For his actions at Newbold alone, Rob is an absolute legend. I can think of a couple of systems where the drivers would have just left without the passenger. Excellent Video finishing in my neck of the woods.
Hi Don, a fan from New Zealand here, finally got round to watching this video as we are in lockdown again here, and this video was brilliant to watch, really informative, beautiful scenery, excellent video quality, just the perfect thing that I needed to remember that the world will one day be better again Thanks so much for your content, I really appreciate it and these dark times
Thanks Jarrod. Yes, things are really bizarre at the moment. I’m looking forward to some sort of normality too. I’m just working on the next Metrolink video. Should be out mid November.
Greetings from Cape Town, Don. Like all your videos, it shows us what public transport should be like, something we can only dream about here in South Africa. Keep up your good work.
The incident with the Deliveroo cyclist reminded me of something my father once told me- Before WW2, he did deliveries for Liptons in Cardiff with a bike that had a large basket on the front. One day, he was coming fast down a hill when he managed to catch a wheel in the tram track and went over the handlebars and landed in front of a tram. It stopped, luckily for him, and me.
I must admit I found it fascinating too. Thanks to Darren Cawthorne at Metrolink, my knowledge of the tram operating system is now much less of a mystery. More tram rides coming soon.
Loved the video and hope it will not be too long before the next one. Although I've travelled this line many times visiting relatives in Milnrow I still managed to spot features I have never seen before, perhaps due to the vantage point, and learned lots of new things about Metrolink infrastructure as well.
Glad you liked it Colin. I’ll be doing another soon. I can confirm you tend to notice different things from the front. Conversely, when I ride in the train I see things I can’t see from the front.
Back in the 1980s I used to live in Didsbury and loved walking the old railway, although the trackbed was often waterlogged in places. I remember several station platforms surviving, although not their buildings. It's good to see it back in use.
Wow this was absolutely fantastic! Loved that part while we were on the Hazel Grove freight line, I've always found that line quite interesting! Excellent in every shape or form! Job well done and top class as well! Great work from you! I've always also found it interesting with the tram pantograph and how it has to be very high because of trucks. Absolutely love your cab rides Don, there so inspiring, enjoyable, interesting and informative! I must thank you for always putting a smile on my face! Enjoyed every second! Thanks for sharing, keep up the fantastic work! Take care, stay safe and well, keep up the fantastic, inspiring and enjoyable videos we all appreciate your time and effort into them! Have a great rest of your weekend and all the best!
I’m flattered by your feedback and consider it an accolade. What you might like to know is that I’ve got footage of that run from HG to Northenden and will be showing it soon. Furthermore, just looking at your avatar, you might like to know that we have some Class 70 footage coming soon.
Another really interesting video from the Don. Great to see a well organised light rail system. Must check it out for real on my next trip to the UK. Whenever that might be. Greetings from a Lancashire lad in New Zealand.
What always amazes me about the viaducts is the number of bricks them boys used it must be millions especially the viaducts going into Manchester, great video thanks
I just finished watching this excellent video. Your comments were so informative and amusing and your enthusiasm shines through, you are so dedicated. I watch your videos in stages while I am cycling on my bike trainer and they are just perfect. I get to see places that I will never get to visit and get some exercise at the same time! As skinny as I am, I need it at my stage of life. One of the dangers is trying to cycle as fast as a diesel doing 90 mph! hahaha. Another famous child of Rochdale was Gracie Fields. I think she may be controversial to some people but I do love some of her songs. 😊
I’m delighted to help you through your training Pauline - what a good idea. Maybe I should launch a railway workout video. I can’t imagine what Gracie Fields did to upset anyone but I remember Sally clearly 👍
Don, really enjoyed this video. You spoke of the tram pushing through switches. Here in the US we call these "spring switches". The other interesting point to me was the tram going up that 6.5% grade, I watch Swiss cab ride videos and on the RhB meter gauge their EMUs will do 7% with 4 or 5 trailers at a steady 30 Km/h, and this is adhesion not rack.
Hi Sharon. We have spring points or switches here too. These are similar but in the trailing direction each tram pushes the points then leaves them in that direction. They will stay like that until a tram from the alternative direction pushes them back the other way and leaves them there. Regarding gradients, I’ve seen some films of Swiss railways (and would love to visit them one day) and they have some superb kit. They too differ slightly in that they’ve been designed for just that but our tram has some quite good statistics as part of a general specification. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the feedback Sharon.
How good is this!?! Lived in Cheadle Hulme 79-82, working in Northenden with a regional office off Cross Street, driving a dog-dirt coloured company Marina. Roads choked, old Central station a dump and getting from south Manchester to Rochdale was akin to a journey to the moon. Manchester can be a hard place, but it gets things done. Excellent video.
