Taking the Tram! Manchester Corporation 765 - Lawrie Goes Loco Episode 37 

Hey look. We’re less than an hour from there.

From here in Australia, it is an absolute joy to see you be taken in by the tramway side of rail preservation. I think I can say on behalf of a lot of us that we would happily see more trams featured where possible. Enjoy the ride ;)

Hi Lawrie These Trams were also known as "California cars", due to the similarity to the San Fransico ones, as an aside my Grand dad used to drive these on that route and my mum (when she was a little girl) used to carry his lunchtime sandwiches (butties, as we say up here!) and she used to sit on those seats where the sand boxes are...memories...lol. Thanks

Did a driver's day at Heaton before, love the tramway definitely worth visiting

Old trams up until the 1980's looked really good looking (includes ones in Europe and other parts of the world) and were pretty characterful. The new ones seen today are futuristic looking and modern but so souless.

The bogeys it has are both rare, and special. They're rare because railroads that used them discovered, honestly the hard way, that the large wheel/small wheel bogeys were bad about causing derailments. What makes them special, was the intent of the design. It was believed (at the time) that these would allow you to run longer 4 wheel trams. Those second smaller axles aren't powered. They're just there for support.

As someone who volunteers at a streetcar/interurban museum this made my day

Very interesting. I was a volunteer at the Danish tramway museum Skjoldnæsholm for a few years. One of the largest tram museums in the whole world, and got to drive a few trams there in the after hours. I was mostly a conductor myself. The trams here in Denmark and the continent in general have a few differences from the British ones. Copenhagen did use trolley poles, just like the tram you drove, but we made much greater use of turning loops at the ends of the line. And that in turn gave trams a huge advantage over buses on one point. TRAILERS! Since you never had to reverse and just kept going and going, you could attach a trailer, sometimes 2 to a tram and have much higher capacity that way, even compared to a doubledecker bus. The way it was divided back then was usually that the Motor car would be for smokers and the trailer would be for nonsmokers. Additionally each carriage had their own conductor. Here the communication is more unidirectional. Its the conductors job to keep the passenger flow in check. Once the rear conductor has made sure everyone has gotten on and off on their end, they ring the bell twice, once thats the case for the front conductor, they do the same, and finally the driver sound the bell. The Skjoldnæsholm tram museum really is something. They have an almost obscenely large collection of trams. Most of which are from Copenhagen, whose tram network closed its last line in 1972. The heritage society running the museum was created in 1965 so they were able to save quite a bit on their own, as well as through merging with 2 other museum societies. But they also have a few bits and bobs from other cities including Malmö, Aarhus, Odense, Oslo, Hamburg, Prague, Rostock, The Hague, and even Melbourne in Australia! The museum grounds themselves are something else too. They have 2 lines across different gauges, one of which is a whole mile long! They've recreated a whole high street using the facades of their newer storage and exhibition sheds to recreate a suburban high street from Copenhagen as it would've looked between the 1930's and 1970's!

Route 53 still runs by the way under the "Orbits" branding, it is mostly the same route that the original trams ran.

Taking the Tram! Manchester Corporation Lawrie's Mechanic LOVE LOUIS SHIRLEY

Wonderfully nostalgic. I used to be a volunteer at the Black Country Living Museum, at Dudley, and would sometimes drive the trams (and trolleybuses) there.

When I was a kid in the 1950s, I remember seeing that tram in a garden in Heald Green Cheshire where it was used as a hen house or shed. I used to wonder how it got there. I also remember it being recovered.This must have been quite a task as it was well away from the road (Outwood Road). It did not look worth saving. Amazing that it survived.

Old streetcars like this one are something worth riding at least once in one’s life. Rode a streetcar at a trolley museum in my home state a good several summers ago. The interesting bit is that there’s a small roundabout at either end of the line so there’s no need to switch which side the trolleypole is on. The rides are a good 20 to 30 minutes in total, and the ticket price includes a look at their entire collection of streetcars, EMUs and electric locomotives.

If you get across the pond, Kennebunkport, Maine has the "Seashore Trolley Museum," which has a huge collection of street cars (aka: Trams) they came in to open one day and there was a big crate in the parking lot. When they opened the crate, there was a Trolley someone had sent from Tokyo, when it was retired. My home town (Lowell, Massachusetts) has four Trolley cars which run three seasons of the year. Two are 90 passenger open cars and a smaller enclosed car built by "Brill company" we also have a car on loan from Seashore Trolley Museum, an original "Desire Street Car" from New Orleans.

