TRAMTALK

Blackpool is the setting for a long overdue conference on light rail and its implications for the Fylde coast to be held on the 18th February at the Imperial Hotel venue from 0900.  Organised and hosted by the LRTA - the Conference coordinator is Sam...

Whilst Blackpool's almost unique policy of building up a bus and tram fleet entirely with centre entrance bodywork from 1933 onwards may have seemed strange to British eyes, it was very much in evidence in several European capitals.   Berlin, Paris a...

By way of illustrating the level of skilled work involved in bringing an old tram back to life in its original condition - the National Tramway Museum are close to completing several years of dedicated effort (and expense) in finalising the return of...

Whilst constant reference is made to the shoals of vintage era trams held in Rigby Road Depot with ever manipulative 'rebranding' by the Paint Shop - in fact very little real restoration in the fullest sense of the term has taken place thus far at Ri...

The busiest weekend out of season brought thousands of visitors into Blackpool's centre and the Winter Gardens for the annual pigeon show.   Queues outside the Winter Gardens together with long lines of taxis lining up for trade contrasted with the h...

Whilst British tram systems were typified by the common use of trolleypoles for current collection elsewhere in many European countries, Germany in particular, pantographs were more or less standard features on most tramway fleets.    There were of c...

 For the benefit of our readers in The Netherlands and following on the story of Aachen 1010 arriving in the Isle of Man in the 1970s - some further memories from Rotterdam when that city's tram system was dominated by centre entrance bogie cars - al...

The Government of Wales is pressing forward with total overhaul of its urban transport network in Cardiff and the South Wales area.   A new Metro system that utilises the existing local and regional railway infrastructure is already approved.  This e...

The latest UK city to move against private car usage in its central district is Birmingham.  The city council announced plans to restrict private cars from travel through the centre of the city favouring park and ride from sites on the periphery of t...

A long familiar banking name has occupied the key corner of Abingdon Street and Church Street.   Yorkshire Penny Bank as it was set up shop here in the 1920s, if not before.  Its premises and branding have of course changed over the decades with the...