TRANSPORT | Metrolink ‎Extension

[Crossefield]

Driving back from the match tonight I noticed a bus parked at the stop opposite Tesco. The bus was empty, the driver reading a newspaper and clearly on a break. Low and behold a tram approached and had to wait several minutes for the bus to move. Traffic backed up as the bus driver seemed oblivious to the tram.

Is it likely that the bus stop will be moved forward a few meters?

[Johnny de Rivative]

The end of the Sunday peak period approaches at Edge Lane :-





(PIDs showing 1st and 3rd trams at that moment. The scrolling messages advise people not to board.)

[Freel07]

Originally Posted by apologiesforthedelay

And Piccadilly - Altrincham.

Not really as they are worked from Old Trafford which has no active T68/T68A allocation. Any trips on those services would be substitutions from Queens Road. Some of the singles on the Bury Altrincham directs may be covered by T68As though.

[Freel07]

Originally Posted by Crossefield

Driving back from the match tonight I noticed a bus parked at the stop opposite Tesco. The bus was empty, the driver reading a newspaper and clearly on a break. Low and behold a tram approached and had to wait several minutes for the bus to move. Traffic backed up as the bus driver seemed oblivious to the tram.

Expect a few phone calls between Metrolink Control and the bus operators then

[Freel07]

Originally Posted by Crossefield

Driving back from the match tonight I noticed a bus parked at the stop opposite Tesco. The bus was empty, the driver reading a newspaper and clearly on a break. Low and behold a tram approached and had to wait several minutes for the bus to move. Traffic backed up as the bus driver seemed oblivious to the tram.

Is it likely that the bus stop will be moved forward a few meters?

Something has changed here as the original drawing shows the stop to be clear of the swept path but almost outside the Police Station where the car is parked behind 3058 in this photo. It must have been moved for some reason, perhaps the Police didn't like the idea of losing the parking spaces.



The stop can be seen just behind the car. I did wonder whether it was due to be removed as it still has a temporary sign but I notice from my photos it has the raised pavement to assist boarding.

[Johnny de Rivative]

A couple more shots from the CityLink walkway. The foot crossing just West of New Viaduct Street & the railway overbridge has remained closed :-





Rounding the bend over the Medlock bridge :-





Passing under Cambrian Street and approaching Holt Town :-



Another banana rounds the foot of Merrill Street towards the camera, entering Holt Town from the other end :-



Seems like quite a long one . . .



more later . . .

[kriis101]

Originally Posted by Johnny de Rivative

Seems like quite a long one . . .

http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps861209a5.jpg
more later . . .

grrr I hate cliffhanger endings!!!

[iheartthenew]

JdR stop teasing us!

[Johnny de Rivative]

ok you win.

Holt Town on matchday, 3009 + 3022 :-























more shortly . . .

[metroman2]

Originally Posted by r02bapurdie

Thanks for that Freel, so if I right then is only newhey and Milnrow that have ticket machines in place on Rochdale line so far then, do anyone know if Kingsway and Newbold have them in let?



Thanks for picture LNG I notice it said "Not in Service" on that tram so do anyone know if it run to Bury or just to Victoria for pre- City match testing?



That 3009 & 3012 tram I sure that tram I saw at Queen Road depot but wasn't 100% sure, if they doing double M5000 trams testing for Man City game and only running to Velopark, could they be running a football special tram from Victoria to Velopark when City are playing at home and that what they are doing today?



18th February are u sure Metro? that only two weeks tomorrow, how much testing have they done on Shaw to Rochdale line then, I still thinking that line to Rochdale will open in March time as when they start putting ticket machines in (like they start doing) then line like to Mumps and Droylsden open in six week after first ticket machine started popping up so do u mean 18th March when line to Rochdale will opened?

Yep sorry 18 march

[Johnny de Rivative]

More doubles at Holt Town :-











The Buries and Droylsdens made notional stops at Holt Town platforms, but the interweaving Not in Services went straight through without stopping :-





These eminent Metrolink officials get everywhere! :-







final batch later . . .

