Richard's Tram Blog

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

TRIESTE OPICINE 2 OCTOBER 2013

A day trip to Trieste was taken, even though the tram line is not currently running.

We took the coach up the hill to a view point and while we were there this tram appeared on test running

We carried on up the hill to the depot and managed to get permission to go inside the depot area.

This car came out for a run too

407 returning

Bus in substitution

407 back in depot yard

Workshop

406 in the depot yard

405 in the workshop

No 6 in the depot

No 6

No 1 work in progress

402 being returned to workshop

BRESCIA AND PADUA 1 OCTOBER 2013

Tram at Pontevigodazere terminus

Interior view

Tram starting its journey to Guizza

Crossing tracks

Central Padua

Snazzy shelters in town centre

Guizza terminus

En route from Bergamo to Venice we visited the new automatic metro in Brescia and the Translohr tram in Padua.

Brescia Metro in station with both metro and platform doors open

Surface metro signs and street furniture at Sant Eufemia

Well lit tunnels


Metro car at Sant Eufemia

Sunday, October 13, 2013

BERGAMO 30 SEPTEMBER 2013

This morning dawned dull and raining.

Bergamo to Albino line at Albino Station

Tram arriving into Albino Station

Tram at Bergamo Station - a fairly unremarkable line along a disused railway track

Bergamo funicular from Lower town to Citta Alta old town

No apologies for the photo of the bus on route 21 - it was a replacement for the Vigilio funicular lunch break. What a journey, hairpins, steep hills and all without taking the foot off the accelerator except to pick up passengers.


The Vigilio funicular arriving for the 3pm service after lunch break. I rode to the top and came straight back down again as I had seen the view on the bus ride. Those who caught the next journey had the pleasure of climbing out of the funicular by ladder when it broke down just outside the top station!

MILAN 29 SEPTEMBER 2013 EN ROUTE TO BERGAMO

This morning we transferred to Milan for the day before moving on to Bergamo for the night.

The coach was parked at Ponale station on Metro M5 from where we caught the route 31 tram

The interior of the new trams seems like travelling in a swimming pool! Not at all what I would call Italian styling.

Route 3 setting off to Grottosoglio near Duomo

Route 27 on way to 6 Februario

Route 1 on way to Greco

Route 1 running around the streets near Duomo and La Scala

Milan in one photo!

Line 5 where it crosses route 3

Route 1 through the arches

Route 19 at Porta Genova

SASSY-SUPERGA TURIN ON 28 SEPTEMBER 2013

I took the Sassy-Superga rack line to the top of the hill during the afternoon of our visit. It seemed that the intermediate stations were all not in use and in the main fenced off. (Superga is a building at the top of the hill which houses the tombs of the Savoie family)

Depot yard at Sassy

D3 with trailer not in service the day we were there

Tram arriving from Superga

Tram at Superga statiion showing bike trailer

Tram setting off from Superga

Rack reail

Controller on D2

Smaller size tram in depot yard at Sassy

TURIN 28 SEPTEMBER 2013

A very long day was had in Turin. Massimo, one of the Italian enthusiasts had arranged for us to have one of the museum trams for a run around the city between 2100 and 2300 hours, a very eventful couple of hours. We had been travelling about 30 minutes when we came to a sudden halt where a pizza delivery motorbike and rider were lying in the track and we were stuck there until the police/ambulance arrived and cleared the scene, but not before a fellow pizza delivery driver arrived and took the pizzas from his box to get them delivered!. It was decided to abort the tour and were taken various shortcuts through the city to get to the route 4 tram to our hotel, but not before another sudden stop when two drunks fell into the track in front of our tram!