Leeds 180

Leeds 180 and Glasgow 22 were in service yesterday.

Derby Telegraph - good news

Today's Derby Telegraph reports that the Heritage Lottery grant for the Stone Workshop has been approved.
A press release was also posted on the official web site together with a picture yesterday but I saw the newspaper report first.

Town End - 30th March 2010

Poland

We have now returned from Poland after a very pleasant visit with spring sunshine and planes, trains, trams all running punctually. We visited three cities: Wroclaw, Katowice and Krakow.

Wroclaw has a pedestrianised centre which is surrounded by quite a dense network of tram routes and also canal bridges. There are significant road works and diversions but most of the tram track is in good condition and our lasting impression is of well maintained trams going through junctions at seemingly breakneck speeds.

The Katowice tramway network has improved tremendously since my last visit four years ago when it was very run down and the timetable was fiction with about one third of all journeys missing and frequent breakdowns. On this trip every tram we travelled on was on time, we didn't see a breakdown and we didn't wait for a tram that wasn't running. The worst of the track has been repaired and the trams now look cared for with lots of evidence detailed improvements. Some routes have closed, in particular the trunk route to Gliwice, but others are being improved in particlar the main line eastwards from Katowice to the depot has been relaid to modern standards.  There are several single track sections with gutter running which result in tram passengers having to board in the middle of the road which will have to be upgraded. Katowice has a wonderful tramway and now is a good time to visit it.

Krakow is a major international tourist destination but, as in Wroclaw, the main sights are in the central pedestrianised area. From a tramway point of view Nowa Huta with its vast steel works and communist architecture is more interesting. There is more variety of trams here with second hand cars from Germany and Austria running alongside the ubiquitous Konstals and new low floor cars.

All in all I can recommend all three cities but Katowice is still the most interesting.  

last week's news

A lot has happened whilst I was in Poland.
Blackpool 249 left Blackpool on Friday and was unloaded at Crich very early on Saturday morning. The lowloader was then used to turn HTM 1147 so that it now faces south. I think it will be positioned at the back of the exhibition hall between London Transport number 1 and Sheffield 264.
Cardiff 131 is to visit Beamish in April where I am sure it will be a credit to the Museum.
As I suspected a staff vacancy in the Library has been advertised on the Museum website (see Vacancies at  http://www.tramway.co.uk/).

Peter Bannister

On returning from Poland, I opened Contact and was shocked and saddened to read that Peter Bannister has died. I first met Peter when he joined the Trent bus company as a school-leaver and the last time I saw him was at Showbus last September when I promised to send him copies of pictures I had taken a few days earlier. I was looking forward to seeing him again in Odessa next month. 
My recollection is that I first introduced him to the Museum but on reflection I now think that David Hitchen had that honour. All three of us worked at the former Trent head office in Uttoxeter Road, Derby.

Kath and I will be thinking about him when we go to see the new Derby Bus Station which opens today.

Krakow - Friday (2)

There is a short tram subway under the main railway station. The first three pictures were taken at the southern exit.

I only saw one of these ex-Dusseldorf cars (see comment on previous post).

Krakow - Friday (1)

Krakow has a considerable variety of trams.
Konstal 105Na type trams run in 1, 2 and 3 car sets.

There are lots of second hand Vienna trams, with and without trailers.
Modern low floor cars.

I didn't see many ex-Nuremburg cars (see comment).

Krakow - Thursday

Tramway Slaskie - Thursday

Zagorze terminus.
Kazimierz Petla terminus of the mainly single track route 27.

On of the refurbished cars about to set off for the steel works at Huta Katowice.

My last view of the amazing Slieasian Tramways before catching a train from Myslowice to Krakow.

Tramway Slaskie - Wednesday (2)

Typical unmodernised interior of a 105N.

Typical tram at a typical terminus.


A few of the 105Ns have been modernised with new fronts and rears and, judging by the sounds, modern control equipment.

Katowice at night.

Tramway Slaskie - Wednesday

Traditional point cleaning in Chorzow.
There are lots of single track sections on the network. There is a tram every 15 mins in each direction.


Low bridges such as this are also a typical feature.

Most points are electrically operated but this one resulted in a gratifying flash on the overhead but no action.

Tramway Slaskie - Tuesday

Unusual double-sided single-ended cars in Zabrze.

Yes the 38 is still running! The oldest service tram in Poland with the longest-serving tram driver who has his own business cards complete with gmail address.

Wroclaw - Monday

High tech point cleaning.

I thought all these 102-Na's had been withdrawn but I saw 3 in service and rode on this one.
One of the many modernised 105-Ns.

Just a Skoda in twilight.