Thursday, June 27, 2013

HANDOVER OF DONATION IN RICHARD'S MEMORY 27 JUNE 2013

Today I visited Derby Royal Hospital to hand over a cheque for £4000 in aid of Pancreatitis Research to Mr Awan, Richard's Consultant and Karen Weaver, one of the senior nurses. As you can see we took the photo in the appropriate bus info area!

 I would like to thank everyone who made a donation at the funeral, people who have bought some of Richard's transport memorabilia collection either at rallies, or on Ebay, friends in Tangent Ladies Club and anyone else I have failed to mention. My daughter-in-law also managed to get a donation from Lloyds TSB for the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital, so thanks also go to her and Lloyds TSB. This money was used towards new sofa beds for the family bedsits available for intensive care patients' families at the hospital, which I used on many fraught occasions when I daren't go home.



Thursday, June 13, 2013

LIBEREC SUNDAY 30 JUNE SPECIAL TOUR - Mike Russell

Wilfried Wolf from Leipzig is intending to organise a special tour of Liberec on Sunday 30 Juneusing the last coupled set of Tatra T2 cars, nos. 18+19.  There will also be the opportunity to travel in the Liberec T2 museum car no. 17 and the Tatra T3M from Praha.
 
The tour is to start at the depot at 1000 and will finish at around 1600.  The cost per person is Euro29.
 
If anyone is interested in taking part, please notify Wilfried direct and without delay by e-mail on:williwolf1@gmx.de

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

120 YEARS OF ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS IN ESSEN - Mike Russell

 
The electric tramways of Essen will be 120 years old this year and I am advised that plans are under way for a big celebration to take place for one day only, on Saturday 21st September 2013, probably between 1100 and 1700hrs.
 
It is expected that there will be a rolling-stock display, a cavalcade of historic tramcars and a specially-reinforced service on Kulturlinie 107 serving the Zollverein World Heritage Site, using cars from the museum fleet.  It is understood that the neighbouring BOGESTRA undertaking, with whom Essen has a long working relationship, will also be contributing to the event.
 
Final details will not be available until later, but if you are interested you need to "block" this date in your diary now.

GOSSELIES TRAM ROUTE REOPENING UPDATE from Mike Russell

Further to my message of 28 May 2013, I have to inform you that I have been advised that the TEC has refused permission for the operation of SE-class motor car 9974 in connection with the re-opening celebrations for this line on 21/22 June.  This refusal has been issued on technical grounds.
Consequently, there will not now be any historic tramcar operation in connection with the re-opening.
It is hoped that the operation of an S-class museum car will be permitted later in the season, but as the car (Sm 9148) is not yet ready, it is not yet possible to give any indication of dates.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a look at this to refresh your memory of how things were in the late 80's/early 90's Check out http://www.focustransport.org.uk/gfocus2.aspx for a review of the DVD.
 More titles available now -

Soviet Scenes 1 & 2 - Visit to what is now 6 new countries in 1990
Bus Wars of 1987
Andean Adventure 1 & 2 - rail tour of Peru in October 2005 - due out 16 June