I know exactly what you mean. I hear so much waxing lyrical about the good old days but they couldn’t touch this. I used to work on dog dirt brown Marina’s in my mechanicing days and the colour was “Russet” if you don’t mind!!! ;-)
i lived in leigh, going to manchester i was always interested in the trams' tracking system. after returning to Poland, I only have memories of them. this great video with great information reminded me of everything, even the places I have been. greetings and waiting for the next production from Manchester
Don its what i said on another video all that brickwork and its still standing amazes me and I find it beautiful. Its a wow moment to see Manchester inner city I have never been there, family live well south in Sussex so am used to going up to London by train, but the tram takes it to another level well thought out to
Very interesting video, thank you for posting this. The mills outside of Oldham in your video look very much like those in greater Pawtucket Rhode Island, Lawrence, Lowell, Manchester, and many other cities throughout the area. The sad thing is we too lost our textile mills in the last century as business moved south then overseas. New England, where I grew up and still live had some of the largest mills and all are idle today. Many of the mills too succumbed to urban renewal, arson, and outright demolition. After years of demolition, however, there's been an urge to preserve them and cities such as Lowell Massachusetts, located 35 miles west of me, has a number of preserved buildings, which have been turned into loft apartments, a museum, and small industrial spaces. Lawrence, located about 10 miles west, and Manchester too have woken up too and finally preserved their heritage. Lawrence like many of the cities, hired 10s of thousands of people in its mills and once was the home to the largest worsting mill in the world. American Woolen company once took up a 2 mile stretch along Merrimack Street for its operation. Today, the mill houses doctor's offices and small businesses. The tram line its self is great to see. I'm sad in some ways that the regular lines aren't used for heavy rail, but then again there's the alternative that could have happened, which sadly has occurred way too much where I live where everything is turned into those rail-trail bike and walking paths. In greater Boston, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) runs a "High Speed Line", which was once a former heavy rail branch line. This line was sold to the then Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) back in the 1950s and opened in 1959 with the then high-speed PCC trolleys. Today, this is the fastest line on the system with Breda LRVs running at their maximum of 50 mph on that line. This line was once a commuter loop operation between Newton and Needham. Today the Riverside and Newton Highlands branches are run as light rail lines. Boston also has one of the tightest curves of any light rail transit system. The curve between Boylston and Tremont Streets is rated at 5 mph maximum and is so tight that any tram needs to be customized to run in the tunnel otherwise it will derail. This has been an issue with the past few orders from Breda including the last one with trams derailing and getting stuck inside the tunnel and causing not only long delays, but also much costly damage to the infrastructure.
That’s a very comprehensive comment John, much appreciated. Both of our countries have seen a decline in industry and railways. I think that your railways have suffered more than ours and the car is king there. I used to be quite cynical about light rail taking over heavy rail but the more I got into it the more it became apparent that they offer a different service. They are running a 12 minute frequency that we can’t compete with on heavy rail. These systems are cheap and frequent and they do encourage less use of cars.
Excellent video, Don. I lived and worked in the Oldham area for 21 years so it looks very different. Hope to visit Llanberis Lake Railway this summer. See you there?
Thanks for another great video. I haven’t done 2CC yet let alone the full route to Rochdale. I did get to the original tram replacement for Oldham Mumps however. Used to work in Rochdale many years ago but always travelled by bus and latterly car as the station was too far away unfortunately.
Very informative video. I guess these trams use DC motors due to high starting torque and greater speed control, especially when these trams start and stop many times. Thanks
I wasn’t sure if I would find it as interesting as the normal heavy rail videos, but it was great. I didn’t realise the metro link covered such a large area.
In a way it’s a shame this was filmed during lockdown. It could have been interesting to see how the tram interacts with heavier (and unpredictable!) vehicle and pedestrian traffic. But another great video nonetheless, thanks Don.
I agree Nick, a busy Saturday afternoon in the city would have been very interesting. Darren actually contacted me before the pandemic and we were set to film it together but then when it set in that all went west. In the end, Rob filmed it on his own.
I work in the centre of Manchester, so interesting to see this from a different angle. Never actually ridden the trams, they're surprisingly noisy - unless the camera was stuck to the outside!
Absolutely fascinating. I'm about to join the team at KeolisAmey Metrolink as a new driver and this has been such a great insight. Maybe I will be lucky enough to have Rob by my side one day.
Congratulations. The guys there are great, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it and I’ve no doubt you’ll come across Rob. I’m just working on Ashton to Eccles which will be out soon.
Much as enthusiasts lament the loss of heavy rail on these routes, you can clearly see the advantages of light rail/trams. Much faster acceleration and braking and the lines are a lot cheaper to operate and maintain.
You’ve hit the nail on the head. I was always a little cynical about the conversion of heavy rail into light rail but they can run a 6 minute service by using “Line of Sight”. We can’t come near that on heavy rail. Integrating it into the city takes it to the next level.
1:15:12 The 19th century stonemasons would be bewildered how much technology has changed since their lifetime and appreciate the advancement of their craft. At least I haven't heard an elderly physician, biologist or doctor lament about the progress in their own fields witnessed by their own eyes.
58:12 - Love the way the "T" sign is fixed to the pole with duct tape. Very high tech! But seriously: Is there any chance of doing a similar video to this one for the other long route: Altrincham to Bury?