[jrb]

A few pics from Saturday.

I swear to God you can't hear the trams passing by.

[laser2k]

That there are Droylsden services interweaved with Not in service trams at Holt Town makes me think that if MCUK services are turning at Velopark, they'll run out of service. As someone who'd be commuting to MCUK from New Islington, that'll piss me right off!

[Bradfordian2]

Originally Posted by Freel07

Not really as they are worked from Old Trafford which has no active T68/T68A allocation. Any trips on those services would be substitutions from Queens Road. Some of the singles on the Bury Altrincham directs may be covered by T68As though.

When Trafford depot became operational it assumed responsibility for supplying all the trams required for Picc-Alts on Mons to Sats, and for all but one on a Sunday, the exception being provided by Queens Road. This was necessary since at the time convention had it that no trams were to enter or exit Trafford depot during hours of operation of the St Werburgh's service, and one of the Alt runnings on a Sunday operates in the middle of the day only, i.e. approx 0900-1800. This arrangement has continued, and, even though there has been quite a bit of tram duty swapping between Queens Road and Trafford this weekend, this particular arrangement has not altered. Today the Queens Road tram involved was 3029. It is many weeks now since I have seen a T68 or T68A on this duty, and I have to say it would seem highly unlikely we will see another. However, in the run-up to Christmas every other Picc-Alt on a Sunday was a double T68, of course, provided by Queens Road.

[Johnny de Rivative]

Superb shots jrb.

Final matchday batch from me :-







The special non-stop buses sensibly also use Merrill Street :-





Over the Medlock and heading back East for what turned out to be a sensational game for neuters and Man United! :-









3009 + 3022 reversing at Velopark. I didn’t see any doubles further East than this :-

[Manchester77]

Originally Posted by laser2k

That there are Droylsden services interweaved with Not in service trams at Holt Town makes me think that if MCUK services are turning at Velopark, they'll run out of service. As someone who'd be commuting to MCUK from New Islington, that'll piss me right off!

The Not In Service trams are the doubles which have been running out of Queens Road, through the city and onto EML to Velopark where they revered. They were operating as football specials would

[Bradfordian2]

Originally Posted by Johnny de Rivative

If I’m not mistaken, Andrew, the following operated as doubles at least to Velopark pre-match to-day :-

3009 + 3022
3019 + 3020
3021 + 3037

They ‘slotted in’ at 6 minutes between the Bury <> Droylsden service ghosts.

I would be delighted to know from where they operated as ghost doubles, if anyone knows . . . ?

There was actually a fourth double in use, 3042 + 3045. I saw them all before the match, but things were obviously in full swing by the time I was around. Afterwards they all did two trips apiece. Judging by the time they took from leaving Piccadilly Gardens to arriving back (14-18 minutes), I would say with confidence that they were reversing at Millgate. At the other extreme they couldn't have been going further than the Velopark loop.

[Bradfordian2]

Originally Posted by Johnny de Rivative

3009 + 3022 reversing at Velopark. I didn’t see any doubles further East than this

I'm not sure I've got this Velopark thing completely weighed up. Is the reversing arrangement an extended trailing crossover? Seems a bit clumsy to me, although I suppose it makes it harder to have derailments. Do the terminating trams actually enter the platform at the Velopark stop, before reversing?

[kriis101]

Originally Posted by Bradfordian2

I'm not sure I've got this Velopark thing completely weighed up. Is the reversing arrangement an extended trailing crossover? Seems a bit clumsy to me, although I suppose it makes it harder to have derailments. Do the terminating trams actually enter the platform at the Velopark stop, before reversing?

Yes and yes. It is extended to hold two doubles ready for post match.

[Freel07]

Superb photos Johnny and jrb. Off to see what I can get up in Rochdale shortly followed maybe by a wander around between Piccadilly and Etihad Campus hopefully.