramway joins Facebook

Posted on Saturday 2 February 2013 by Andrew Waddington

In a bid to keep interested parties better informed of developments at the tramway, a brand new official Facebook page has been launched for the Heaton Park Tramway. Although a Facebook group, entitled ‘Friends of the Heaton Park Tramway’, has existed for some time, this was never considered official and with ‘pages’ gaining popularity over ‘groups’, the tramway has followed in the footsteps of British Trams Online by making the switch.

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Leeds 399 tops the Crich mileage chart of 2012

Posted on Friday 1 February 2013 by Andrew Waddington

The Tramway Museum Society, operators of the Crich Tramway Village, have revealed the annual mileage statistics for its operating trams during 2012. Twenty-five different trams carried passengers at the museum, including three works cars and a horse tram. 2012 was a notable year as three ‘new’ trams joined the running fleet, with a few old favourites also back in service – however, it was the old guard which dominated the chart!

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‘Missing’ Flexities return to use

Posted on Wednesday 30 January 2013 by Andrew Waddington

The two most elusive members of Blackpool’s Flexity 2 class have both enjoyed something of a revival during the latter part of January. After an absence of some nine months, Flexity 002 has finally resumed its career in passenger service, whilst 006 has also been spotted out on the tramway this week.

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TfGM name new Metrolink Director

Posted on Wednesday 30 January 2013 by Gareth Prior

Transport for Greater Manchester’s new Metrolink Director will be Peter Cushing it has been announced. Mr Cushing will replace Philip Purdy who is returning to his native Australia next month for family reasons. Previously with Central Trains Peter has also worked alongside TfGM’s Metrolink team on a long term but interim basis during the major expansion programme.

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DLR services from Stratford to Canary Wharf increase in frequency

Posted on Wednesday 30 January 2013 by Gareth Prior

Docklands Light Railway services between Stratford and Canary Wharf are now more frequent on weekdays between 0630 and 2100 following the latest service change on the
network. Trains will now run every six minutes between the two stations and as a result all Bank to Lewisham trains will not serve West India Quay until 2100 on weekdays (two hours later than previously). Journey times on most routes are also due to improve with some journeys reduced by more than one minute.

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Volunteers undertake more EML tests

Posted on Wednesday 30 January 2013 by Gareth Prior

Metrolink staff and volunteers have undertaken a series of tests to look at match day conditions on the East Manchester Line of Manchester Metrolink which is due to open to the public on 11th February. With the home of Manchester City FC, the Etihad Stadium, being on the line a number of tests have been done to make sure that when the line opens it is able to cope with the extra passengers who may be travelling on match days.

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More roadworks for Oldham Metrolink works

Posted on Wednesday 30 January 2013 by Gareth Prior

The Manchester Street roundabout in Oldham Town Centre is to be closed between 2000 and 0600 Monday to Friday for up to 15 nights starting from Friday 1st February as works to bring Manchester Metrolink into the town continue. This will be followed by a section of Union Street (between Rhodes Bank and Bridge Street) being closed in mid February zhich will involve traffic diversions being put into place. Both of these closures are necessary to allow contractors to undertake works needed for the construction of the Metrolink diversion through Oldham Town Centre which is due to open (with four new stops) in 2014.

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Picture in Time 3: The Sunderland Feltham

Posted on Saturday 26 January 2013 by Andrew Waddington

Metropolitan Electric Tramways 331 is a tram which is no doubt very familiar to most readers of this website, as it is a regular performer on the tramway at Crich. However, when it was first restored at the museum, it initially ran in its latter day guise as Sunderland 100 for a short period of time – and this week, our occasional series of archive images shows the tram in this condition, fresh from the Crich workshop.

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Crich workshop latest

Posted on Thursday 24 January 2013 by Andrew Waddington

Although no trams have yet carried passengers at Crich Tramway Village in 2013, the activity has continued within the confines of the workshop. The main focus of the staff and volunteers’ efforts remains Sheffield 510, although the process of preparing the operational tram fleet for service is now getting underway and a few trams are receiving some additional attention ahead of another busy season.

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Liverpool 245 is mobile again

Posted on Thursday 24 January 2013 by Andrew Waddington

The restoration of Liverpool 245 by members of the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society made another important step towards completion this week, with the tram becoming mobile for the first time in many months on Thursday 24th January. Following the delivery of its completed underframe and truck earlier this month, no time has been wasted in reuniting these with the body of the tram, to the extent that the cradle which has supported it for so long has now been removed.

