Manchester Metrolink master thread

[Class377/5]

Anyone else on the first service tomorrow?

Nope but I'm due in Manchester around 11:00. Can't wait.

 

[PR1Berske]

I should be there about noon

 

[martin2345uk]

Copied this from Manchester Evening News site
http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...virtual-journey-along-the-new-track-right-now

Be interesting to see how they integrate Left Hand running on the Bury line with Right Hand running on the Oldham line

Ha, I will assume you're kidding there!

Anyone else on the first service tomorrow?

Me! 5.08 from trafford bar, I'm going to look like a tired piece of cr*p

 

[WatcherZero]

Copied this from Manchester Evening News site
http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...virtual-journey-along-the-new-track-right-now

Be interesting to see how they integrate Left Hand running on the Bury line with Right Hand running on the Oldham line

Filmed from the rear cab then reversed

Does make for an interesting perspective

 

[Eagle]

The map hasn't - http://www.metrolink.co.uk/pdf/Services_Map.pdf

Has now.

As have the online timetables.

 

[WatcherZero]

Gauging in East Manchester.

 

[Class377/5]

History in the making with Johnny's photos there Watcher. Trams 3031 & 3032 as well.

 

[PR1Berske]

SSC users are currently on the first tram to Oldham with photographs

 

[Class377/5]

And now Oldham gets its own leaflet

http://www.metrolink.co.uk/pdf/Metrolink_Oldham_line_08June2012.pdf

 

[telstarbox]

The Oldham line is go! Well done to everyone involved.

First tram made it and departed Oldham Mumps on time! Pretty well-loaded both ways with mix of Metrolink project staff, journos and enthusiasts (the second outbound service had no passengers at all ) and I was a bit surprised to see about 12 Metrolink guards on board, although no ticket checks! Two of them got off at each stop presumably to help first-time passengers.

I was interviewed by a woman from the Oldham Chronicle on the service from Oldham along with everyone else on the tram.

The new stops are looking good especially Central Park (where I'm waiting now.) Each stop on the line has a customised poster - "Nice one Newton Heath", "A perk for Central Park", etc which is a nice touch.

For those interested the first unit out and back was 3004.

 

[martin2345uk]

I was there too it was a lovely smooth ride, apart from the section round Oldham to mumps ie the temporary section, that bit was quite clickety clack, understandably!

 

[northwichcat]

Was there a press only tram running to Oldham today? Granada Reports featured a very lightly loaded tram (around 5 people on board.)

The young journalist made a bit of a mistake in her report "Manchester will have the largest Metrolink in the country."

 

[WatcherZero]

I was there too it was a lovely smooth ride, apart from the section round Oldham to mumps ie the temporary section, that bit was quite clickety clack, understandably!

Yeah the fishplate rail sounded very heavy rail clackety clack but was mostly noise, you couldnt feel it all.

Jcollins, ive heard they did a press tour the day before opening.

 

[martin2345uk]

Was there a press only tram running to Oldham today? Granada Reports featured a very lightly loaded tram (around 5 people on board.)

The young journalist made a bit of a mistake in her report "Manchester will have the largest Metrolink in the country."

To be fair to her, we will have the largest Metrolink in the country

 

[spargazer]

I do apologise most profusely, I meant Ramsbottom which is near Bury,

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I do apologise most profusely, I meant Ramsbottom which is near Bury,

Most unlike you to quote wrongly.....

Anyway, Ramsbottom is almost four miles to the north of Bury.

 

[tbtc]

To be fair to her, we will have the largest Metrolink in the country

Ah, but you don't have the biggest Supertram

 

[Eagle]

To be fair to her, we will have the largest Metrolink in the country

But not in the world.

 

[WatcherZero]

But not in the world.

Lol, you beat me to it!

 

[spargazer]

I actually did make a mistake when naming Rawtenstall when it should be Ramsbottom, I have obviously been called a liar.

