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Heritage Tram at Manchester Victoria

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Simon Poole

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I came across this from watching a vlog on YouTube and seen this on Twitter but on the 20th October, Manchester Victoria celebrates 175 years and Northern having a open day at the station.

Now this is quoted from their twitter page:

To celebrate #ManchesterVictoria turning 175, Northern is hosting an exciting open day at the station on 20th October! Head down to learn more about the station’s incredible history, ride on a heritage tram, and enjoy stalls, food, drinks & live entertainment!

It mention that you be able to ride on a Heritage Tram on this day and making me wonder what kind of heritage tram will be used for the day?
 
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Jamesrob637

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I came across this from watching a vlog on YouTube and seen this on Twitter but on the 20th October, Manchester Victoria celebrates 175 years and Northern having a open day at the station.

Now this is quoted from their twitter page

To celebrate #ManchesterVictoria turning 175, Northern is hosting an exciting open day at the station on 20th October! Head down to learn more about the station’s incredible history, ride on a heritage tram, and enjoy stalls, food, drinks & live entertainment!

It mention that you be able to ride on a Heritage Tram on this day and making me wonder what kind of heritage tram will be used for the day?

Pacer with a pantograph :lol:
 

Shaw S Hunter

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After trawling various sites I've found nothing immediately relevant. However that weekend does see the Greater Manchester Transport Society staging Transpo 50 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original PTEs starting their own operations and this will certainly include their usual shuttle service between the city centre and the Museum of Transport operated by heritage buses.
 

Simon Poole

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Pacer with a pantograph :lol:

Possibly T68 1007 or one of the T68A's that were kept for future use? They are technically heritage.

LOL to the pacer with the pantograph and that's what I was thinking that it maybe 1007, or a T68A, I did see a few in Manchester before withdrawn, in fact I also seen one or two in Long Marston in 2016.
 

Ianno87

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Possibly T68 1007 or one of the T68A's that were kept for future use? They are technically heritage.

LOL to the pacer with the pantograph and that's what I was thinking that it maybe 1007, or a T68A, I did see a few in Manchester before withdrawn, in fact I also seen one or two in Long Marston in 2016.

A bit of a stretched definition of "heritage", and are they still fitted with the signalling kit needed to operate on Metrolink 'proper'?
 

507 001

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A bit of a stretched definition of "heritage", and are they still fitted with the signalling kit needed to operate on Metrolink 'proper'?

1007 is. However it would need a fair bit of work to get it running again, not to mention driver refreshers.
 

LOL The Irony

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A bit of a stretched definition of "heritage", and are they still fitted with the signalling kit needed to operate on Metrolink 'proper'?
I recall a few T68A's being kept for crowd busting or something like that, so have been on standby for the past 7 years despite never being used.
 

bluegoblin7

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I recall a few T68A's being kept for crowd busting or something like that, so have been on standby for the past 7 years despite never being used.

No T68As were kept for "crowd busting", there was talk of using one for ice-breaking/works duties but this was very quickly deemed unfeasible. Just one T68A, 2001, remains on Metrolink.

I expect that this is some creative wording, as 507 001 has pointed out the logistics of running 1007 would be complex, and any of the nearby Manchester Transport Museum Society's trams at Heaton Park would not be compatible with Metrolink on a fundamental level. It could mean that Heaton Park will be operating on that day.
 

Puffing Devil

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It could mean that Heaton Park will be operating on that day.

Unlikely, as they are closed until they can get the funds to replace their stolen overhead copper cable!

http://hptramway.co.uk/index.php/news/
Posted on 25th September 2019
Overhead Wire STOLEN!

It is with great sadness that we must announce that we are indefinitely closed due to the theft of overhead wire. Our dedicated volunteers are working hard to work out how best to replace missing wire and repair other damaged caused.

***Update*** We have now launched a GoFundMe page at the suggestion of many of our followers...
Perhaps it will be left live 24/7 in the future.......
 
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bluegoblin7

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The wire has been replaced with the assistance of TfGM and Keolis Amey Metrolink and a re-opening is hoped for in the next few weeks.

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2019/10/metrolink-complete-heaton-help.html
Work has begun to repair Heaton Park’s tramway after it was targeted by thieves last week.

The repairs are a collaboration between Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), Keolis Amey Metrolink (KAM) and specialist transport engineering firm, Pod-Trak...

