TRAMTALK

Amid today's media interviews on recent the private journeys of the Prime Minister's Senior Advisor - an obviously strained Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport (who is actually doing a good job) has endorsed plans to reopen two of the many...

It is hard to recall the quietly distinctive treelined avenue to the east of Blackpool's town centre.  Complete with winding tramway tracks and accompanying sleek trams following their ordained path from the front of the Town Hall to the bustling com...

Once familiar scenes - this time in May 2013 with 'Trevor Roberts' styled branding across the bus fleet.  Not a 'Palladium' in sight.  The smart turnout of all the vehicles does the company proud.     All Images :   John Woodman...

Blackpool residents grew accustomed to a startling new yellow and black themed brand on their buses by the end of the 1990s.  A new manager,  Trevor Roberts came from the publicly owned Newport system taking over from Steve Burd and was quick to phas...

Amid the daily online and media coverage of the viral infection affecting everyone there is an image on SkyNews website of streetcleaning in Istanbul along a tramline with a once typical tramcar in the background.   In fact this is close to the termi...

Prototype rail coach 208 in its modified Vambac condition heads out of Talbot Square passing both the Town Hall (right) and the classic 'Yates Lodge' structure which so eminently provided stature to the civic district.   Now both the structure and tr...

Blackpool's tramway began with double deck cars - ten in all - configured to conduit current collection and with open tops on two axle trucks (or trunnions).   Thereafter the fleet grew in number exponentially.  After takeover by Blackpool Corporatio...

Blackpool's continuance with operating single deck trams is now the norm in today's light rail world where modular designs with fanciful frontal styling and even more garish external colour schemes are accepted practise.  In truth some of the light r...

The latest outpouring of government edicts on what one can and cannot do across the nation impacts us all whatever our condition.   Advice on avoiding public transport wherever and whenever possible has already had a massive affect on passenger numbe...

Forever a lingering remnant from the 1960s with its connecting single line track as far as the Promenade from the town's first tram depot - Blundell Street has morphed into a new housing development.   Encompassing both the former gas and electricity...