The loss of any tram is a sad occasion and 2014 has seen more than its fair share of trams sacrificed to the scrap man, with 26 Metrolink vehicles having been disposed of so far during the year, the highest number of trams dismantled for scrap in a single year since 1962. However, as sad as it is to lose a tram which has given such faithful service, this is multiplied exponentially wen it is the last of the class which is lost. Fortunately, there has not been an entire class of tram wiped out in Britain since the Swansea and Mumbles line closed in 1960 and the last survivor enjoyed only a brief escape to Leeds before vandalism and outside storage took its toll. Since then an example of every doomed class has been secured for preservation through the efforts of enthusiasts and it is still possible to view a Glasgow Coronation and a Cunarder, a Roberts Car, a domed roof tram and a Standard from Sheffield, both types of tram which ran on the Grimsby and Immingham line and an example of all the types which survived in Blackpool after 1963. However, this happy situation could soon be compromised as in Manchester lies a now unique tram, T68a 2001, the last survivor of its type and currently under threat of following its five sisters to the scrap yard, eradicating the type completely. Not only is 2001 now a solitary survivor but, due to its limited mileage, should also be in excellent condition, making its retention for preservation much more crucial. Will it be saved? Only time will tell, but its size and the difficulty of housing such a tram must count against it. Heaton Park have already stepped in to ensure a representative of the original batch of T68’s will live on and it would probably be unfair to expect the society to attempt to save a T68a as well but, with time ticking on and the future of 2001 hanging in the balance, hopefully someone, somewhere will devise a rescue package and ensure that this short lived class of tram does not follow the example of the Leeds Middleton Bogies, the Aberdeen streamliners or the Manchester Pilchers, to name but a few, and be lost forever to future generations. To raise awareness of the plight of 2001, or cover photos this week are dedicated to this now very significant vehicle, with two views taken at opposite ends of its brief career. The banner picture shows 2001 in original condition and livery, standing at Eccles terminus on the route for which the T68a’s were purchased and upon which they spent the majority of their career. In contrast, the profile picture shows a more recent view, with 2001 shown in its current livery heading towards Deansgate-Castlefield on a service to Altrincham. Apart from the ongoing fleet replacement in Manchester, it has been a relatively quiet week on the tram front, although the spate of accidents which have befallen tramways, especially in Germany, was definitely a newsworthy event but one which it was particularly regrettable to have to report. As the year winds down, it is almost time to examine all the developments of the past twelve months and select the Top 20, which will be counted down on the site starting next week – what would you choose as your tramway highlight of 2014? Our two features will be continuing unchanged over the week ahead with further developments from ten years ago covered, focussing, for most of the week, on the Manx Electric Railway before then moving on to the world of tramway preservation, starting with a look at developments at Crich during 2004. The site will also bring you further instalments of the series focusing on Prague, looking primarily at the efforts made to reduce the amount of ageing T3’s which remained in the fleet around the turn of the century and how experiments were conducted on selected members in order to modernise the design and prolong their careers. In addition to this, of course, all the latest news will be brought to you although, as is usual at this time of the year, it is not expected to be a busy one on the tramway front. However, as ever, some surprises may well be lurking around the corner to end the year on a high point. I hope everyone enjoys the content planned over the week to come and, as usual, a warm welcome is extended to all who have discovered and joined the site over the last seven days.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 20:15:18 +0000
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