...the repairs were completed in a day...
It is also possible that something was planned prior to the theft and that it wasn’t fully communicated through to Northern’s PR team.
 
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jp4712

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After trawling various sites I've found nothing immediately relevant. However that weekend does see the Greater Manchester Transport Society staging Transpo 50 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original PTEs starting their own operations and this will certainly include their usual shuttle service between the city centre and the Museum of Transport operated by heritage buses.
We will indeed, the details of the event are on the Museum's website at http://www.gmts.co.uk/what-s-on.html#mainevent . The bus timetable, including times at Corporation St next to Victoria, are at http://www.gmts.co.uk/what-s-on.html#centreshuttle

On Sunday 20th there'll be free vintage bus services between the Museum of Transport, Corporation St opposite Victoria station (stop NU) and Shudehill Interchange (stand E); and between the Museum and Heaton Park Tramway. But I don't know anything about heritage trams, sorry.
 
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507 001

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I recall a few T68A's being kept for crowd busting or something like that, so have been on standby for the past 7 years despite never being used.

No idea where you’ve got that from!

the theory that 2001 was being retained for engineering use appears to have just been a rumour too.
 

Ianno87

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How many T68/T68As are actually still surviving (i.e. not scrapped)? Is that motley (graffiti-covered) collection round the back of Trafford depot still there?
 

StoneRoad

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I am just joking here, but it could be either steam or horse powered, as long as it is on (temporary) rails, trams don't have to be electrically powered.
 

WatcherZero

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The designation was only used internally, so unless you worked for them you wouldn't really see it that often.
 

Puffing Devil

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The wire has been replaced with the assistance of TfGM and Keolis Amey Metrolink and a re-opening is hoped for in the next few weeks.

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2019/10/metrolink-complete-heaton-help.html

It is also possible that something was planned prior to the theft and that it wasn’t fully communicated through to Northern’s PR team.

That's great news.

However, I am very disappointed with the tramway as there is no mention of this at all on their website as the last headline news is about the theft of the cable. I checked there to see if repairs had been made.

I am doubly disappointed that the Go Fund Me page for the restoration of the cable is still open with no mention that the cable has been reinstated. People are still donating in good faith, last one four days ago (6/10/19).
 

Ianno87

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That's the first time I've seen that designation. Does it denote the T68A-alike refurb?

I think (correct me if I'm wrong) T68Xs are the original T68s that got the modifications necessary to run to Eccles?
 

rebmcr

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What did those mods consist of? The obvious stuff was bogie fairings, coupler covers, internal PIS (with the typeface made from intricate tesslating LED panels), and flip-dot destination boards in place of roller blinds. None of that seems necessary for Eccles running, though, so I suppose there is more on a technical level?
 

jp4712

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The heritage tram at Victoria will be Manchester 173, ordinarily resident at Heaton Park. But I don’t know how/if it will give rides.
 

507 001

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What did those mods consist of? The obvious stuff was bogie fairings, coupler covers, internal PIS (with the typeface made from intricate tesslating LED panels), and flip-dot destination boards in place of roller blinds. None of that seems necessary for Eccles running, though, so I suppose there is more on a technical level?

The original T68X program included the fairings and covers required for Eccles. The regulations had changed between phase 1&2 requiring them.
The T68M program included the LED destination blinds and internal PIS. The phase 1 vehicles never received the flip dot type blinds that the phase 2s (T68a) had.

The weird thing about phase 1 and 2 vehicles, is that they were actually better for the opposite line that they were built for.
T68s were fine on Eccles, where T68a vehicles would overheat in summer due to the slow running between Pomona and Broadway.
T68a vehicles were considerably quicker to get to 50, so were much more suited to mainline running when they were finally let loose on there a few years before withdrawal. The only real issue they had with mainline work was that they couldn’t be worked in multiple due to some weird Italian wiring issues that were never fully resolved.
Both were infinitely more suited to the network than the current fleet though, reliability aside.
 
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WatcherZero

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Italians never follow plans (or consistent colour coding) when wiring, same issue with Italian sportscars, no two are wired the same.
 

Ianno87

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Italians never follow plans (or consistent colour coding) when wiring, same issue with Italian sportscars, no two are wired the same.

Allegedly, of the original fleet of 26 T68s, every single one came from the factory wired up differently....
 
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