Trivia: Services that run in a loop

[CHAPS2034]

Are trams allowed - if any of the UK systems have turning circles at both ends of a route then they would count.

Blackpool Trams have loops at both Fleetwood and Starr Gate

 

[westcoaster]

Thameslink have St.Albans - Sutton Loop trains, which alternating via Wimbledon or Mitcham Jn.
Trains usually wait for 2 - 3 mins at Sutton before continuing around the loop back towards London and change headcode there (e.g. 9V29 becomes 9V30).
But this should still count, since all trains continue from Sutton and TL even name their timetable for the line "Sutton & Wimbledon Loop Services".

Indeed, some even carry on to Bedford late at night 4 hours non stop driving.

We even used to do Bedford to Bedford via Sutton in the peaks.

 

[Macwomble]

Are trams allowed - if any of the UK systems have turning circles at both ends of a route then they would count.

Don't know about any of the UK trams......the Hong Kong trams have driver controls at one end only....so they must loop.

 

[USBT]

Don't know about any of the UK trams......the Hong Kong trams have driver controls at one end only....so they must loop.

If you’re referring to the double decker trams I’ve seen on Hong Kong Island, those are real trams of the type that ran in central London in the early 20th century (long gone well before I was born).

The Croydon trams referred to above are what I’d call “light rail”. They run through Croydon town center streets but outside the center operate “fast” along former National Rail trackbeds.

 

[Macwomble]

If you’re referring to the double decker trams I’ve seen on Hong Kong Island, those are real trams of the type that ran in central London in the early 20th century (long gone well before I was born).

That's the ones...."proper" trams indeed.....still going strong & I can just about remember the Glasgow Trams (which went a few years after I was born).

 

[Deafdoggie]

Blackpool Trams have loops at both Fleetwood and Starr Gate

But they don't loop at Starr Gate. They reverse, but loop at Fleetwood. A passenger could loop at Fleetwood, but can't at Starr Gate. The trams never loop at Starr Gate as it goes in/out the wash and depot. They drop off, draw forward onto the single track, then change ends, and pull into the opposite platform to start back to Fleetwood. All trams loop at Fleetwood, The nighttime "shorts" loop at Little Bispham instead. No Flexity trams are booked to change ends at the North end, non are booked to loop at Starr Gate.

The Heritage trams loop at Pleasure beach (South end of their route) and change ends at the North end! They only run to North Pier or Cabin normally. On special running days when they go to Fleetwood, they do loop there, and the illumination tours also loop at Little Bispham.

In short, the only Blackpool Trams to loop both ends, are the special heritage runs from Pleasure Beach to Fleetwood, and the illumination tours Pleasure Beach to Little Bispham.

 

[Crossover]

Are trams allowed - if any of the UK systems have turning circles at both ends of a route then they would count.

Blackpool has a loop at Fleetwood so the trams there don't reverse and that is in service. I believe there are also balloon loops at Bispham and Pleasure Beach for terminating trams (though not taken in service I don't think) and there is also a non-passenger loop at Starr Gate through the depot road - ordinarily though trams at Starr Gate reverse (via a shunt move?) (the depot road avoids Starr Gate stop anyway in one direction)

EDIT: Had missed page two, so most of this is a repeat

 

[Crossover]

Don't know about any of the UK trams......the Hong Kong trams have driver controls at one end only....so they must loop.

There are some in Europe too. I think it was Munich where I saw this (I believe the non-driving end may have shunt controls) where there are loops at both ends of the route

 

[Deafdoggie]

Blackpool has a loop at Fleetwood so the trams there don't reverse and that is in service. I believe there are also balloon loops at Bispham and Pleasure Beach for terminating trams (though not taken in service I don't think) and there is also a non-passenger loop at Starr Gate through the depot road - ordinarily though trams at Starr Gate reverse (via a shunt move?) (the depot road avoids Starr Gate stop anyway in one direction)

EDIT: Had missed page two, so most of this is a repeat

The Pleasure beach and Little Bispham loops can be ridden in service in heritage trams. But not Flexcity trams. That said, most heritage trams terminate in Pleasure Beach loop, so you have to get off. But it can, very occasionally, be done. There are two tracks round Pleasure Beach loop, one is generally used to park trams on between trips, the other can see heritage trams run round. However, it is not unknown for Heritage trams to reverse here rather than run round the loop! Anyone wanting to travel the Little Bispham loop, your best bet is an illumination tour.

 

[Bovverboy]

There are some in Europe too. I think it was Munich where I saw this (I believe the non-driving end may have shunt controls) where there are loops at both ends of the route

All the major Swiss cities have systems with single-ended trams and terminal loops - Zurich, Basle, Geneva, & Berne.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Didn’t they used to have Victoria-Balham-West Croydon-Sutton-Wimbledon-Holborn Viaduct?