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Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway | 4 Comments

Manchester 765, the comeback king

Posted on Monday 21 January 2013 by Andrew Waddington

Despite being technically withdrawn from service at the end of October last year, Manchester 765 has made a few surprise appearances on the Heaton Park Tramway since then for various reasons. Its first outing of 2013 occured on Sunday 20th January, when it joined Blackpool Brush Railcoach 623 in operation through the snow-covered park.

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Metrolink T68 1025 becomes twelfth to be withdrawn – with a twist!

Posted on Saturday 19 January 2013 by Gareth Prior

12 of the original T68 vehicles on Manchester Metrolink have now been withdrawn from passenger service with 1025 the latest to be taken out of service, although this time it has a more secure future as it is to be used for winter ice breaking duties. This now concludes the originally announced withdrawal program although it is not expected to be that long before more examples are taken out of service.

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MER helps to save the day again!

Posted on Saturday 19 January 2013 by Gareth Prior

The first passenger runs of the Manx Electric Railway in 2013, and the first services in  January since 2004, occurred on the afternoon of Thursday 17th January when a service was operated to cover the second bus strike on the Isle of Man. Five journeys were operated in each direction between Douglas and Ramsey with four different motors and three trailers used.

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In Pictures: London Tramlink in the snow

Posted on Saturday 19 January 2013 by Gareth Prior

On Friday 18th January a significant amount of snowfall fell in many parts of the UK including London which allowed for photographic opportunities of Tramlink in the snow. Although not as heavy as the snow seen in the past it afforded the opportunity to see the Variotrams operating in the snow for the very first time. Ian Buck paid a visit to Croydon on Saturday 19th January and provides us with these scenes as trams continued to operate with very few problems.

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Manchester Metrolink Engineering Works: Sunday 20 January 2013

Posted on Saturday 19 January 2013 by Gareth Prior

Piccadilly Station will now be closed all day on Sunday 20th January instead of the previously announced morning closure until 1000. Trams which normally run into Piccadilly from Altrincham, Bury and Eccles will terminate at Piccadilly Gardens with a shuttle bus then running between Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly Station. The closure on the following Sunday – 27th January – remains as previously announced until 1000 only.

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Rare winter outings for a Balloon and a Standard

Posted on Saturday 19 January 2013 by Andrew Waddington

The first remotely significant snowfall in Blackpool this winter occured on Friday 18th January, and the fact that this co-incided with an unusual private charter resulted in two of the traditional fleet getting a rare winter outing. To see a heritage tram on the promenade in January was very unusual, but on this occasion it was little more than a side attraction as the other tram was much more unusual!

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Snow business for Beamish trams!

Posted on Thursday 17 January 2013 by Andrew Waddington

The North East has been affected by heavy snow falls in the past week, and Beamish Museum has seen plenty of the white stuff recently. Indeed, the museum posted messages on its Twitter account to reassure potential visitors that the attraction was indeed open despite the inclement weather, emphasising just how severe conditions are in the region. However, the trams have coped admirably well and carried on with their regular business of transporting visitors around the site.

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Liverpool 245 reunited with its underframe

Posted on Wednesday 16 January 2013 by Andrew Waddington

The ongoing restoration of Liverpool ‘Baby Grand’ 245 by members of the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society has continued to make impressive progress, with a particularly significant development being the delivery of its completed underframe and truck to Birkenhead early on in 2013. Both have been under attention in Derbyshire for many months, but have now returned to the Wirral to be refitted under the car body.

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Blackpool Transport prepare for snow

Posted on Wednesday 16 January 2013 by Andrew Waddington

Much of the country is currently coated in white following the most severe snowfalls so far this winter, but Blackpool has escaped with just a light dusting thus far. However, Blackpool Transport are well prepared in case of snow, with two Balloon cars now fitted with snowploughs. We previously reported that stored car 701 had been equipped for this purpose, but what has only recent come to light is that 723 has also had a plough fitted!

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Work starts on improving NET stops as staff get new uniform

Posted on Tuesday 15 January 2013 by Gareth Prior

As part of the ongoing programme of improvements a number of stops across the  Nottingham Express Transit network are going to see work commence in the next few weeks. The first stage of the work is being described as minor preparatory works and more extensive works will follow later in 2013. At the same time a new uniform has been revealed for staff on the trams.

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