I live about a mile away from Heaton park this tram is like an old friend I have ridden on her so many times.

Yes, another episode of lawrie goes loco, and even better it involves a TRAM

This takes me back to watching the Channel 4 series "Classic Trains", when they looked at trams, and this old guy was recounting his motorman training - done by balancing a custard tart on the power handle and the break handle - which teaches you how to drive it properly and under control. "...and God help you, if you drop a custard or you break one. Cos if you do, you'll get one right on the kisser..." 😂🤣 Should've done that with you Lawrie.... Seen how long they'd last. Haha

Lovely, great that it's still in full operational condition! Looks really pleasent to drive

Im very close to Heaton Park and always love the trams passing by! Nice to see you enjoy the tramway!

nice that very particular tram but I prefer the ATM 1500 series trams which were produced in 1928 for the city of milan and after 96 years they are still in service and are appreciated all over the world so much that some units have been sold in san francisco and in other parts of the world

No way, heaton park was my childhood and what kick started it all off I’m thinking of volunteering there

Great video Lawrie, you clearly enjoyed yourself there. I've been to the Heaton Park Tramway a few times and it is very enjoyable. The trams are excellent. Need to go again!

Two years ago I got to ride in an american trolley (Which is basically just a tram) at the Electric City Trolley Museum, more specifically Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Co. #80, built by J.G. Brill in 1932. And while she didn't have any outdoor smoking space, she did have comfy leather flip-back seats, which was a nice surprise. It only took a few minutes to go from the museum to the workshop, at which point we all got off and got to look through the windows and see all the work being done on the various trolleys, during which time the seat backs were flipped to face the other way. However, I decided to get back on the trolley early, and ask the driver if I could sit in the driver's seat, and they said yes. I even got to blow the horn and ring the bell, though I was quite surprised at the fact that said bell was rung by a big brass button on the floor. After that I sat down in a passenger seat, and a few minutes later, we went back to the museum. Fun was had.

My grandad was involved with the restoration of 765 in Manchester in the 1960s. The majority of the restoration was done in Crossley Road bus station in Levenshulme before it moved to Heaton Park. Grandad qualified to become a driver. My mum used to clean the windows when she was 11.

It's lovely to see 765 out and about. I had the delight of visiting the Heaton line last summer, while i was in Manchester visiting a friend for an engagement party. I was given the privilege of a personal tour of the car sheds at the cafe end, with plenty of photographs to boot! I'll be seeing about visiting again if i ever get the chance!

Greetings to the author, I am from Russia, I noticed an interesting moment when listening to the channels of America and England - the channel on which the broadcast is in American English, I have to listen with subtitles, here, with basic knowledge of English (without speaking) I listen to the author almost as if he speaks Russian. Lawrie thank you for the beautiful English speech! and thanks for the interesting report.

What a first. Absolutely brilliant video❤

I would say,, if you get saved by the lifegate, you may end up needing Tram-adol (Couldn't resist, sorry.) Lovely vid as usual. :)

Motorman (tram driver) from Pittsburgh USA here. Very interesting to see a combined power/brake handle. None of the cars at our museum have that. They just have a controller and a seperate air brake stand. You did well handling the car and I hope you cover more streetcars/trams son. (BTW trams aren't always double-ended, our PCC type cars only have a single cab.)

That tram with the sign that says BOVRIL in the intro gave me a good laugh

Apparently, one tactic they used to use to train the motormen was to balance a pie on the edge of the control stand. If it fell off you got it right in the snoot, so it highly encouraged you to start and stop as gently as you could.

Have you ever visited the Trolleybus and Tram Museum at Carlton Coleville, in Suffolk? Another great place to drive trolleybuses and trams!!

Such a serene place

hooray trams!

Nice to see you in my home city 🙌 always wondered what was behind those shed doors at the park 😊

it's such a diddy thing, especially for the gauge, but even so it carries itself as importantly as the finest mainline train. Pride in engineering, before 'value engineering' became a thing.

hi Lawrie, I remember everyday, taking the tram that was in my area, I was in hong kong, a city with its peculiar double-decker tram. they even got free tram days every year, that means FREE. I am sort of, proud of it, because the tram is made in the uk and tested in Liverpool. its been nice to see a single deck tram because I was so used to double decker haha oh btw, another crappy joke, 69 LIKES

You do get to play with some of the coolest toys!

