Trains and trams of southwest London

On Saturday i headed down with a well worked out plan for new stations to visit and cross off then i found out that the line i intended to be on was closed for engineering works! So, i headed down towards Wimbledon with an alternative plan i made up on the fly, to be honest as it included the south London trams as well it was probably a better plan in any case! You can see my photos here.

On the NET

A Nottingham Express Transit (NET) tram approaches Ruddington Lane.

A day out on the Nottingham trams

I went to Nottingham yesterday, aiming to travel on the Nottingham Express Transit's trams at last (in the past i've only photographed them operating). So, armed with a very fairly priced day ticket i headed down to Wilford (which has a very nice church) and further down to Clifton. You can see my photos here.

Sheffield steel

It has been a number of years since my previous visit to Sheffield, too long in fact. Yesterday, i rectified that at last and enjoyed plenty of journies on the city's superb tram network going as far as Rotherham on the tram train. This time i also visitied the cathedral which i had somehow forgot to properly visit about on my previous visit! I also had a walk along the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal but that will be covered another time. You can see my Supertram related photos here and some other Sheffield photos, including the cathedral, here.

Dudley Street

The Metro departs Dudley Street.

Approaching West Brom

Pass it on.

Walking the Metro in West Bromwich

On Saturday i took the Metro to Black Lake and planned to walk the Ridgacre branch canal, however it did not look that inviting - especially as there geese in both directions! So, instead i walked along the path thats runs alongside the metro. I walked to West Bromwich and a little further. You can see my photos here.

Departing Loxdale

Another tram video, this time departing Loxdale.

St Chad's

A Midland Metro video.

West Bromwich

With the trains off again, i instead took the tram! I went to West Bromwich and walked through Sandwell Country Park to see the ruins of Sandwell Priory and the actual Sand Well which Sandwell is named after! Then back to West Bromwich itself. You can see my photos here.

Local trip

With no trains this Saturday i instead had a bus and tram trip. I took the Metro to the new terminus at Edgbaston Village. Then i walked back to Moor Street - on the way having a look at the splendid Bull which featured at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, and then took a bus to Bartley Green. You can see my photos here.

Statfold Barn

I've only been to the Statfold Barn Railway, a treasure trove of narrow gauge railways very close to where i live, once before. They held an enthusiasts weekend this weekend so i thought it was high time i returned. The weather was great too, unlike my previous visit in 2019 when it was rather moist, and i enjoyed rides on steam trains, a tram and heritage buses. A superb place and a superb day, you can see my photos here.

Tram departure

For a change instead of a train video, a tram video!

Kingsway tram tunnel

As with the diesel gala on Friday, something else i haven't done for a long time was go on a Hidden London tour of usually closed parts of London's transport heritage. That changed on Saturday when i went to London and explored the now-disused Kingsway tram tunnel. Although not as interesting as some of the other Hidden London tours such as Charing Cross and Aldwych, it was still great to do another the things i did often before covid. You can see my photos here.

Former tram stop on Chester Road

Birmingham, like many of Britain's towns and cities, once had an extensive tram network. Like most places the tram network was closed down in the 1950s by short sighted transport and city planners who thought the motor bus was the way forward. Now little remains of the once city wide network. However here and there are unexpected traces and survivors.

At Wylde Green near Chester Road is a former shelter for tram passengers. The trams reached here in 1908. The shelter (rather more ornate and substantial than the type of shelter provided for modern day public transport users) still bears the name "Erdington Tramways" which can just about be made out (though Photoshop can help here) below the clock. After the trams were closed down the building was taken over by the gas board. Nowadays it is a barbershop.

Brush tram

A Brush built tram at Crich.

Toastrack

A Blackpool "Toastrack" tram (you can probably work out why it's called that) at Crich.

Statfold Barn Railway

The Statfold Barn Railway near Tamworth is an extensive private railway and museum that is usually closed to the public except for a select few days a year, yesterday was one of those days and I was able to visit at last! Their collection of narrow gauge locomotives is remarkable and there was a busy schedule of hauled trains, including a preserved tram... though this has been converted to battery operation. You can see my photos here.

Another stop at the Tramway Museum

Today I went to Crich Tramway Museum for the second time, and walked the incredibly steep mile long path up from Whatstandwell again! Luckily my heart did not erupt from my chest as it seemed like it might and reach Crich before me. The Tramway Museum is well worth an exertions though, it really is one of the best preserved railway sites around. I took a ride on heritage trams and also took a lot of photographs, which you can see here.

Wirral Transport Museum

Yesterday I visited Wirral Transport Museum, somewhere I have been keen to visit for some time due to it's tram collection and live running of trams. I had a trip on one of the latter, a good old vintage tram... or was it? Actually the tram was built by the HK Tramway company in the early 1990s! It is one of two built for the Wirral Tramway which is part of the museum. The trams on display in the museum are originals though, including a Liverpool tram. My Nan in Liverpool was a conductor on trams in the Second World War, maybe she worked on that tram? You can see my photos here. The museum is well worth a visit and includes road transport including some nice old buses too.