Hello Don Thanks for your comments on the Earle's to Crewe light engine movement. I replied but later got a message to say it was undeliverable. You referred to this video so thought it would be appropriate to respond here. You referred to part of the Midland route now being used by the Metro. It is good that the old lines are being brought back into use. One of my customers who lives in Oldham qualifies for free travel and uses the metro for days out all over the system. Back in the early 60's my first job was in Didsbury and by then the local trains were powered by Ivatt 43xxx moguls and the blue pullman used to put in a regular appearance. I have just watched the Earle's to Bedford video and wondered how you manage food and comfort breaks on a fairly long run. Do you have loo facilities on the loco. Thanks Peter Hoyland
Hi Peter, I don’t remember seeing your comment, they are all held for review so maybe I’ll get to it. Glad you like the videos, you can piece together virtually all of that Midland route now. Regarding breaks, it usually takes a bit of careful planning but of course there’s a limit! It’s easier for us passenger drivers because if absolutely necessary we can get to a loo where the freight guys don’t have one. They have to be a bit more resourceful on very long journeys 😉
Rochdale looks bigger than I thought Don. I enjoyed this run. I've covered most of the route in it's heavy rail days but never by tram. I was only ever on one of the trams and that was just in Manchester city centre. I'm needing to put together a "Trams of England" tour for myself; I've only seen Manchester and Blackpool. Thanks for another interesting video. You seem pretty keen on the trams, going by the number of captions on this one - must have taken ages. 👍👌😁 A wee heads-up(certainly not a criticism) something goes wrong with your captions at Cornbrook. You seem to have two Cornbrook stations/stops in the heavy rail clip.😁 Cheers for now, Dougie.
Thanks Dougie. Yes, I did the loop min a 142 cab once when I was map making for Northern. I’ll take a look at the Cornbrook titles. I can’t edit it but I can put a note in the Video description - thanks.
What a wonderful video Don..thoroughly enjoyed it...and then nil points in the song contest? Something had to ruin the day!! Can you give details on the end trailer of the music played please? As always, thanks for all your time and effort in making this. Cheers, Bob
Glad you enjoyed it Bob and thanks for the feedback as always. You can listen to or even download a copy of the music free and without any copyright issues here Bob; www.bensound.com/index.php?route=product/search&search=birth%20of%20a%20hero&sort=relevance&order=DESC
I hate to disagree with you, but Derker does not serve Royton AT ALL! Even Royton Junction was over a mile away from the town. I lived for many years on the route of that branch, great for dog walking and cycling once the trackbed had levelled! There was even evidence of sidings around right up to the early 2000's when I moved away. It's really quite surprising (in a nice way) just how much of my life could be contained in this video! Many thanks for sharing this and sparking so many smiles!
Hello nice video I had been looking for cabin video’s for a while. Now I finally found it. I had a question are you familiar with the Randstadrail light rail network in the Netherlands In south holland? Regards Jayden
Absolutely amazing Don, what would happen if the tram coming in from the airport arrives at the same time as the tram we were on, is there any sort of warning when trams get too close.
my abiding memory, early on, of Metrolink, was blagging a run round the turning circle beneath Manchester Piccadilly. I don't think it's still there, or if it is, it's not used anymore. but god it was tight......any-one else remember it?
there never was a turning circle there, rather two dead-end sidings known as the Storage and reversal roads. These now form the Outbound and Inbound lines toward Ashton. The curves are pretty tight through the undercroft to get to those old sidings though. Sets terminating at Picc now use Sheffield St Siding to turn back :)
That was brilliant Don are there going to be more on Trams.? as a railway guard for 40 years out of Bristol T M A and Bath road its good to see other Railways work
you mentioned that you push through some of the points. With metro link even on the ex railway lines average speeds (including station stops) are below 20mph. If Metro link had the money (which they obviously don't) could the points be upgraded to allow them to lock to allow trams to go over points at much faster speed, thereby reducing journey times into Manchester by a couple minutes? Sorry if that seems a stupid question.
I think they probably could now if conditions permitted Cameron. It’s all about operating parameters and space available but they pass over some points at speed.
@@doncoffey5820 Thanks for the info , saw a tram today at Crumpsall parked up on the Trafford centre platform but no driver, the electronic platform sign no indication of in service .
Most of our trailing points are unpowered, the tram simply pushes them over as it passes over them. In some cases they will spring back to their normal position (usually if they're also used for facing moves) but in this case they will simply go over and stay there.
Yes of course. They are placed at locations where an error has led to a tram passing the signal at danger could lead to a “conflicting move” - crash in other words. All drivers are required to stop if they see the blue lights. We call them “Spad Indicators” on the heavy rail side. You’ll see them at various conflict points - well spotted.
Very much so Roger. They also run on a 6 minute interval with the exception of the Rochdale Town Centre service which can’t because of the single line section at Rochdale so they are on a 12 minute interval.
Good question David. Its a term we use in heavy rail under certain conditions too - "be prepared to stop in the distance you can see to be clear". That might mean watching for another train in a station but if for instance you are looking for an obstruction in thick fog it might mean walking pace. Once working under those conditions, any collision is attributed to the driver.
Loved every second of this Don. Much much appriciated. I really enjoy the metrolink system and would love to be a driver one day. Do you think it would be hard to get in to or what the best way would be. I'm 19 thanks.
