Tramlink delays after car drives onto tracks

Posted on Saturday 10 November 2012 by Gareth Prior

London Tramlink services saw delays on Friday 2nd November after a car managed to drive onto the tracks at Sandilands – with the driver apparently blaming her Sat-Nav for directing her there! Transport for London officials had to get the car moved out the way during which time no trams were able to run between Sandilands and Addiscombe after the incident happened during the evening rush hour at 1730. Unfortunately the incident was used by the RMT’s Bob Crow to make a point about cutbacks in security on the UK transport network although just how he thought these cutbacks could have prevented this incident is unknown.

Posted in London Trams | 2 Comments

Metal thieves hit Metrolink again

Posted on Saturday 10 November 2012 by Gareth Prior

More delays have been experienced on Manchester Metrolink after metal thieves targeted the cables at Trafford Bar. This meant that services on the Altrincham line were delayed during the evening rush hour on Monday 5th November whilst engineers attended to the damage caused by vandals. The damage also meant no announcements could be made to any of the affected stops.

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MER suffers delays after fallen tree

Posted on Saturday 10 November 2012 by Gareth Prior

Following hot on the heels of problems on the Manx Electric Railway because of flooding
more bad weather saw a service suspension after a tree fell on the track at Maughold. The incident happened on Friday 2nd November and saw services suspended between Laxey and Ramsey until the following day when the normal timetable was able to be resumed.

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More traffic changes in Oldham as work continues on Metrolink extension

Posted on Saturday 10 November 2012 by Gareth Prior

From Thursday 8th November there have been changes to the traffic management around Manchester Street roundabout in Oldham town centre as work continues to construct the Metrolink extension due to open in 2014. As a result of these changes the northbound slip road from Manchester Street roundabout joining Middleton Road and Oldham Way northbound will be closed and the previous closure restricting traffic joining the roundabout from the town centre has been removed. It is anticipated that these current closures will remain in place until the end of January 2013.

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Major milestone in NET Phase Two as first track foundations laid

Posted on Friday 9 November 2012 by Gareth Prior

The project to extend Nottingham Express Transit has reached another milestone with the first 120 metres of track foundations being laid at a new tram park and ride site for
1,300 cars near to Bardills Island on the A52. This work was undertaken on Friday 9th November using an innovative machine – known as Appitrack – of which there are only four in existence in the world.

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North Midland Construction plc gain contracts for NET extension works

Posted on Friday 9 November 2012 by Gareth Prior

North Midland Construction plc (NMC) has been awarded contracts to provide utilities and civil engineering works on phase two of Nottingham Express Transit. NMC will be diverting and upgrading sewers, utility supplies, telecoms and electric services around the route of the extensions having been given the contract by the main contractor, Taylor Woodrow Alstom. Up to 30 construction workers will be employed by NMC and work has already started on site to ensure it is all completed in time.

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Lisbon 730 to visit Beamish?

Posted on Friday 9 November 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society have announced that plans afoot for Lisbon 730 to make the journey to Beamish Museum for a visit during spring 2013. Although no dates have been revealed, this will presumably coincide with a major event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Beamish tramway, which will hopefully feature a number of visiting trams from various different locations around the country.

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2013 special events announced for the Isle of Man

Posted on Thursday 8 November 2012 by Gareth Prior

Details have been announced of several special events which will take place on the railways of the Isle of Man in 2013 including an extra event for the Manx Electric Railway to celebrate 120 years of operation. In addition the annual Manx Heritage Transport Festival will again take place at the end of July and another returning event will see Winter Photography on the Manx Electric Railway at the start of November.

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TfL announce fare rises from January 2013

Posted on Thursday 8 November 2012 by Gareth Prior

Transport for London have announced that fares across their network are to rise by an average of 4.2%, which is said to be the best possible settlement whilst still being able to
provide investment for future projects in the capital. Unfortunately of the projects currently ongoing and requiring this investment none of them will effect tram and light rail passengers.

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Blackpool Centenary car for sale… or is it!?

Posted on Wednesday 7 November 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The future of Blackpool Centenary car 646 is looking decidely uncertain, following the appearance of a bizarre listing on the popular internet auction site eBay. At first glance, it appears that 646 is available for sale online, but a closer look at the item description indicates that the sale is in fact for a much smaller part of the tram, although its owner is prepared to consider selling the car in its complete form.