 

[radamfi]

Is the bridge over the railway line at Central Park always going to have a 10–15 mph speed limit?

 

[WatcherZero]

Probably, remember its a pretty tight S bend.

 

[martin2345uk]

It does feel VERY slow going across it! But then it is a steep drop off the side!!

 

[radamfi]

I thought the slow speed might be to do with the fact that you can't see very far in front because of the concrete divider between the two lines. So the driver would be able to stop if another tram was stalled in the middle of the bridge. Could the bridge have been built without that divider? Or built less curvy?

Oldham to Dean Lane feels like a completely new line even though I've been on it dozens of times on heavy rail. And I don't seem to remember the route from Central Park to Victoria at all even though I went on it many times! When was that line closed? When I was a kid, it was the usual route for Victoria to Yorkshire trains as they missed out Miles Platting. Then they stopped going that way for many years until just before closure for some reason. Was it to do with the closure of Miles Platting or resignalling or revamping of Victoria? I do remember that it was closed just after that temporary reuse.

 

[martin2345uk]

I thought the slow speed might be to do with the fact that you can't see very far in front because of the concrete divider between the two lines. So the driver would be able to stop if another tram was stalled in the middle of the bridge. Could the bridge have been built without that divider? Or built less curvy?

The divider is the load-bearing structure for this bridge.
You're probably right about the line of sight though!

And I don't seem to remember the route from Central Park to Victoria at all even though I went on it many times! When was that line closed? When I was a kid, it was the usual route for Victoria to Yorkshire trains as they missed out Miles Platting. Then they stopped going that way for many years until just before closure for some reason. Was it to do with the closure of Miles Platting or resignalling or revamping of Victoria? I do remember that it was closed just after that temporary reuse.

Wasn't it towards the end of last century? Late '90s? Do you mean the section that goes over the Smedley Viaduct?

 

[radamfi]

Wasn't it towards the end of last century? Late '90s? Do you mean the section that goes over the Smedley Viaduct?

Yes, I wasn't sure of the historic name of the line.

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1087214_hanging_around_on_the_viaduct

says it closed in 1998.

 

[loopers]

I just watched a gr8 clip of the opening day of the Oldham Line, Luckily he missed my bald patch. Its got a gr8 bit at the start when the line was ripped up.

check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKIW2INWZco

 

[martin2345uk]

I'm in that video :-/ luckily I don't look quite as tired as I felt at that time in the morning!!

 

[The Snap]

I thought the slow speed might be to do with the fact that you can't see very far in front because of the concrete divider between the two lines. So the driver would be able to stop if another tram was stalled in the middle of the bridge. Could the bridge have been built without that divider? Or built less curvy?

The bridge is designed to 'sweep' over the Network Rail infrastructure so the alignment through Central Park Stop can run through the southern-most portal of ORL14 Thorp Road bridge. It couldn't realistically have been designed 'less curvy' because to get up, over Network Rail's infrastructure then back down again to get under ORL14 in a straight line, the Finback structure would have been particularly complex (more so than it is now!).

Oldham to Dean Lane feels like a completely new line even though I've been on it dozens of times on heavy rail.

The track was stripped out along the entire line right back to the sub formation, and new track put back in. It feels completely new...because it is!

The only exception is the do-minimum section between Werneth TSS and Oldham Mumps Temp - the track there was never removed, but 'refurbished' through lifting, realigning and tamping.

 

[185]

Wasn't it towards the end of last century? Late '90s? Do you mean the section that goes over the Smedley Viaduct?

The Smed viaduct which emerges from the tunnel splits into two, a curve left onto the Victoria bound line, and the 'straight ahead' into the depot.

The straight ahead was infact the main line to Victoria..... the line ran through where todays depot is, past the south end, and on to the 800m long Red Bank viaduct, arriving into Victoria Station on the arena (Platform 6) side.

Could be a crucial second route after TfGM realise the jampacked pinchpoint north of Victoria Station when Bury and Oldham both get 6 minute services.