Thanks Don. A quick question (to which I probably should know the answer) What are the short 'ladder-like' sections between the rails? I'm guessing at some form of tram locating system?
It does mention it somewhere in the captions but the trouble is its hard to read and watch at the same time!!! They are “tram stop” loops. They receive a radio request from the tram to change the signals.
Good question! Remember the definition. “You must be able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear”. This applies to several circumstances in heavy rail and it means exactly that. If the view is obstructed by bridges or foliage, the driver must be able to stop so must have reduced the speed to whatever is necessary. Now add fog and if that means walking pace that is the speed. You can see that in poor weather, the service will be impacted.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
For his actions at Newbold alone, Rob is an absolute legend. I can think of a couple of systems where the drivers would have just left without the passenger. Excellent Video finishing in my neck of the woods.
Yes, Rob was very considerate and the guy was polite enough to acknowledge it. It restores faith in human kind.
Why thank you :)
Absolutely superb. Great to have a Manchester tram video with such comprehensive and informative commentary. Couldn't be better!
Glad you enjoyed it John.
That was a fun journey. I never thought I'd see and learn so much. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it Jake. I like to think most of them are educational.
This has been as interesting as I thought it would be and love the way it dovetails with your other videos. Thanks Don.
I appreciate the feedback Sir Reginald and rest assured there are more videos in the pipeline.
Can I put my hands down now my arms are aching. Another Fantastic Vlog Don. Keep Well and stay safe.
Haha, you need a big smart TV!!! Cheers Stephen.
Hi Don, a fan from New Zealand here, finally got round to watching this video as we are in lockdown again here, and this video was brilliant to watch, really informative, beautiful scenery, excellent video quality, just the perfect thing that I needed to remember that the world will one day be better again
Thanks so much for your content, I really appreciate it and these dark times
Thanks Jarrod. Yes, things are really bizarre at the moment. I’m looking forward to some sort of normality too. I’m just working on the next Metrolink video. Should be out mid November.
Greetings from Cape Town, Don. Like all your videos, it shows us what public transport should be like, something we can only dream about here in South Africa. Keep up your good work.
Much appreciated Jurg. The folks here don’t always appreciate what we’ve got.
The incident with the Deliveroo cyclist reminded me of something my father once told me- Before WW2, he did deliveries for Liptons in Cardiff with a bike that had a large basket on the front. One day, he was coming fast down a hill when he managed to catch a wheel in the tram track and went over the handlebars and landed in front of a tram. It stopped, luckily for him, and me.
A close shave Mervyn! Those deliveroo riders are getting out of hand. They hurtle around the city at night with no lights.
Most enlightening to someone who has never travelled on a British tram. So informative.
I must admit I found it fascinating too. Thanks to Darren Cawthorne at Metrolink, my knowledge of the tram operating system is now much less of a mystery. More tram rides coming soon.
Fantastic Video Don, many thanks to yourself and of course Rob too. It's nice to see old heavy rail lines still being used for light rail use :)
Yes they’ve been put to good use and we’ll be covering some of the less used freight routes too.
Very excited for this! I'm just waiting for my Metrolink depot tour
I toured the depot while researching so I can tell you, you’ll love it 👍
Loved the video and hope it will not be too long before the next one. Although I've travelled this line many times visiting relatives in Milnrow I still managed to spot features I have never seen before, perhaps due to the vantage point, and learned lots of new things about Metrolink infrastructure as well.
Glad you liked it Colin. I’ll be doing another soon. I can confirm you tend to notice different things from the front. Conversely, when I ride in the train I see things I can’t see from the front.
Back in the 1980s I used to live in Didsbury and loved walking the old railway, although the trackbed was often waterlogged in places. I remember several station platforms surviving, although not their buildings. It's good to see it back in use.
It is I agree but I hope you found a nice alternative to walk.
Another great addition to the collection Don. Informative, descriptive and hugely enjoyable. Thank you for a great channel
Yes, it made a nice change. There will be a full set of Metrolink videos eventually 👍
Four thumbs up! Thanks for the new and different adventure!
I got a lot from it too Rod.
Very enlightening. Excellent video and commentary - thanks Don.
Very good video, it was good to view it clearly from the cab from one terminus to the other 🙂
More soon Charley.
Wow this was absolutely fantastic! Loved that part while we were on the Hazel Grove freight line, I've always found that line quite interesting! Excellent in every shape or form! Job well done and top class as well! Great work from you! I've always also found it interesting with the tram pantograph and how it has to be very high because of trucks. Absolutely love your cab rides Don, there so inspiring, enjoyable, interesting and informative! I must thank you for always putting a smile on my face! Enjoyed every second! Thanks for sharing, keep up the fantastic work!
Take care, stay safe and well, keep up the fantastic, inspiring and enjoyable videos we all appreciate your time and effort into them! Have a great rest of your weekend and all the best!
I’m flattered by your feedback and consider it an accolade. What you might like to know is that I’ve got footage of that run from HG to Northenden and will be showing it soon. Furthermore, just looking at your avatar, you might like to know that we have some Class 70 footage coming soon.
Tnx for another great video. The historical info takes it to another level.
