Trams: Is There Much Tramway Interest On Here??
- Thread starter stevelewis
- Start date
A bit of interesting news today, Coventry is going to trial ‘very light rail’ in Coventry next year. A start to quite a long gestation as is the norm here in UK.
apple.news
Coventry Very Light Rail to trail in city centre in 2025 — Coventry Live
Residents can have a change to experience the CVLR in summer 2025
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The Parramatta Light Rail opened just before Christmas as Sydney line L4, but it's taken a while to get across the city to ride it. Most of the line has trolley wire, but two sections in high pedestrian traffic areas are wire-free, with the CAF LRVs running off batteries.
The line from Carlingford to Rosehill Gardens is double track on a former single track heavy electric rail right of way, while the rest of the route is partially on new reserved track and partially in new roadway reservations. One bit through the Parramatta CBD follows the route of a steam tram service which closed nearly a century ago.
The line from Carlingford to Rosehill Gardens is double track on a former single track heavy electric rail right of way, while the rest of the route is partially on new reserved track and partially in new roadway reservations. One bit through the Parramatta CBD follows the route of a steam tram service which closed nearly a century ago.
Always good to hear of an old tram route even in part being resuscitated, shows that the early fathers of Trams got things right.
duncan1_9_8_4
UK Railway Signaller and Garden Railway Operator
As many of you know, I'm a Signalman for Network Rail. At my Signalling Centre in York, we control Rotherham. Part of that means we signal the Sheffield Trams (TramTrain) on to and over Network Rail metals. Here are some pictures from a site visit last year. And some pictures from inside my signal box on Rotherham Workstation, a seemingly secret world 
Below is a view from Meadowhall South, turning right takes you under Tinsley viaduct onto the Tram Transfer Line, where they convert to trains, so to speak. If you go straight on, that's conventional tram to Meadowhall.
A TramTrain taking that right hand turn, where it will pause for a moment and set itself up as a train, ready to be signalled as such, amongst heavy rail trains, including freight from an increasingly busy Tinsley Yard.
The transfer line where trams convert
The TramTrain having converted, now sends an electronic request to the Signaller on Rotherham Workstation and when accepted on to our network, will receive a signal allowing the TramTrain to proceed through these sprung points and along a long spur where it will join the Tinsley lines, bound for Rotherham Central and ultimately Parkgate Retail Park.
A general view of the Up and Down Tinsley, close to Magna, where a new tram stop is getting built.
The TramTrain end destination for now. Parkgate. In the picture is a spoil train taking earth from HS2 excavating to Tinsley. The spoil is being used to landscape old mines and quarries in the local area.
The Sheffield Tram control room who in effect, fringe with Rotherham Workstation NR.
A close up of the area where the Signalman first has dealings with the TramTrain. The arrow shows the TramTrain Transfer line mentioned further up.
Below is the entire Rotherham Workstation. Again the arrow shows where we get first interaction with the TramTrain for it's journey to Parkgate. I'll let you find Parkgate on the Workstation.....
Hope you found that interesting. This is from a Signalling point of view. This is the only TramTrain in the UK at the moment. It was implemented well over schedule, as like usual we had to reinvent the wheel, despite similar systems in use throughout Europe and the world for many years. It has however been a massive success. Hopefully it takes off in the UK and indeed other areas of Sheffield. But, this is the UK, and I'll probably be in the ground before any additions to the network are done. Because, we will have to talk and consult about it for 20 years, before we do anything..... Such is the UK.
Below is a view from Meadowhall South, turning right takes you under Tinsley viaduct onto the Tram Transfer Line, where they convert to trains, so to speak. If you go straight on, that's conventional tram to Meadowhall.
A TramTrain taking that right hand turn, where it will pause for a moment and set itself up as a train, ready to be signalled as such, amongst heavy rail trains, including freight from an increasingly busy Tinsley Yard.
The transfer line where trams convert
The TramTrain having converted, now sends an electronic request to the Signaller on Rotherham Workstation and when accepted on to our network, will receive a signal allowing the TramTrain to proceed through these sprung points and along a long spur where it will join the Tinsley lines, bound for Rotherham Central and ultimately Parkgate Retail Park.
A general view of the Up and Down Tinsley, close to Magna, where a new tram stop is getting built.
The TramTrain end destination for now. Parkgate. In the picture is a spoil train taking earth from HS2 excavating to Tinsley. The spoil is being used to landscape old mines and quarries in the local area.
The Sheffield Tram control room who in effect, fringe with Rotherham Workstation NR.
A close up of the area where the Signalman first has dealings with the TramTrain. The arrow shows the TramTrain Transfer line mentioned further up.
Below is the entire Rotherham Workstation. Again the arrow shows where we get first interaction with the TramTrain for it's journey to Parkgate. I'll let you find Parkgate on the Workstation.....
