Noticed an item about the modernisation of the Blackpool Tramway. Apart from the new state-of-the-art trams the city wants to bring back tram track up Talbot Street to Blackpool North Railway Station as part of the improvements. In addition they would like to extend from Star Gate to the airport but would need outside funding for that.
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Tram progress in Blackpool
- Thread starter rjhowie
- Start date
TramDU1214
No custom Title :-(
I think, they should have kept the old line as a "herritage" line, like the F in San Francisco. All the sights (Tower, the piers, and the Pleasure Beach come to mind) conected with vintage trams in regular service.
Not as a tourist attraction, but somehow like the MER.
And they should have built a modern Light Rail to run in addition to the old line, not modernize the old tram.
But luckily there is the MER nearby for a proper Interurban (Just fly across the irish sea).
Not as a tourist attraction, but somehow like the MER.
And they should have built a modern Light Rail to run in addition to the old line, not modernize the old tram.
But luckily there is the MER nearby for a proper Interurban (Just fly across the irish sea).
Well there are several tram systems in Great Britain these days although Blackpool was the only city to keep them running through the long gap years. However the 2 extensioins I mentioned are not the only ones looked at there is a third one but as I said the funding will be the problem. Before WW2 it was more extensive. So with trams in London, Manchester (where it is going to be doubled), Nottingham, West Midlands/Birmingham, Sheffield, Blackpool (and Edinburgh next) no need to particularily fall back on going over to Dublin! However I will say that the Luath system over there is commendable too.
My memories of Blackpool trams will always be from holidays as a youngster in the sixties and early seventies. Proper trolley pole operation (not pantographs) and decent sounding warning horns to distinguish from rubber tyred vehicles. Not a screaming thyristor controller in earshot either, just the classic traction "whine" from the motors. While the modernisation and acquistion of the new Flexity trams is good news for the future of the system, I hope you will forgive those like myself who prefer to remember it as it was.
Well Vern, I can sympathise with you to a goodly degree. I still bemoan the loss the large and impressive tramways system lost here in Glasgow. As a wee boy I was thrilled to live on a main trunk route with 6 tram routes. Then over 5 years ago I picked up a giant sketch map of the whole thing at the Annual Scottish Model Rail Show at the Exhibition Centre and over three years built the whol dashed tramway in all parts and suburbs of Glasgow. It is still sitting on one of my pc's as I need to catch up onj the list of errors showing up and have been distracted while building the whooe of the NIR now in Ulster.
This way I can re-live my rather giant tramway days and my love affair with it and their tram cars or "caurs" in the local venacular. Having all the different types of Glasgow trams lovingly and greatly produced by Silversmith is the icing on the cake! As for Blackpool many of the vehicles had been cannibalised beyond the norm and the time comes when a limit is reached however I am sure heritage cars will occasionally still be seen to please us? Not building up any hopes but the project of 3 lines would be brilliant but at least they are not letting what they have fall apart.
This way I can re-live my rather giant tramway days and my love affair with it and their tram cars or "caurs" in the local venacular. Having all the different types of Glasgow trams lovingly and greatly produced by Silversmith is the icing on the cake! As for Blackpool many of the vehicles had been cannibalised beyond the norm and the time comes when a limit is reached however I am sure heritage cars will occasionally still be seen to please us? Not building up any hopes but the project of 3 lines would be brilliant but at least they are not letting what they have fall apart.
Neither "extension" has much hope of being built.
From North pier to the station is perhaps 8 mins walk at my slow pace, 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile. I doubt the trams are kitted out to carry lots of suitcases and the peak holiday season is only 4-5 months at a push.
Starr gate to the Airport, maybe nearer a mile and a lot less potential for customers.
Did you know the trams stops are incompatible, new raised platforms for the new ones and I guess footpath level for the old trams. So when they run both types in the peak season they obviously can't use the same stops.
I take it they don't do street level entry trams. Not particularly well thought out that one in my view.
From North pier to the station is perhaps 8 mins walk at my slow pace, 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile. I doubt the trams are kitted out to carry lots of suitcases and the peak holiday season is only 4-5 months at a push.
Starr gate to the Airport, maybe nearer a mile and a lot less potential for customers.
Did you know the trams stops are incompatible, new raised platforms for the new ones and I guess footpath level for the old trams. So when they run both types in the peak season they obviously can't use the same stops.
I take it they don't do street level entry trams. Not particularly well thought out that one in my view.
TramDU1214
No custom Title :-(
The platform problem is not a problem at all.
There is a step from street level into all cars and platforms could be build to provide level access to the Flexitys and a with small step (and Gap) to the trams.
It is just a matter of design. It works in quite a few german cities. Why couldn't they make it work, too.
BTW: There is an other first generation town tramway (animal powered) on the British Isles (Douglas, Isle of Man) and even an Interurban (MER (Douglas-Ramsey) IoM) in regular service using old trams. If you don't like the modernization, the Isle of Man does offer regular working steam aswell and you can just fly "across".
There is a step from street level into all cars and platforms could be build to provide level access to the Flexitys and a with small step (and Gap) to the trams.
It is just a matter of design. It works in quite a few german cities. Why couldn't they make it work, too.
BTW: There is an other first generation town tramway (animal powered) on the British Isles (Douglas, Isle of Man) and even an Interurban (MER (Douglas-Ramsey) IoM) in regular service using old trams. If you don't like the modernization, the Isle of Man does offer regular working steam aswell and you can just fly "across".
Yes, I do have to sadly agree the extensions in Talbot Street and south of Starr Gate will ever happen or the third one to the east of the city. Oddly the suggestion was being made in a magazine article that Talbot Street was part of the present modernisation. Trams di, I undertsand once go beyond Starr Gate but suspect there was never enough revenue hence the cutting off?
Looking through some of my books about the Blackpool system(s), I believe there was an extension from Squires Gate as it was known then along the coast to St Annes but presumably this lost out to buses vs speed and comfort. The Flexitys could probably compete on that but sadly when the cost of putting up a simple shelter or stop costs more than a 3 bed detached house, let alone putting down the rails and overhead wires, it's never going to happen.
nathanmallard
Well-known member
Just saw this:
http://tramways-monthly.com/2011/10/future-of-ltt-trams-hangs-in-the-balance/
I think this is disgusting and Blackpool Transport need to rethink their ideas. Why not just fit wide doors to the entire fleet such as they did for 10 Balloons they are keeping. It would cost less, wouldn't it? As for the Flexitys, they are a waste of money and once the 'wow' factor wears off everybody will hate them as they are not 'proper' Blackpool Trams. Nobody wants them. Hopefully they will not last long before they are replaced by the traditional cars and the LTT will find a home for it's trams.
http://tramways-monthly.com/2011/10/future-of-ltt-trams-hangs-in-the-balance/
I think this is disgusting and Blackpool Transport need to rethink their ideas. Why not just fit wide doors to the entire fleet such as they did for 10 Balloons they are keeping. It would cost less, wouldn't it? As for the Flexitys, they are a waste of money and once the 'wow' factor wears off everybody will hate them as they are not 'proper' Blackpool Trams. Nobody wants them. Hopefully they will not last long before they are replaced by the traditional cars and the LTT will find a home for it's trams.
Always meant to have a closer look at the Blackpool tram history Vern and where lines used to be.
As for the possibility of losing the old trams that would be kind of a real sadness. After all the city kept the only real tram system for decades when they died everywhere up until now when modern tramways have appeared in several places.
As for the possibility of losing the old trams that would be kind of a real sadness. After all the city kept the only real tram system for decades when they died everywhere up until now when modern tramways have appeared in several places.
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