TRANSPORT | Metrolink ‎Extension

[apologiesforthedelay]

Originally Posted by Altfish

Good grief, I travelled over that bridge this morning at about 7:00am, no sign of track then - this is getting real!

I remember the same level of progress in May 2010 when we had a mini heatwave too.

[John07]

Originally Posted by sentinel100

It does show how expensive city centre street tramways are though. £128m (presumably) for 0.8 mile / 1.4 km. £160m/mile £91.42m/km.7

Not really that surprising.

The average costs for tramways in England are around £20/km. This compares with £15/km in France and £12/km in Germany.

Edinburgh comes in at £60/km!

[Chorlton Bloke]

Even £60/km is chicken feed! Some zeros missed I fear.

[LNGCats]

Just six zeros missing alas.

[ScouseinManc]

Wonderful updates Johnny & Martin - thanks both.

I cannot believe the speed of the track laying on the SML, it looks amazing.

I loved the rusty tracks & the brickwork almost breathing in the sunshine, on your crossover pics Johnny.

An early spring treat

[ScouseinManc]

Scouse is enjoying a glass of red, he added

[Johnny de Rivative]

Have one for me, scouse! –

Absolute wowser, martin – a veritable Wallace & Gromit, as Tony says! And like you, Altfish, I also passed over that bridge to-day, in my case on a bus at precisely 11.38 am – all that track has arrived since then!!!

I was just about to post the following . . .

Nice day, took another ride out to Wythenshawe - here’s a few shots from the top of a 104. Passing ‘Withington’, it looks like the track laying is just poppong out from under the bridge :-



Benchill roundabout, looking West along Hollyhedge Road towards Haveley. The line will approach the camera, then do a 90 degree turn to the right within the roundabout, leaving to the left of the shot. Then the roundabout will no longer be a roundabout! :-



Looking South from the roundabout towards Benchill tramstop :-



Another shot of the track at Benchill - posted before, but I like it :-



Woodend Road on the way to Crossacres :-







Apologies for repetition, but can’t help liking that bit of tramroad.

Here’s somewhere we’ve not seen for a while - Peel Hall. Looking East along Simonsway, the tramstop will be at the far end of this wide verge, just before it takes the right turn into Shadowmoss Road :-



A closer look at that right turn, just after Peel Hall Road comes in from the left ;-



Looking back West at the site of Peel Hall tramstop, it looks like something may be about to happen. The bus is turning into Peel Hall Road :-



The site itself is marked out by red pegs :-



A longer view from the corner of Peel Hall Road, looking West along Simonsway towards Robinswood :-



Having turned the corner, and now heading South alongside Shadowmoss Road. The ‘trambaan’ or separate tramroad will occupy the Eastern verge on the left – some industrial buildings were relocated in about 2003 to give it a clear run :-



The verge gives way to open fields, where the through route of Shadowmoss Road will now slew across the tramway to the East on a skew level crossing, to make a separate junction with Ringway Road – all part of the new SEMMMS road scheme, Airport City, etc, etc. :-




The same plan with South at the bottom! :-


The airplane is just about above Shadowmoss tramstop, which will now be further to the North, near Foley Walk :-



- Cont’d - - / -

Cheers for compliment, high – but can’t claim the credit – all down to the Kodak Easyshare program that came with the £100 camera!!

[Mr Cable]

More work at New Islington today - a new footpath from Pollard Street is completed (although still fenced off) and the card covering the destination board seems to have fallen...!

Also, around 15 MPT guys were clearing up all the litter from around the Stop. And on the other side of Great Ancoats Street.

image hosted on flickr

Untitled by samborouk2000, on Flickr

[Paul Sidorczuk]

Has anyone any idea what happened on Monday around 1600-1630 as we had returned from Hebden Bridge at Manchester Victoria and boarded a Piccadilly-bound tram there, which got as far as Debenhams/Primark on the Market Street stop, then after 10 minutes, we were told that if anyone wanted to go to Piccadilly train station, they should disembark there, as the tram was heading off somewhere else. We just walked up Piccadilly to the railway station from there.

[Freel07]

Originally Posted by mackenziesoley

Applying railway reasons to tramway reasons doesn't always work! Can to share what you were told? I'm curious now.

The main reason for wishing to turn trams is to even up tyre wear which can become quite heavy with the tight curves on the street sections. The only way prior to Old Trafford Depot was to try to even up their use over the delta junction at Piccadilly by trying to make sure that all trams got used on both Piccadilly and Direct journies evenly and also trying to ensure that some of the Piccadilly trips started or ended their days by running direct. This problem is relevant to both T68 and M5000 fleets though so I await the other reason with interest.

[BoyamIjealous]

Originally Posted by ScouseinManc

Scouse is enjoying a glass of red, he added

Bull?

[Train Guard]

Originally Posted by Mr Cable

More work at New Islington today - a new footpath from Pollard Street is completed (although still fenced off) and the card covering the destination board seems to have fallen...!

Also, around 15 MPT guys were clearing up all the litter from around the Stop. And on the other side of Great Ancoats Street.

image hosted on flickr

Untitled by samborouk2000, on Flickr

Is there any sign of an entrance/exit on the canal side yet, communicating with the pedestrrian bridge to the towpath by Chips?

Train Guard

[Lynyrd]

Originally Posted by Freel07

The main reason for wishing to turn trams is to even up tyre wear which can become quite heavy with the tight curves on the street sections. The only way prior to Old Trafford Depot was to try to even up their use over the delta junction at Piccadilly by trying to make sure that all trams got used on both Piccadilly and Direct journies evenly and also trying to ensure that some of the Piccadilly trips started or ended their days by running direct. This problem is relevant to both T68 and M5000 fleets though so I await the other reason with interest.

Nothing to do with tyre wear.
Reason relevent to T68's only, M500's not affected.

Will reveal all when I return home tonight

[WatcherZero]

Coupling I would posit, design of the electronics interface requires A-B-A end connections.

[rob001uk]

Originally Posted by WatcherZero

Coupling I would posit, design of the electronics interface requires A-B-A end connections.

Well you don't want to go and couple up A end to A end, what with the pantographs being on the A ends on T68s.

[Freel07]

Originally Posted by rob001uk

Well you don't want to go and couple up A end to A end, what with the pantographs being on the A ends on T68s.

That did used to be a problem in hot weather on the Altrincham line prior to the OLE renewal. Since then however A-A running is allowed and can be seen fairly frequently.

I have to admit to being intrigued!

[onewayticket]

Taken today from the bridge on School Lane :-

looking towards West Didsbury :-


looking towards East Didsbury:-


another view looking towards East Didsbury:-

[onewayticket]

Sorry, I think the captions on my 2nd and 3rd pics above could be a bit misleading for those that don't know the area, they are of Didsbury Village stop looking in the direction of East Didsbury

[r02bapurdie]

Hi

Good pictures to everyone who took them

Originally Posted by Paul Sidorczuk

Has anyone any idea what happened on Monday around 1600-1630 as we had returned from Hebden Bridge at Manchester Victoria and boarded a Piccadilly-bound tram there, which got as far as Debenhams/Primark on the Market Street stop, then after 10 minutes, we were told that if anyone wanted to go to Piccadilly train station, they should disembark there, as the tram was heading off somewhere else. We just walked up Piccadilly to the railway station from there.

On Monday they had problems with the Signals near Queen Roads where Bury and Oldham line meet and also tram broke down in or near Piccadilly station too which didn't help.

[martin2345uk]

Well the track has advanced a tiny bit since yesterday... but maybe they need to do some other work before closing the gap - I know nowt about this type of thing sadly!

Yesterday



Today



So close...!!!