I volunteer at the East Anglia Transport Museum, we have a decent collection of trams and a decent running line to go with them (we are extending too), and this video made me smile. Great video Lawrie, keep up the great work :)

Knotty 100 on the Saturday you say??? I'll be there and cannot wait, especially now as my ticket is for all day travel rather than a set service

A lovely, lovely video as always :) thank you for what you do, Lawrie. I only wish I was able to visit myself, I'd find a way to sign up for that course in a heartbeat... and as I've already pledged, I'd very much throw my heart into working preservation as well.

In a purely technical sense, a tram is a locomotive, as it is capable of progressive locomotion.

I had a drive of 96 last year. That one is also what they call a handbrake car. The dropping things at each end are called 'Lifeguards' by the way. I was the Senior Vintage Tramdriver/Technician at Birkenhead Tramway for 14 years, then a volunteer there later. The Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society ran the Tramway after the staff were retired off. (Me included!) Last year, Wirral Borough Council, owners of the Tramway and Museum at Birkenhead, passed the assets of the former yoba private 'non-profit making' company and closed the Tramway and the Museum. It is supposedly reopening in 2026! We have been barred from the museum, except for a handful of people, useful, to the new company. They gave alienated and really upset lots of volunteers and have had 4 trams and a Liverpool tower wagon removed to other museums. The old trams still there now have to pay rent instead of being used on the Tramway in service. There is an awful lot of anger against them now and worry about the trams there, as we are not allowed in to service and maintain them? God knows what will happen now? (Not what we are being told?) The only good news is that the Warrington Tram at Birkenhead is hoped to end up at Heaton Park shortly!!! Perhaps, if it does, we can meet up there??? John H

Looks great and I'm sure it drives just as well as you've described. This car is strikingly similar to the ones we run in Prague, Czech Republic, from the safety features to the controls and breakers and everything in between. You did a great job guiding it around the line, that was the sound of happy motors :) although I think you didn't give the dynamic brake enough credit. While it works best at speeds, it would have surely helped you stopping without putting so much load on the handbrake. It was a really great insight. I love to hear the stories behind the specific vehicles, each one really has it's own story and soul. There's just something about riding these that makes for a great experience, big props to those keeping the history alive. Thanks for the video! And perhaps you could visit some other tram networks too!

Bloody love a tram. Never been to Manchesterford. It's also one of thousands of reasons why I love Beamish Museum which im surprisingly close to and often frequent.

There is a tram museum near Kiel Germany , where everybody can for a few euros, drive a tram from the 1930s under supervision. I think I should try to drive a tram there now 😄

That was great, I'm hopefully adding a model tramway to my model railway, and the insight into how it all works is really useful. It looked like it was great fun. I've always adored the sounds of the tramways too, was loverly to listen to whilst I'm sat here doing my engravings. :)

😀

When you coming to Australia, Lawrie? Melbourne has the world's largest tram system, some of the STILL IN SERVICE trams are well over 100 years old, there are tram and railroad museums across the country, heritage groups run trains all over the country (about 350 times larger area than the UK) on lines that can go for 1800 Km and still be in just one state, and there are dozens of smaller groups running trams, industrial equipment, steam and all other motive power through cities, country towns, parks and the bush... Take you about two years to see about half of it... You'd be welcome...

And we go, go, go for a ride on the car, car, car! (Ding Ding!) For we know how cozy the tops of the tram cars are! (Ding Ding!) The seats are so small, and there's not much to pay. We sit close together and spoon all the way. There's many a Miss will be Missus someday, Through Riding On Top Of The Car! (Ding Ding!)

The growling of the traction motors sing

Amazing, wonderful!!!!!😊❤

Even though I'm not a smoker, I find the idea of public transport having an "outside" smoking area to be completely marvellous.

"Whe don't we make things pretty like a mansion, with all the woodwork" Two words: fire regulations. Well oiled this beautiful wood will burn like a funeral pyre should a piece of wiring short or something. That era with lush decorations had been coming to an end, with events like General Slocum proving that at that time, what was fashionable was also very flammable

Wow that was fun!

I remember as a kid riding the tram in Seattle also they had bunch electric buses .

Brilliant views!

Beautiful :)

TY 🙏🙏

Lot's of trams throughout the world can't be driven from both ends and are called "tram" nevertheless.

hi Lawrie will you be at the Middleton railways model railway show tomorrow and or Sunday

Have you seen the collection of historic trams (trolly buses?) from all nations in San Francisco, running up the streets in all their glory? Worth the visit for that alone, but so much more besides.