Hope you found that interesting. This is from a Signalling point of view. This is the only TramTrain in the UK at the moment. It was implemented well over schedule, as like usual we had to reinvent the wheel, despite similar systems in use throughout Europe and the world for many years. It has however been a massive success. Hopefully it takes off in the UK and indeed other areas of Sheffield. But, this is the UK, and I'll probably be in the ground before any additions to the network are done. Because, we will have to talk and consult about it for 20 years, before we do anything..... Such is the UK.
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Nice to see the ops side of TramTrain, the next stage of TramTrain will be starting in Cardiff this year I think but as yet only on heavy rail till the street sections get built. I wonder what route that 66 with the HS2 spoil used, to my mind it has come from the wrong way unless it came Down the ECML to access Tinsley via Doncaster and Parkgate?As many of you know, I'm a Signalman for Network Rail. At my Signalling Centre in York, we control Rotherham. Part of that means we signal the Sheffield Trams (TramTrain) on to and over Network Rail metals. Here are some pictures from a site visit last year. And some pictures from inside my signal box on Rotherham Workstation, a seemingly secret world
Below is a view from Meadowhall South, turning right takes you under Tinsley viaduct onto the Tram Transfer Line, where they convert to trains, so to speak. If you go straight on, that's conventional tram to Meadowhall.
View attachment 337935
A TramTrain taking that right hand turn, where it will pause for a moment and set itself up as a train, ready to be signalled as such, amongst heavy rail trains, including freight from an increasingly busy Tinsley Yard.
View attachment 337936
The transfer line where trams convert
View attachment 337937
The TramTrain having converted, now sends an electronic request to the Signaller on Rotherham Workstation and when accepted on to our network, will receive a signal allowing the TramTrain to proceed through these sprung points and along a long spur where it will join the Tinsley lines, bound for Rotherham Central and ultimately Parkgate Retail Park.
View attachment 337938
A general view of the Up and Down Tinsley, close to Magna, where a new tram stop is getting built.
View attachment 337939
The TramTrain end destination for now. Parkgate. In the picture is a spoil train taking earth from HS2 excavating to Tinsley. The spoil is being used to landscape old mines and quarries in the local area.
View attachment 337940
The Sheffield Tram control room who in effect, fringe with Rotherham Workstation NR.
View attachment 337941
A close up of the area where the Signalman first has dealings with the TramTrain. The arrow shows the TramTrain Transfer line mentioned further up.
View attachment 337942
View attachment 337943
Below is the entire Rotherham Workstation. Again the arrow shows where we get first interaction with the TramTrain for it's journey to Parkgate. I'll let you find Parkgate on the Workstation.....
View attachment 337944
View attachment 337945
Hope you found that interesting. This is from a Signalling point of view. This is the only TramTrain in the UK at the moment. It was implemented well over schedule, as like usual we had to reinvent the wheel, despite similar systems in use throughout Europe and the world for many years. It has however been a massive success. Hopefully it takes off in the UK and indeed other areas of Sheffield. But, this is the UK, and I'll probably be in the ground before any additions to the network are done. Because, we will have to talk and consult about it for 20 years, before we do anything..... Such is the UK.
duncan1_9_8_4
UK Railway Signaller and Garden Railway Operator
I will find out for you.....
duncan1_9_8_4
UK Railway Signaller and Garden Railway Operator
Thanks Duncan route as expected, much more freight heading through St.Neots these days. It did get down to one each way a day some time back but has been growing considerably in the last year or so. Though the container train I saw on Thursday morning just after 0600 had an awful lot of ‘fresh air’ in the consist with just a handful of boxes at the front end. Though to be fair most I see are well loaded.
duncan1_9_8_4
UK Railway Signaller and Garden Railway Operator
What does the 'conversion' process entail?
Driver changes hat and jacket?
Pump up the tyres, to work on heavy rail?
PhilP
They switch off the tram radio network and activate Network Rails GSMR system for communicating. No distractions allowed from the generic tram radio system. TPWS, is activated, along with AWS so that they are compatible with Network Rail so to speak. This allows them to be Signalled with full heavy rail safety systems in place, as up to this point they have been driven on sight only with no block sections.
duncan1_9_8_4
UK Railway Signaller and Garden Railway Operator
Yes, the container freight has saved rail freight in general, now that we don't have any industry.
duncan1_9_8_4
UK Railway Signaller and Garden Railway Operator
Not my video but quite interesting. Relevant from 16.00 minutes in, unless you watch the full journey.
borsig1963
Registered
ciao, a little upgrade from my layout (tram, Italy): one side of layout is almost completed, on the left the track for (future) depot. A mix of LGB, 3d and traditional railmodel technique...
Gizzy
A gentleman, a scholar, and a railway modeller....
Can't get a more Italian looking scene, especially with the Fiat 500....