Took a quick trip to Sheffield where I had hoped to see one of the tram train cars but had to be satisfied with the Ikea tram! At Herdings.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Monday, November 20, 2017
BUENOS AIRES TRAMWAY HISTORICO NOVEMBER 2017 - photos
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| Poster in tram interior. The Tranvia Historico in Buenos Aires operates at weekends offering free rides around a loop of approximately 1 mile. The depot on Emilio Mitre Street is also used as a workshop for the Subte (underground system) cars. It must be quite a sight to see the Subte cars emerge from the underground and trundle along the street to the depot. |
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| Makers plate from Carris de Ferro do Porto |
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| Detail of the wood work in the interior |
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| Light fittings and clerestory glass |
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| Photo of tram 291 arriving onits low loader |
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| 258 controller |
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| Timetable |
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| Depot yard |
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| Info re Amigos Tranvia |
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| 258 passing the depot en route to the terminus |
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| Mr Podesta, still enthusiastic after many years |
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| People were queuing for the tram at least an hours before service started |
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| Along Emilio Mitre Street |
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| These are the gates and tacks where the Subte cars come up to the surface to get to the tram depot workshop |
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| Tranvia Cafe |
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| Tranvia terminus stop |
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| Passing the depot gates |
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| One of the cars in the depot |
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| Sube cars in the depot |
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| Another depot shot, showing a Subte car, engine and 125 |
PANAMA AND CANAL OCTOBER 2017
As part of a South Americn tour we decided to go to Panama in order to do a full transit of the canal from Pacific to Atlantic. Prior to that we had a guided tour of the ruins of old Panama City and on a visit to the Maritime Museum we saw the remnants of the Panama city tramway in the square outside.
What a fantastic and interesting passage through the canal it was. We left the start point on Flamingo Island at 0730 and travelled the 57 miles taking 10 hours to do the transit. When we set off it was announced that we would be accompanied through the locks by a sailing boat and car carrier. The car carrier, Grand Legacy, was the size of a cruise boat and was carrying 5800 cars. Apparently the compartments in the boat are adjustable so that they can be made to fit any size cars so as to optimise space. The fee for transiting the canal for the car carrier was $8000, plus pilot boat @ $300 per hour. The fees for using the canal are graduated on size of vessel, cargo carried etc. The Pacific side is +24 feet high and the Atlantic +2 feet.
Each fill/empty of the lock uses 26 million gallons of water and takes 8 minutes to do and is fed from Gatun Lake which is in the middle of the canal. The lakes takes the water run off from the Rain Forest.
What a fantastic and interesting passage through the canal it was. We left the start point on Flamingo Island at 0730 and travelled the 57 miles taking 10 hours to do the transit. When we set off it was announced that we would be accompanied through the locks by a sailing boat and car carrier. The car carrier, Grand Legacy, was the size of a cruise boat and was carrying 5800 cars. Apparently the compartments in the boat are adjustable so that they can be made to fit any size cars so as to optimise space. The fee for transiting the canal for the car carrier was $8000, plus pilot boat @ $300 per hour. The fees for using the canal are graduated on size of vessel, cargo carried etc. The Pacific side is +24 feet high and the Atlantic +2 feet.
Each fill/empty of the lock uses 26 million gallons of water and takes 8 minutes to do and is fed from Gatun Lake which is in the middle of the canal. The lakes takes the water run off from the Rain Forest.
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| Tram lines in the square outside the Maritime Museum |
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| Looking in the opposite direction |
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| Albrook bus terminal Panama city, very large and busy double deck bus terminal at the end of the Metro line, full of American school bus type buses. |
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| Panama City metro train |
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| Map celebrating 100 years of the canal |
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| As we approached our first lock, a ship carrying 100's of containers was entering the loop canal which has been built to accommodate longer vessels |
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| Grand Legacy car carrier in the lock with one of the mules |
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| Close up of a mule. These are attached to the larger vessels and contrary to popular opinion do not pull the vessels through the locks, but work together to keep the vessels in the centre of the lock to avoid collisions with the sides. |
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| Mules waiting to be deployed through the lock again |
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| Grand Le3gacy showing all four mules keeping her in the centre of the canal |
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| Grand Legacy and her mules showing not much spare space either side. As can be seen, the mules have to do some climbing and lowering depending on the height of water in the lock |
Sunday, November 12, 2017
MANCHESTER METROLINK OCTOBER 2017 Martin Miller
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Manchester Metrolink - Cornbrook -
The works at Piccadilly Gardens on Sunday 22nd October 2017 |
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| Weaste |
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| Manchester Metrolink - Media City Triangle |
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| Crumpsall where the Trafford Services will turn back in a couple of years time |
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| The fascinating remnant of a previous era at Weaste together with the modern day |
Saturday, November 11, 2017
HONG KONG NOVEMBER 2017 - Frank Bagshaw
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| Frank Bagshaw has found the North Point loop where trams slowly proceed through a market area full of people and traders. |
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| Look what’s running on the Peak Tramway! (Sorry can't turn the foto round - K) |
BIRMINGHAM GRAND CENTRAL OCTOBER 2017 - Martin Miller
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| Works underway for the extension towards the Town Hall |
NOTTINGHAM STATIION TRAMS OCTOBER 2017 - Martin Miller
I thought the marketing of cheap city centre journeys was quite a neat idea.
Nottingham Station Trams
