Russell Road reopens in Edinburgh

Posted on Tuesday 28 August 2012 by Gareth Prior

Another milestone has been reached in the construction of Edinburgh Trams with Russell Road reopening after 11 months following the completion of the installation of a new  bridge. Russell Road was closed in September 2011 and was finally reopened to all traffic on Friday 24th August.

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Trams damaged by football “fans” in Sheffield

Posted on Tuesday 28 August 2012 by Gareth Prior

Two Stagecoach Supertram vehicles suffered damage at the weekend after they were attacked by Millwall football “fans” who had been in the City to watch their team play Sheffield Wednesday. 115 and 117 were the two trams which suffered damage with the latter coming off worst with smashed windows and ripped out seats. Both trams were quickly repaired as they were noted in service on Tuesday 28th August. In order to try and catch the culprits behind the damage Stagecoach Supertram have passed over to the Police the on on board CCTV.

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Manchester Metrolink Engineering Works: Sunday 9th September 2012

Posted on Tuesday 28 August 2012 by Gareth Prior

There will be further engineering works on Manchester Metrolink all day on Sunday 9th September affecting the South Manchester line between Trafford Bar and St Werburgh’s Road. No trams will run throughout the day with a replacement bus running instead.

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Sheffield 510 enters Crich workshop

Posted on Monday 27 August 2012 by Andrew Waddington

As part of a major shunting operation at Crich Tramway Village on Saturday 25th August, Sheffield 510 was moved from the rear of the running sheds to the workshop. There, the tram is to receive a major overhaul thanks to funding from the Tramcar Sponsorship Organisation to allow it to rejoin the musuem’s operating fleet. Its place in the depot was taken by Glasgow 1282 which has now been commissioned ready for the upcoming enthusiast event.

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Tram crewing crisis at Crich

Posted on Monday 27 August 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Despite some very positive developments at Crich Tramway Village during 2012, an ongoing shortage of volunteer tram crews has been a serious cause for concern this summer. There have been claims for the last few years that volunteer numbers have been in decline, which have been rubbished by some quarters, but recent evidence clearly shows that the number of available tram crews has fallen quite significantly.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 18 Comments

Glasgow 1115 emerges from Crich exhibition

Posted on Sunday 26 August 2012 by Andrew Waddington

One of the most elusive trams in the national collection at Crich Tramway Village made an extremely rare appearance outside on Saturday 25th August, as preparations for the upcoming Glasgow event on 15th & 16th September. The tram concerned was Glasgow 1115, which is normally trapped right at the back of the Great Exhibition Hall, but has been moved to the main depots in readiness for a starring role at next month’s event.

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Blackpool 626 takes forward and backward steps

Posted on Sunday 26 August 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The seemingly never-ending wait for Blackpool Brush Railcoach 626 to enter service in its new home at the Birkenhead heritage tramway is continuing, with one promising sign that the launch of the tram could be imminent being followed by another blow. The tram had been rumoured to be joining the running fleet at Birkenhead by the end of August; something which now seems highly unlikely due to another setback.

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The only way is up for Beamish!

Posted on Saturday 25 August 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Beamish, the Living Museum of the North, is well known for being extremely proactive and thanks to a highly succesful couple of years, the rate of expansion looks set to increase further as the Museum has announced to the local press some of its plans for the next decade. Whilst the tram fleet are not explicitly mentioned, any such growth is sure to involve the trams, which have played a more prominent role in museum activities of late.

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All change for Blackpool illumination tours

Posted on Saturday 25 August 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Next week the Blackpool illuminations will switch on for another season, and the start of the first with the tram service mainly operated by modern LRV units. 2012 also marks the start of a new era for the illumination tours, which will begin and end from the Pleasure Beach loop for the first time in many years. This will be a major break in tradition as the illuminated trams have traditionally loaded up at North Pier.

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Edinburgh horse tram unveiled

Posted on Friday 24 August 2012 by Andrew Waddington

As work continues on creating a modern light rail tram system in Edinburgh, less publicised work to restore the oldest surviving tramcar from the Scottish capital city has recently been completed. Edinburgh 23 was discovered in use as a garden shed around five years ago, and since then a small group of volunteers have been working hard to return it to its former glory.

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Blackpool Brush car 627 released from prison!