I have never driven a tram with the braking feature, only air brakes. I drive two (soon to be three!) of the restored BC Elcectric interurban trams. BC Electric Railway did have a number of freight locomotives that had Dick-Kerr controllers, but sadly none of those have survived.

It seems that all old trams worked similarly, especially British trams, which were almost the same. Old Hong Kong double decker trams are controlled the same way as this one.

I've never seen an A1-1A tram before! It's more common to see trams and trolleys with B-B wheels (all wheels driven). I have seen a few trolleys that are half-open, like the San Francisco cable cars. It usually depended on the system if a trolley had a cab at one or both ends. There being no equipment like brake pumps between the bogies is a bit odd. The fencing is an unusual choice instead of making body panels that extend over that gap. It was pretty common for American trolleys and interurban cars to become houses and sheds when the railway no longer needed them. One near me was recovered and used as a restaurant facade in a mall until a few years ago when it got saved by a museum after the restaurant "Streetcar Named Desire" closed down. Tram and trolley preservation came about the same time as railroad preservation in America and many railroad museums also have trolley cars to this day. Many American trolley cars have a trolley pole for each direction since the cars tend to be longer and the poles shorter

The open top bus you showed was LRV 992 ex Portsmouth corporation and the owned by stagecoach south till it was recently sold

A Tram does not need to be driven from both sides. Several Tram systems have one-way trains, because theyre going in a circle. At the last stop, they turn in a turning loop. Some systems even hat a turn table at every lines end. Other systems hat tramcars controlable from both sides, but they carry a waggon without controls in it. So you needed to run arround your wagon at the end

wonderful tram are loco compatible imho. And not a floating dog, for the trolley, but Clifford the big red dog

I believe the locals pronounce Hawarden as " Harden" . Do I star as Pedant of the Month ?

25:54 TRAMS ARE THE FUTURE of urban transport.

I'd have appreciated a closer look at the trolley and how it navigates the wires as the tram rolls through a set of points. Absolutely wonderful machine.

This is very close to me

White tops to staff caps...must be either Summer or a Sunday.

And now for something completely different...

Ring-a-ding-ding.

Triggers broom.

cool We call that a trolley or LRV in USA 😉

They way they maintained the centurian coach is amazing! I have a question. In railway tracks, Y or X joints are adjusted manually or mechanically. But How do trums change track where trum tracks are firmly attached to the pavement or asphalt road?

If I was born in the time these was around, I would love to do this as a job, I always thought of it as a really honourable job, but that might be just me

I always find it curious how British trolleys had open fronts made new so late, here cars were enclosed on the fronts by the beginning of the century with many being enclosed in the mid 1890s. Also a trolley with a center enclosed and both ends open car config is known as a California type which is great for a this specific use.

Bit surprised that tram doesn’t have a catcher/retriever and air brakes but I’m from the US where that was standard by 1907.

How ironic this is over 100 years old and yet the more modern ones seem to last 15 years, apparently West Midlands Metro had closed for a while because their new ones were recalled because of their chassis cracking.

Can we have a moment to respect the tram drivers of old, standing on that exposed platform all day in the finest Mancunian weather. Perhaps they were used to being exposed to the weather coming from horse trams and buses, but at least they were able to sit down there

Well, there is a lot of trams/streetcars that are one-way. Also, why there's no transformation sequence in this episode?

Other handbrake cars I’ve driven you need to transfer the brake from one end to the other (usually the conductor slowly releases the break at one end as the motorman takes it up at the other) I take it you didn’t get to do that?

and now for something completely different

Hey lawrie how long is that railway

Strange my great grandfather is older Than that tram

Tramchester

Both ends, not true. Ostend they have a turning circle.

Why you didn't use electrodynamic brake?

A 'California Car'.

Is she bigger than other British trams?

me and my suspiciously strong right arm would be good at this job then operating the handbrake

In Croatia trams are one way only tho.... 😊

2 months since update on the scrap engine

Brill trucks. I saw some of these removed from the tram on my recent visit to the Wellington tramway museum in New Zealand. The asymmetric design with the larger driving wheels surprised me, but it makes sense. The design of this tram is quite similar to the tram I rode on there: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Een07GQYjHA.html

They don't make things pretty anymore because it costs too much to upkeep, stuff would get smashed and broken almost daily.

“Imagine you’re walking a dog but the dog can float” … “Hiya Georgie!” 🤡

This....hmm, how to put it... it looks like a fancier, British version of a classic San Francisco tram, as if the latter was a third class tram, whereas the former is first class