PCC Exhibition

I think that the PCC Exhibition is to be dismantled and incorporated into the new exhibition. Depot VI will then be used for tramcar storage. It must be remembered that Depots V and VI have better insulation than Depots II, III and IV.

Trees

Thanks for your comment Gordon. I changed the design of the blog slightly to widen the column which allows two pictures to be displayed side by side on a widescreen laptop but I now realise it doesn't work on a standard screen desktop monitor. So I have changed it back. I have changed to a design with a border to reduce the expanse of white space on laptops.
Thanks also to Geoff for his comments. I have changed the heading text to white in the short term. The answer is to choose a more suitable picture such as on my bus blog but I like this one so I will leave it for a while.

Shunting

 Yesterday morning Blackpool 40, Glasgow 812 and London Transport 1622 were towed to the workshop for commissioning. Glasgow 22 and Leeds 180 were driven under their own power from the workshop to Depot V.

Many years ago we used to check and grease all the overhead frogs at the beginning of each season and the trams promptly dewired. Glasgow 22 kept up the tradition, this time because it had a new trolley head.

Town End - 26th January 2010

Work on the track has restarted with rapid progress filling in the space between the rails prior to ashphalting. Felling several trees and removing the undergrowth has opened up new vistas.

Glasgow 1115

When I published these pictures of 1115 last August I assumed that 1115 was a permanent part of the Exhibition. I thought that it formed the centre pice of the most effective display, and that it would remain there for the rest of my lifetime. How wrong I was!

During the past couple of weeks the old exhibition has been taken down and 1115 has been moved for the first time in the best part of 20 years.

Please click here and here for recent pictures. Please note that these are not my pictures and that I have not tried to enter the Exhibition Hall.

Finally, I hope that the small exhibit displays on the left of the second picture will be retained.

Green Door to Exhibition Hall

Work behind the Green Door has continued this week. All the 'trade stands' on the back wall have been dismantled and the 'stable'  has been prised apart.

Click here for more information on the New Tramway Century Exhibition.

Please note that these are not my pictures and that I have not tried to enter the Exhibition Hall which is now clearly signed as a hard hat, high vis jacket and safety boot area.

Blackpool trams

It has been announced that two Blackpool trams are being donated to the Museum. These are open 'boat' car 607 seen here at Crich in 1985 and double decker 712 seen here at Fleetwood last September.

Thanks to http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/ for confirming that 607 was at Crich in 1985.

Damp trams

The open depot doors allowed me to take these pictures. Most of the trams were wet through with condensation.

Town End - 19th January 2010

The snow has gone but the labour force has not returned from the Exhibition Hall.

Croydon Tramlink 058 (3)

The side boards for trailer 061 were delivered with 058 so it was driven round the depot fan for these to be fitted. An interesting detail is the parking brake which acts on the side of the wheel. Finally it was taken to the workshop. 

Croydon Tramlink 058 (2)

The lorry came equipped with two lengths of railway rail which were used on their sides for form a ramp. The tram was then driven down the ramp under its own power.

Croydon Tramlink 058 (1)

A works tram from Croydon was delivered to Crich today. Here are a series of pictures showing it being unloaded. The lorry tractor unit was built in Australia and claims to be the only one of its kind in Europe.

The tram is also diesel powered with a two stroke engine and mechanical transmission driving both axles.

When icicles hang

WHEN icicles hang by the wall

And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,
And Tom bears logs into the hall,
And milk comes frozen home in pail;
When blood is nipt, and ways be foul,
Then nightly sings the staring owl
Tu-whoo!
Tu-whit! tu-whoo! A merry note!
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

When all around the wind doth blow,
And coughing drowns the parson's saw,
And birds sit brooding in the snow,
And Marian's nose looks red and raw;
When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl—
Then nightly sings the staring owl 
Tu-whoo!
Tu-whit! tu-whoo! A merry note!
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

Air brakes

Work is continuing on the overhaul of the air brake system on Blackpool 167.