Posted on Thursday 23 August 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Eight months ago, a rather shabby looking Brush Railcoach 627 left Blackpool’s Rigby Road depot for the final time, having been acquired by a local preservation group. Looking almost totally unrecognisable, 627 made a triumphant return to Blackpool promenade during the evening of Wednesday 22nd August 2012, ready to take its place as a static exhibit at Pleasure Beach for this year’s illuminations display.

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Edinburgh Trams to offer groups tours of depot

Posted on Thursday 23 August 2012 by Gareth Prior

At a recent press briefing on the Edinburgh tram project it was announced that  “interested” groups will get the chance to tour the Gogar depot and enjoy a short ride on a tram as part of a major public relations exercise by the Council. They are also considering whether they will allow general members of the public in to have a look around as part of pre-booked visits.

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Lost Trams 4: Blackpool Centenary car 643

Posted on Wednesday 22 August 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The end of the 2011 illuminations season in Blackpool marked the end of the working careers for several of the town’s traditional trams, as the tramway prepared to enter a new phase of its long history. All eight of the Centenary class were officially withdrawn after service on Sunday 6th November (although 648 has since been resurrected as a ‘heritage’ car), and most of them have since moved to new homes. One such car is 643 which now resides at Broadwater Caravan Park.

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Trio of trams on test at Crich

Posted on Wednesday 22 August 2012 by Andrew Waddington

2012 has been an extremely busy year for the hard-working volunteers and staff in the workshop at Crich Tramway Village, but this is paying dividends with no less than three trams recently operating on test along the mile-long museum tramway. All three cars have been out of service for lengthy periods, but following workshop attention two are set to re-join the operating fleet shortly, whilst the third is being prepared for a special event.

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In Pictures: Nottingham Express Transit 204

Posted on Wednesday 22 August 2012 by Gareth Prior

As reported at the weekend the latest tram on the Nottingham Express Transit network to  receive advertising vinyls has been 204 which has received its first ever all over advert for Glide into Nottingham, a campaign to encourage more people to travel by tram. With thanks to Will Hughes we are now able to offer you a selection of photos of the new look tram.

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Ruddington Lane to close for six months as part of NET Phase Two

Posted on Wednesday 22 August 2012 by Gareth Prior

It has been announced that part of Ruddington Lane in Wilford will close for six months from October this year to allow major works in connection with phase two of Nottingham Express Transit to take place. The news that the road is to be closed for this length of time has been met with dismay by some local residents who are afraid that it will mean major diversion for bus routes which will mean they don’t go anywhere near their houses.

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Manchester Metrolink Engineering Works: Sunday 2nd September

Posted on Wednesday 22 August 2012 by Gareth Prior

Engineering works on Manchester Metrolink will see service alterations on Sunday 2nd September. No trams will run all day on the South Manchester line with the Altrincham and Eccles lines also suspended until 1600. All trams from Oldham and Bury will run to and from Piccadilly Station. Replacement buses will run between St Werburgh’s Road and Piccadilly, Altrincham and Piccadilly and Eccles to Piccadilly for which Metrolink tickets must be purchased before travelling.

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Man seriously injured after being hit by tram at Radcliffe

Posted on Wednesday 22 August 2012 by Gareth Prior

A man has been seriously injured after being hit by a tram at Radcliffe on the Bury line of Manchester Metrolink. The incident happened at approximately 1030 on Wednesday 22nd August and reports in the local media suggest the man has jumped in front of the tram. He was taken to hospital where his injuries were described as serious and he was in a critical condition. Services were suspended between Whitefield and Bury during the incident with local bus services accepting Metrolink tickets.

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Beamish trams prepare for ‘Power from the Past’

Posted on Tuesday 21 August 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The annual ‘Power from the Past’ transport extravaganza held at Beamish Museum has become established as one of the highlights of the year for those who are interested in most forms of transport, and 2012 looks set to be no exception. Emphasis this time around is being placed on steam engines and agricultural machines, but the trams of Beamish will not be left out with two members of the permanent tram fleet of the Museum set to share the limelight.

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Horse tram joins the Beamish Museum fleet!

Posted on Tuesday 21 August 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Beamish, the Living Museum of the North has announced a rather unexpected but very welcome surprise in the shape of a new addition to its collection of vintage trams. The vehicle in question is a former Leamington & Warwick horse car, which had previously resided at the Summerlee Museum near Glasgow, but which has now transferred to a new home in the North East.

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