Open crossbench tram on MER winter service!

Posted on Friday 21 December 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The special three-day winter service on the Manx Electric Railway, prompted due to a local bus strike, got off to a fantastic start on Thursday 20th December. As expected, MER 1 made an exceptionally rare winter appearance in normal passenger service; however, this wasn’t the only rarity as Crossbench car 32 was also used in service on this day!

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Posted in Manx Electric Railway | 2 Comments

Coronation 304 – A bleak Christmas and an uncertain New Year??

Posted on Friday 21 December 2012 by admin

A recent visit to Beamish revealed Blackpool Coronation 304 has been out of use since withdrawal from service in early November and has been stored outside the depot since then.

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Posted in Beamish Tramway, Fylde Transport Trust | 24 Comments

Seaton reveal special events for 2013

Posted on Friday 21 December 2012 by Gareth Prior

The Seaton Tramway has become the latest organisation to reveal their special events planned for 2013 with the highlight for the enthusiast being the return of the Classic Car Show on Sunday 9th June which will also include many of the traditional tramway gala events.

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Santa brings success to the Isle of Man

Posted on Thursday 20 December 2012 by Andrew Waddington

There has been no shortage of excitement for tram enthusiasts on the Isle of Man recently, with Santa Specials on two of the island’s three tramways proving to be a big highlight of the normally uneventful winter months. Both the Manx Electric Railway and the Douglas Corporation Tramway have operated special service in the run-up to Christmas, which appear to have been very well received.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, Manx Electric Railway | 1 Comment

‘Bluebird’ to fly again, at Crich?

Posted on Thursday 20 December 2012 by Andrew Waddington

London County Council 1, arguably one of the most neglected vehicles in the National Tramway Museum collection at Crich, could be set for an upturn in its fortunes, if proposals by the London County Council Tramways Trust come to fruition. Following a condition survey undertaken by workshop and curatorial staff at Crich, the Tramway Museum Society’s Board of Management have agreed to carry out a full restoration on this car, subject to it being fully funded by external sources.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 8 Comments

Blackpool Balloon cars in the works

Posted on Thursday 20 December 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Fresh from our report that Blackpool Balloon car 700 was set to exchange the swing-over seats on its upper deck, with the fixed bus seats in Brush Railcoach 631, comes news that the tram has returned to Rigby Road having spent several weeks at Starr Gate depot. Presumably this means that the seat swap has now been carried out, allowing 700 to return to its usual home for its winter hibernation. The tram was noted back at Rigby Road at the beginning of this week.

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Trams test at full speed in Edinburgh

Posted on Thursday 20 December 2012 by Gareth Prior

After last weeks initial tests of trams on the section of the Edinburgh Tramway between Gogar Depot and the Airport at walking pace and then further testing at higher speeds, Wednesday 19th December has seen the first tests of a tram at full line speed. Full line speed is 70kmh (43 mph). Both City of Edinburgh Council Transport Convener Lesley Hinds and Scottish Government Transport Minister Keith Brown were present to see history made and were pleased with what they saw.

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Metrolink wins second national accessibility award

Posted on Thursday 20 December 2012 by Gareth Prior

Manchester Metrolink is celebrating after receiving their second national award for accessibility this year, this time the Transport for Greater Manchester Disability Design Reference Group (DDRG) has won the “Public Sector Engagement” award at Breakthrough UK’s National Independent Living Awards.

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Manx Electric Railway announce bus replacement tram service!

Posted on Tuesday 18 December 2012 by Andrew Waddington

In a remarkable development, the Manx Electric Railway have announced that an extensive tram service is to be provided across three days this month, due to strike action being taken by a local bus operator. With residents of the Isle of Man potentially facing a period of isolation, the MER have commendably stepped in to fill the gap, and in the process the history books are set to be re-written in spectacular fashion!

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Posted in Manx Electric Railway | 3 Comments

Heaton Park & Beamish confirm an open top swap

Posted on Tuesday 18 December 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Beamish Museum have announced more details of their upcoming event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their museum tramway, with Stockport 5 now confirmed to visit Beamish to participate in the celebrations. As if that alone wasn’t exciting enough, it has also been confirmed that Blackpool 31 will be sent to the Heaton Park Tramway in exchange for car 5 next spring!

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East Anglia confirm expanded transport gala for 2013

Posted on Monday 17 December 2012 by Andrew Waddington

In a welcome move to keep its annual events programme fresh and interesting, the East Anglia Transport Museum have announced some changes to its main event, held each year in September. The popular ‘Trolleybus Weekend’, which has been held annually for 17 years, will be rested in 2013 and instead a more general transport event is to be held, which will hopefully see the resident trams play a more significant role.