Glad you enjoyed it Christian. I try to imagine what would interest me if I were watching it!!!
Thanks Don, great ride, great commentary as usual!
Glad you enjoyed it Simon, thanks.
As an old codger been on that trip many times but the driver has never stopped to show me the signs! great video beautiful scenery after Oldham.
Haha, he had special instructions this time!!!
Many Thanks to all concerned in producing this Video As always very informative and a real insight to the working of the modern Tram system Thanks Don
Our pleasure! Thanks for the positive feedback Les.
Brilliant. Hope there’s a Bury line video in the offing.
Yes definitely James.
Another really interesting video from the Don. Great to see a well organised light rail system. Must check it out for real on my next trip to the UK. Whenever that might be. Greetings from a Lancashire lad in New Zealand.
Thanks Geoff. Trust me you don’t want to come just yet, the weather is flippin’ awful ;-)
Another Fanstastically created Video, by Don. Thank you. Really Enjoyed. Well worth the wait.
Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks Don - and Rob! - another good journey & video.
Yes, we mustn’t forget Darren who organised it all.
What always amazes me about the viaducts is the number of bricks them boys used it must be millions especially the viaducts going into Manchester, great video thanks
My thoughts exactly. Mind blowing isn’t it. Furthermore, there was no Scania with a hyab either, they mostly came by horse and cart.
I just finished watching this excellent video. Your comments were so informative and amusing and your enthusiasm shines through, you are so dedicated. I watch your videos in stages while I am cycling on my bike trainer and they are just perfect. I get to see places that I will never get to visit and get some exercise at the same time! As skinny as I am, I need it at my stage of life. One of the dangers is trying to cycle as fast as a diesel doing 90 mph! hahaha. Another famous child of Rochdale was Gracie Fields. I think she may be controversial to some people but I do love some of her songs. 😊
I’m delighted to help you through your training Pauline - what a good idea. Maybe I should launch a railway workout video. I can’t imagine what Gracie Fields did to upset anyone but I remember Sally clearly 👍
Don, really enjoyed this video. You spoke of the tram pushing through switches. Here in the US we call these "spring switches". The other interesting point to me was the tram going up that 6.5% grade, I watch Swiss cab ride videos and on the RhB meter gauge their EMUs will do 7% with 4 or 5 trailers at a steady 30 Km/h, and this is adhesion not rack.
Hi Sharon. We have spring points or switches here too. These are similar but in the trailing direction each tram pushes the points then leaves them in that direction. They will stay like that until a tram from the alternative direction pushes them back the other way and leaves them there. Regarding gradients, I’ve seen some films of Swiss railways (and would love to visit them one day) and they have some superb kit. They too differ slightly in that they’ve been designed for just that but our tram has some quite good statistics as part of a general specification. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the feedback Sharon.
Thank you so much. Excellent view and fantastic high quality video.
Thanks for the feedback Paul, glad you enjoyed it.
Very interesting! Greetings from Marcel, tram driver from Berlin, and friends in Manchester!
Good to have you with us Marcel.
Wow. What a great ride and a change from trains although at times it appeared as if it was on a train.
Yes, parts of it are old train lines Gaz. More Metrolink soon.
Fascinating Video. Thanks a lot.
Much appreciated thanks Keith.
This is really nice to see, definitely all still familiar 👍
I’ve got some more coming soon.
How good is this!?!
Lived in Cheadle Hulme 79-82, working in Northenden with a regional office off Cross Street, driving a dog-dirt coloured company Marina. Roads choked, old Central station a dump and getting from south Manchester to Rochdale was akin to a journey to the moon.
Manchester can be a hard place, but it gets things done. Excellent video.
I know exactly what you mean. I hear so much waxing lyrical about the good old days but they couldn’t touch this. I used to work on dog dirt brown Marina’s in my mechanicing days and the colour was “Russet” if you don’t mind!!! ;-)
i lived in leigh, going to manchester i was always interested in the trams' tracking system. after returning to Poland, I only have memories of them. this great video with great information reminded me of everything, even the places I have been. greetings and waiting for the next production from Manchester
Thanks for following Wojtek. I’m working on the next Metrolink video right now. Should be out mid November.
Fantastic journey the best thing they ever did bringing the trams back to Manchester & Nottingham
It’s opened my eyes Bernard. I found them fascinating.
Don its what i said on another video all that brickwork and its still standing amazes me and I find it beautiful. Its a wow moment to see Manchester inner city I have never been there, family live well south in Sussex so am used to going up to London by train, but the tram takes it to another level well thought out to
Yes, it’s fascinating to see all the buildings at close quarters Merle. You probably picked up from the videos that I love architecture.
Your railway videos are the best. Could you do the London Overground?
In principle yes but the trouble is, it’s a long way from my home so it would require more than one day.
Excellent and informative
Glad you think so!
Very interesting video, thank you for posting this.
