My interest in urban transport led me to
tramways. Growing up in Sheffield in the '70's meant being in a city
where the traditional tramway had not been long gone
and was still regarded with great affection by many. Blackpool and
Crich were visited occasionally, just enough to keep
me satisfied. I don't suppose many people ever expected to see trams
(or at least the rather more modern descendents of trams) on the
streets in the UK again, but Manchester, Sheffield, West Midlands,
Croydon and Nottingham are up and running, and others are maybe in the
pipeline, despite to the government's changeability with regards to
funding projects. I don't have to go across the Channel to see modern
tramways in operation anymore, although trips to Germany and Holland
are worthwhile because of the number of systems.
There is also a reason to go to France these days, as well. Someday I
may
even go across the English Channel to see some of these systems.
There are a few photos here, and more will follow when I get myself
back
on the road. I am currently working on scanning the best of my
"traditional"
photos, which will eventually lead to pictures on this page depicting
the
early years of Manchester Metrolink, Sheffield trams in battleship
grey,
lots of those traditional (and less traditional) trams from Blackpool,
and
new shots from September 2005 of the Manx Electric and Snaefell
Mountain
Railways. Meanwhile....
Blackpool:
Pictures from the last quarter of a
century.
