Messages

When was the last time you saw Tram 26 ??
26 became derailed in the depot around June and has been out of service since :-X     

The first half of Tram 26 departed the metro depot  at 13.00.pm Wednesday 20-09-17 
and the second half departed at  1145.am on  Thursday 21-09-17  both sections have been taken to Wolverton works for repair .


Has you all now Tram 18  has left for Spain to have batteries fitted , well " Sparky "  returned last Friday at 0930.am
It was put Temporally put together and pushed into the new dept over the back of the metro depot .




The Arrival of Tram 18 "Sparky" from  Spain on Friday 22-09-17

Both saloons on 27 Now have L.E.D   lighting Fitted,    ever wondered were BTOL   get there info   :-X

Tram 27 was out on test Today, ran from the depot to Wolverhampton  Then  grand central and back to the depot,   CAF engineers on board and also a CAF  Driver has it is still under warranty.

More info on Btol

This move has been on the books for over a year and half, it was to take place just after the T69s  were taken out of service. 
The original plan was for it to be Tram 17 , but because of the parts robbed from it and it not having done any large amount of mileage .

Tram 18 was considered the best reliable tram out the fleet  ( alot more can be said for one or two of them !!!!)
18 went back minus a few  parts , these parts will be used to get Tram 27 back out working which has  now been out of use since April 2016 !

18 will be back in time for summer , testing on battery power with the Panto down should give a few people a second glance at it . :o












8)

Tram now in passenger service. Out today 

( my Fault )    YES Correct ,11th October 2013  Around 10.30am  and it was a right game to get it off the two Trailers !
It took most of the day  has a large metal shed had to be demolished first has there was not enough room .





Tram 17 has passed its mileage accumulation this Tuesday 28th  and will be given a full  inspection exam  , if fit and well  it will be signed off to run in passenger service soon  .     8)

17 was Delivered  back in 11th October 2013 i remember being there in the rain has passed into the depot all wrapped up in white sheeting.

It was not until early 2014 that it made a few test runs on the mainline (only very few in day light hours)  with the arrival of a few more  urbos 3s  17 was confined to the depot has a static test bed
but did make a few more mainline runs again during daylight hours in the summer of 2014
you had to be out on the right day to see it , this gain was just for a few days testing only ( I have photos some were )

Monday June 6th 2016 was 17s first run into Grand central and has since then been running on its fault free mileage  accumulation testing Monday /Friday .

Over the weekend 17 was parked in front of T69 16 ,    Today it was out running again back in the depot at 13.10


17  Arrival





17s Very first day moveing around the depot





Recent 17 running


Which side do you like to get off ?











37 &17

T69s at Long Marston














T68s There too

Name plates have been scattered far and wide ,  most were given to family's associated with the names  although i think only one plate not both . sir frank has gone to a local air force museum  again only one name plate ,  many are still at the depot in the store room they are the property of Centro NOT metro.

Hopefully there will some if not all on show at the open day in a few weeks time .  you may see tram 16 with his plates back on again
for the day .    Ive made a suggestion that it would be good to line up old 16 and new 17 & 37  to let folks get  photoS of all three
would make a once in a lifetime opportunity shot :D

Night time testing has been taking place in the early hours of late Mon/tues down to grand central  BUT

If you're re about in brum tomorrow Daytime  you may see the start of Driver training down to Birmingham Grand central .

;) ;)

Yesterday  Wednesday 23-03-16   

Trams 04 and 12  Departed AT 18-55 PM







Today  Thursday 24-03-16 

The Tram 10 Departed at 12-36 pm  and this is the last tram to leave . 








Only Tram 16 is now at the Depot  which is staying ,  More about all this is on another site.




THE END

There are four T69s down at the far end of the depot ,04-10-12-16      There are only three more to be taken away 04-10-12

10-16 Have had there pantographs all week ,probably recharging there batteries.

Has you may be aware , The T69s will probably be going to the Isle of Wight  ,If they do they will run on third rail (pantographs removed)

wednesday





05 departing Yesterday  16-18 Pm

To cut a long story short .......................


22-Dec-2012



25-may-2012


26-May-2012


Snowhill  23-August 2013  Just before all the fuss of the day



The lady  Herself  ,after rededicating the Tram she took a short ride to The Jewellery Quarter  for a photo shoot.
(That is not my reflection in the window,I aint that old !!)




After the photo shoot at The Jewellery Quarter Tram 11 Ran empty to Wednsebury Park way ,were it then Started its First passenger service with an all women crew.


Photo of the First passenger departure to head north bound







28-August-2013





20-September-2013

Tram 11 Was used to Test all the new Track-work on the New depot sidings before they opened




17-May-2014

Still looking good in her new colours





16-December-2014

Being escorted to the Far end of the depot ,worn out and withdrawn from service.
Tram 11 will sit here until 08-may-2016




At lest there's a few friends down There and more to come




Inside of Tram 11 ,drivers seat just torn out and left in the middle of the tram









Loading 08-March-2016




Leaving Home












Goodbye ..  The last Photo i took of Tram 11   (for now)





     Ms Theresa Stewart,  Tram 11  is not gone for good  ,but passing into another life .    she will once again work ,but not in this country.


To be continued..........................................................................................

To say the T69s are out for the count for GOOD is a little wide of the mark , there not being stored for no reason .
external Body wise there good  , and all but three were running less than 12 mnts ago.   

2 million per urbos 3  Vs      T69 ( scrap value £5k )  then a large rebuild cost per unit ?   






one T69 took its last breath just 2 weeks ago
   

8 page feature om Midland metro  out today in RAIL magazine - issue 781

Yes there is new loop ,it's on the South end of the depot.  Nearly all of the Urbos 3 trams have gone around it now and have been turned around. Before the information map inside each tram was the wrong way around, brum was at the the wolves end and wolves was at the brum end ,comments from passengers telling contuctors that some one had put them on the wrong way.  But little did they now that the trams  would go around the loop and  they were then in the correct way.
Last time looked only 18-22-25-31 in service had not been turned.