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Get ready! Trams set to start testing in Edinburgh

Posted on Wednesday 7 November 2012 by Gareth Prior

The day that at some stages it appeared would never happen is imminent – trams are  going to start testing on a 2.8km stretch of tramway in Edinburgh by the end of this year. The overhead power is due to be switched on between Gogar Castle Road and Edinburgh Airport from Monday 26th November and test running will commence from around
the same date.

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In Pictures: October Tramlink Engineering Works

Posted on Wednesday 7 November 2012 by Gareth Prior

As previously reported at the end of October the central Croydon loop was closed on London Tramlink to allow track replacement work to take place. The work took place between Saturday 27th October and Thursday 1st November and saw all tram services
suspended between Reeves Corner and initially Sandilands and then from Monday 29th October East Croydon.

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Posted in London Trams | 1 Comment

Glasgow 1068: to run or not to run?

Posted on Tuesday 6 November 2012 by Andrew Waddington

In a very surprising move, the newly repainted Glasgow 1068 (ex-Paisley 68) at Crich Tramway Village has been moved into the Great Exhibition Hall. The move occured shortly before the end of the main running season, following a brief period of storage in Depot V – 1068‘s place there has now been taken by London United Tramways 159.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 2 Comments

Another season ends at Crich

Posted on Sunday 4 November 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The 2012 season at Crich Tramway Village came to an end on Sunday 4th November, with Metropolitan 331, Leeds 399 and Glasgow 812 in service on this cold and damp day. The final passenger journey of the year was performed by Leeds 399 – highly appropriate as this popular workhorse has been one of the most regularly used cars of the year.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 2 Comments

Free entry to Crich this winter – but no tram rides!

Posted on Saturday 3 November 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Crich Tramway Village have announced that free admission to some parts of the site will be offered every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between November 6th and December 13th this year. Opening hours are 10:30am to 3:30pm. However, sadly no trams will be operating and indeed the main attractions seem to be a series of winter craft workshops!

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Purple and rain in Blackpool as 711 returns to use

Posted on Saturday 3 November 2012 by Andrew Waddington

An interesting week on the Blackpool tramway, which saw most of the modified double-deck trams known as the ‘B Fleet’ back in service for the school half-term holidays, came to an end on Friday 2nd November. The highlight of this day was undoubtedly the use of 711 which was making its passenger debut in rebuilt form and new Flexity-inspired white and purple livery.

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Open Boat 233 stars at late-night photo shoot

Posted on Saturday 3 November 2012 by Andrew Waddington

A late evening photo charter held at Beamish, the Living Museum of the North on 2nd November provided an unexpected appearance from Blackpool ‘Boat’ 233. Although the star of the show was fellow Blackpool tram Coronation 304, with Grimsby & Immingham 26, the opportunity to display both green and cream Blackpool cars together in darkness  for the assembled photographers was clearly irresistable!

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A full house of Flexities at Starr Gate

Posted on Saturday 3 November 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Following a lengthy absence from British shores, Blackpool Flexity 002 finally returned to its home system on the morning of Thursday 1st November. Following a very brief stint in service in April, this tram had been returned to Germany whilst under warranty as apparently Bombardier were unhappy with the finish of this tram and 001 (which was worked on at Blackpool) compared to the rest of the class.

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Balloon cars return – but not at weekends!

Posted on Monday 29 October 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The eagerly-awaited use of several refurbished Balloon cars in Blackpool for the busy school holidays finally occured on Monday 29th October, when no less than five of the type were used in normal passenger service. The trams mainly operated between Pleasure Beach and Little Bispham on this day, to supplement the Flexity2 trams in the busiest section of the line.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 4 Comments

Brush cars by night

Posted on Monday 29 October 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The major changes made to the Blackpool tramway, have meant that many things we once took for granted have now been consigned to the past. One such pleasure was the experience of riding on a Brush Railcoach in darkness. The only such tram retained in Blackpool, 631, is not thought to have ventured out after dark this year – however, two museums revived this once common sight over the course of one weekend.

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