The mills outside of Oldham in your video look very much like those in greater Pawtucket Rhode Island, Lawrence, Lowell, Manchester, and many other cities throughout the area. The sad thing is we too lost our textile mills in the last century as business moved south then overseas. New England, where I grew up and still live had some of the largest mills and all are idle today. Many of the mills too succumbed to urban renewal, arson, and outright demolition. After years of demolition, however, there's been an urge to preserve them and cities such as Lowell Massachusetts, located 35 miles west of me, has a number of preserved buildings, which have been turned into loft apartments, a museum, and small industrial spaces. Lawrence, located about 10 miles west, and Manchester too have woken up too and finally preserved their heritage. Lawrence like many of the cities, hired 10s of thousands of people in its mills and once was the home to the largest worsting mill in the world. American Woolen company once took up a 2 mile stretch along Merrimack Street for its operation. Today, the mill houses doctor's offices and small businesses.
The tram line its self is great to see. I'm sad in some ways that the regular lines aren't used for heavy rail, but then again there's the alternative that could have happened, which sadly has occurred way too much where I live where everything is turned into those rail-trail bike and walking paths. In greater Boston, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) runs a "High Speed Line", which was once a former heavy rail branch line. This line was sold to the then Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) back in the 1950s and opened in 1959 with the then high-speed PCC trolleys. Today, this is the fastest line on the system with Breda LRVs running at their maximum of 50 mph on that line. This line was once a commuter loop operation between Newton and Needham. Today the Riverside and Newton Highlands branches are run as light rail lines.
Boston also has one of the tightest curves of any light rail transit system. The curve between Boylston and Tremont Streets is rated at 5 mph maximum and is so tight that any tram needs to be customized to run in the tunnel otherwise it will derail. This has been an issue with the past few orders from Breda including the last one with trams derailing and getting stuck inside the tunnel and causing not only long delays, but also much costly damage to the infrastructure.
That’s a very comprehensive comment John, much appreciated. Both of our countries have seen a decline in industry and railways. I think that your railways have suffered more than ours and the car is king there. I used to be quite cynical about light rail taking over heavy rail but the more I got into it the more it became apparent that they offer a different service. They are running a 12 minute frequency that we can’t compete with on heavy rail. These systems are cheap and frequent and they do encourage less use of cars.
Excellent video, Don. I lived and worked in the Oldham area for 21 years so it looks very different. Hope to visit Llanberis Lake Railway this summer. See you there?
I can’t get accommodation anywhere Keith. I think we’re sitting it out a bit longer.
loved the trip😄😄😄
good town trip mate. loved it
Glad you enjoyed it Brett 👍
Thanks for another great video. I haven’t done 2CC yet let alone the full route to Rochdale. I did get to the original tram replacement for Oldham Mumps however. Used to work in Rochdale many years ago but always travelled by bus and latterly car as the station was too far away unfortunately.
Maybe the team would have been suitable these days John. Bury to Altrincham next.
Very informative video. I guess these trams use DC motors due to high starting torque and greater speed control, especially when these trams start and stop many times. Thanks
It’s a good point and I’m not sure because a lot of modern traction is using AC motors with fancy computer control.
@23:00 - very smart idea, to create passing point for trams. Our tram overtake previous one (propably to keep schedule right)
They could pass a service there but I’m fairly sure that one is just waiting to start a different service.
I wasn’t sure if I would find it as interesting as the normal heavy rail videos, but it was great. I didn’t realise the metro link covered such a large area.
You know what, I didn’t either but I’ve enjoyed the whole experience.
Very Good Video Thank You .
Much appreciated Habib, thank you.
Nice one Don. Made my day.
Glad to hear it Frank. All the best mate.
Enjoyable. Interesting that they went for Imperial speed units, compared with Tyne & Wear, which adopted metric right from the start.
I asked Rob about it John. He says Metrolink and possibly Sheffield Supertram are the only ones.
many thanks for this trip which change from Class66 :)
Fascinating isn’t it.
In a way it’s a shame this was filmed during lockdown. It could have been interesting to see how the tram interacts with heavier (and unpredictable!) vehicle and pedestrian traffic. But another great video nonetheless, thanks Don.
I agree Nick, a busy Saturday afternoon in the city would have been very interesting. Darren actually contacted me before the pandemic and we were set to film it together but then when it set in that all went west. In the end, Rob filmed it on his own.
I look forward to when the line is extended from East Didsbury to Stockport.
Yes David, Darren told me it would run up to Edgeley that way.
Very very good video.
Sat here in the USA, can’t wait for a ride around Greater Manchester.
Have fun Andrew! I take Manchester for granted but this footage makes me really quite proud.
I work in the centre of Manchester, so interesting to see this from a different angle. Never actually ridden the trams, they're surprisingly noisy - unless the camera was stuck to the outside!
It was inside but Rob must have been hot because his ventilation was playing right into the camera mic!!! It makes all that rumbling noise.
Smashing video !
Thanks Merv.
Excellent!
The Sheffield - Rotherham TramTrain would be a good one to video. Lots of different signalling, some for the tram, others for the train.
Somebody else has suggested it...... Supertram, if you are listening ;-)
Amazing how much traffic is on this line.
Yes, they’re busy routes Steve. Trams are ordinarily every 6 minutes.
Waiting for the passenger was heartwarming.
Yes it was and they were both respectful to each other.
Absolutely fascinating. I'm about to join the team at KeolisAmey Metrolink as a new driver and this has been such a great insight. Maybe I will be lucky enough to have Rob by my side one day.