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Heaton Park Tramway ends the year in style

Posted on Monday 17 December 2012 by Andrew Waddington

A highly succesful year of operation at Manchester’s Heaton Park Tramway came to an end on Sunday 16th December, before the regular volunteers take a much-deserved short break for the Christmas period. As planned, the day saw Manchester 765 in service, emerging from its winter hibernation, and there were a few extra surprises as well!

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3001 inaugurates services to Shaw and Crompton

Posted on Sunday 16 December 2012 by Gareth Prior

The latest extension of Manchester Metrolink has now opened with trams running through to Shaw and Crompton from Sunday 16th December. This is a short extension of the Oldham and Rochdale line with two new stops now open for use, the remainder of the line to Rochdale Railway Station is expected to open early in 2013. 3001 was the tram which was specially chosen to operate the first service on the extension.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 12 Comments

M5000 3062 arrives in Manchester

Posted on Sunday 16 December 2012 by Gareth Prior

The last of the Bombardier built M5000s ordered for the Manchester Metrolink Phase 3b extensions has now arrived at Queen’s Road Depot with 3062 being delivered on Saturday 15th December. Although there are still another 32 trams to be constructed and delivered to Manchester the remaining examples were ordered to replace the T68 and T68A fleets which are in the process of being retired from service.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 3 Comments

First tram runs on NET Phase Two track

Posted on Sunday 16 December 2012 by Gareth Prior

Incentro 203 has become the first tram in Nottingham to run over Phase Two track – although it’s not quite what you would expect! As part of the extension work the current depot at Wilkinson Street is having to be expanded and as a result extra track is being installed. The first sections of track to be installed are two new sets of points on the exiting
depot loop with these being fitted during the past week. And it was this track that 203 ran over on 13th December thus becoming the first tram to travel on Phase Two tracks. The extensions serving Beeston, Chilwell and Clifton are scheduled to open in 2014.

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Manchester Metrolink Engineering Works: Sunday 6th January 2013

Posted on Sunday 16 December 2012 by Gareth Prior

On Sunday 6th January 2013 no trams will run to Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly Station because of engineering works. Trams will run between Altrincham and Bury direct and Eccles-Victoria (via MediaCityUK) with a normal service running from St Werburgh’s Road to Shaw and Crompton. A shuttle bus will be provided from Piccadilly Gardens to Piccadilly Station.

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Delays after tram hits taxi in Piccadilly Gardens

Posted on Sunday 16 December 2012 by Gareth Prior

All tram services into Piccadilly Station were suspended for a time on Friday 14th  December after a tram was involved in a collision with a taxi at Piccadilly Gardens. The incident happened at approximately 1740 when T68A 2006 became involved in the collision with the taxi. Trams from Altrincham and Bury ran direct services only whilst  services from Eccles and MediaCityUK were diverted to Victoria. The incident was soon cleared and normal services resumed although still with residual delays. This was the second car v tram collision in the City Centre as shortly before 1000 a car had pulled out of a side street into a tram although this was even more minor with very little delay caused.

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 4 Comments

Beamish confirm ambitious transport events for 2013

Posted on Saturday 15 December 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The official website of Beamish, the Living Museum of the North, has confirmed dates for their major special events during 2013 which include an expanded programme of transport activities. The highlight of the year for tram enthusiasts will be the planned celebration of the Beamish tramway’s 40th anniversary in April, which forms part of the ‘Great North Festival of Transport’.

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MER Ratchet car to be restored?

Posted on Saturday 15 December 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Isle of Man Railways have confirmed plans for one of the surviving ‘Ratchet’ cars on the Manx Electric Railway to be returned to service during 2013. None of these trams has run in passenger service since 2002 meaning that this would be a huge acheivement for the MER and a big draw for enthusiasts.

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Plenty of seats up top on Leeds 107!

Posted on Saturday 15 December 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The restoration of the last surviving Leeds horse tramcar, Leeds 107, continues to make impressive progress at the Middleton Railway. One of the most visible accomplishments since the tram arrived at this location late in the summer, has been the fitting of the  wooden seats on the car’s open top deck. This has really changed 107‘s appearance dramatically and gives a good impression of how it will look when completed next year.

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Posted in Leeds Transport Historical Society | Comments Off on Plenty of seats up top on Leeds 107!