Congratulations. The guys there are great, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it and I’ve no doubt you’ll come across Rob. I’m just working on Ashton to Eccles which will be out soon.
Much as enthusiasts lament the loss of heavy rail on these routes, you can clearly see the advantages of light rail/trams. Much faster acceleration and braking and the lines are a lot cheaper to operate and maintain.
You’ve hit the nail on the head. I was always a little cynical about the conversion of heavy rail into light rail but they can run a 6 minute service by using “Line of Sight”. We can’t come near that on heavy rail. Integrating it into the city takes it to the next level.
Have done most of the Metrolink lines, still to do the Airport and Trafford Centre
1:15:12 The 19th century stonemasons would be bewildered how much technology has changed since their lifetime and appreciate the advancement of their craft. At least I haven't heard an elderly physician, biologist or doctor lament about the progress in their own fields witnessed by their own eyes.
I hope you’ll do all the lines !
Yes all lines but not consecutively. Stay tuned!
On 28:39 it’s St Peter’s square Mosley street got demolished
I accept what you say but I’m not sure if you’re telling me or asking me.
I'm looking forward to this!
58:12 - Love the way the "T" sign is fixed to the pole with duct tape. Very high tech!
But seriously: Is there any chance of doing a similar video to this one for the other long route: Altrincham to Bury?
Yes James, we’re doing all of them, long and short.
Hi Don were the tram started from the fallowfield loop line started there too
I think it joined a bit further up by Chorlton Mark.
Hello Don
Thanks for your comments on the Earle's to Crewe light engine movement. I replied but later got a message to say it was undeliverable. You referred to this video so thought it would be appropriate to respond here.
You referred to part of the Midland route now being used by the Metro. It is good that the old lines are being brought back into use. One of my customers who lives in Oldham qualifies for free travel and uses the metro for days out all over the system. Back in the early 60's my first job was in Didsbury and by then the local trains were powered by Ivatt 43xxx moguls and the blue pullman used to put in a regular appearance.
I have just watched the Earle's to Bedford video and wondered how you manage food and comfort breaks on a fairly long run. Do you have loo facilities on the loco.
Thanks
Peter Hoyland
Hi Peter, I don’t remember seeing your comment, they are all held for review so maybe I’ll get to it. Glad you like the videos, you can piece together virtually all of that Midland route now. Regarding breaks, it usually takes a bit of careful planning but of course there’s a limit! It’s easier for us passenger drivers because if absolutely necessary we can get to a loo where the freight guys don’t have one. They have to be a bit more resourceful on very long journeys 😉
Rochdale looks bigger than I thought Don. I enjoyed this run. I've covered most of the route in it's heavy rail days but never by tram. I was only ever on one of the trams and that was just in Manchester city centre. I'm needing to put together a "Trams of England" tour for myself; I've only seen Manchester and Blackpool.
Thanks for another interesting video. You seem pretty keen on the trams, going by the number of captions on this one - must have taken ages. 👍👌😁
A wee heads-up(certainly not a criticism) something goes wrong with your captions at Cornbrook. You seem to have two Cornbrook stations/stops in the heavy rail clip.😁
Cheers for now,
Dougie.
Thanks Dougie. Yes, I did the loop min a 142 cab once when I was map making for Northern. I’ll take a look at the Cornbrook titles. I can’t edit it but I can put a note in the Video description - thanks.
What a wonderful video Don..thoroughly enjoyed it...and then nil points in the song contest? Something had to ruin the day!! Can you give details on the end trailer of the music played please?
As always, thanks for all your time and effort in making this.
Cheers, Bob
Glad you enjoyed it Bob and thanks for the feedback as always. You can listen to or even download a copy of the music free and without any copyright issues here Bob; www.bensound.com/index.php?route=product/search&search=birth%20of%20a%20hero&sort=relevance&order=DESC
I hate to disagree with you, but Derker does not serve Royton AT ALL! Even Royton Junction was over a mile away from the town.
I lived for many years on the route of that branch, great for dog walking and cycling once the trackbed had levelled! There was even evidence of sidings around right up to the early 2000's when I moved away.
It's really quite surprising (in a nice way) just how much of my life could be contained in this video! Many thanks for sharing this and sparking so many smiles!
Thanks. I can’t remember where the comment about Derker came from but it will have been in the research somewhere. Glad it brought back memories 👍
They certainly didn't plan on that falling down did they !! [at 21.07] Civil engineering at it's absolute best.
They certainly didn’t Burt. Wonderful when you think it was made in the days of oil lamps etc.
Hello nice video I had been looking for cabin video’s for a while. Now I finally found it. I had a question are you familiar with the Randstadrail light rail network in the Netherlands In south holland? Regards Jayden
No I’m not familiar with it Yayden but I’ll look it up.
Absolutely amazing Don, what would happen if the tram coming in from the airport arrives at the same time as the tram we were on, is there any sort of warning when trams get too close.
They run in on separate lines Jimmy. If I’ve misunderstood your question, ask it again in a new post 👍
Excellent video, Don. Will there be more tram videos?
Yes Ian, we’ll be covering the whole network.
Really enjoyed this video. Are you going to do any more Metrolink videos?
Yes Brian. We’ll be covering every route 👍
My sister in law and her husband live 5 minutes walk from the West Didsbury station.
Those are nice leafy suburbs. 👍
my abiding memory, early on, of Metrolink, was blagging a run round the turning circle beneath Manchester Piccadilly. I don't think it's still there, or if it is, it's not used anymore. but god it was tight......any-one else remember it?
there never was a turning circle there, rather two dead-end sidings known as the Storage and reversal roads. These now form the Outbound and Inbound lines toward Ashton. The curves are pretty tight through the undercroft to get to those old sidings though. Sets terminating at Picc now use Sheffield St Siding to turn back :)
I’m not 100% sure what it was but you’ll see in the forthcoming videos where they turn very tight. Amazing Richard isn’t it!
Which line are you planning to do next? Also big fan of your vids
Three routes on the Metrolink 👍
That was brilliant Don are there going to be more on Trams.? as a railway guard for 40 years out of Bristol T M A and Bath road its good to see other Railways work
Yes, agreed JP. I’m on heavy rail and this whole experience has been an eye opener for me too.
My lovely Manchester
Yes I like it too. We’ll be passing a different way next time.
Glad to know I am in this video 🙃
Glad to hear it Josh.
you mentioned that you push through some of the points. With metro link even on the ex railway lines average speeds (including station stops) are below 20mph. If Metro link had the money (which they obviously don't) could the points be upgraded to allow them to lock to allow trams to go over points at much faster speed, thereby reducing journey times into Manchester by a couple minutes? Sorry if that seems a stupid question.
I think they probably could now if conditions permitted Cameron. It’s all about operating parameters and space available but they pass over some points at speed.
its amazing how they biult some of the bridge arches and those steel bridges etc without modern tools of today
Yes, they made wooden formers. The first operation was all joinery.
Do you know when the Trafford Centre service will start the track was laid over two years ago. I have seen trams testing it.
It’s done. I will be showing that route soon.
@@doncoffey5820 Thanks for the info , saw a tram today at Crumpsall parked up on the Trafford centre platform but no driver, the electronic platform sign no indication of in service .
When you cross over to the left track , look at the points at 1:28 they were not changed for the direction your travelling in.
Most of our trailing points are unpowered, the tram simply pushes them over as it passes over them. In some cases they will spring back to their normal position (usually if they're also used for facing moves) but in this case they will simply go over and stay there.
No, it says in the captions that this happens. Trams push their way through points frequently.
Could you explain a little more about the role of the blue beacons at Victoria? Would they activate if a driver passed a stop signal?
Just seen another pair at Smedley Viaduct points
Got it in one. They're found anywhere that there is a converging junction or single line section, unless said area is 'street running'.
Yes of course. They are placed at locations where an error has led to a tram passing the signal at danger could lead to a “conflicting move” - crash in other words. All drivers are required to stop if they see the blue lights. We call them “Spad Indicators” on the heavy rail side. You’ll see them at various conflict points - well spotted.
Don, Do the trams run to a timetable or do they just start the journey at regular intervals?
Very much so Roger. They also run on a 6 minute interval with the exception of the Rochdale Town Centre service which can’t because of the single line section at Rochdale so they are on a 12 minute interval.
hi don does the tram from rochdale to east didsbury go to or near to medis city ?
It goes through Cornbrook then you need to change and get a short tram ride to Media City.
How does "line of sight" signalling work at night or in fog?
Good question David. Its a term we use in heavy rail under certain conditions too - "be prepared to stop in the distance you can see to be clear". That might mean watching for another train in a station but if for instance you are looking for an obstruction in thick fog it might mean walking pace. Once working under those conditions, any collision is attributed to the driver.
48:33 is where it starts so sound weird but nice and it’s my local tram stop LOL
That’s down to wear on the railhead. It does sound strange doesn’t it!
Loved every second of this Don. Much much appriciated. I really enjoy the metrolink system and would love to be a driver one day. Do you think it would be hard to get in to or what the best way would be. I'm 19 thanks.
All I can suggest is that you go to the Metrolink website and watch the careers page. They train a lot of new drivers.
ive often wondered how much m/c transport lose in a year because there are no gaurds on them to make sure peeps buy a ticket ???
They have a large group of revenue protection officers that pop up all over the place.
I'm a DC groupie. I say it loud, I say it proud.
You’ll like the next video.
Thanks Don. A quick question (to which I probably should know the answer) What are the short 'ladder-like' sections between the rails? I'm guessing at some form of tram locating system?
It does mention it somewhere in the captions but the trouble is its hard to read and watch at the same time!!! They are “tram stop” loops. They receive a radio request from the tram to change the signals.
With 'line of sight' driving what happens in fog? Great video, thanks.
Good question! Remember the definition. “You must be able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear”. This applies to several circumstances in heavy rail and it means exactly that. If the view is obstructed by bridges or foliage, the driver must be able to stop so must have reduced the speed to whatever is necessary. Now add fog and if that means walking pace that is the speed. You can see that in poor weather, the service will be impacted.