Leicester Trams

Engineers have been busy over the last few days replacing the main supply to the buildings between the City Council tower block and the Welford Road Prison. In the process they have exposed the left rail of the outward bound tram line. The rail has been cut out to allow access for laying a new pipeline. Work is being carried out by for the National Grid by AMEC as part of the Gas Alliance.

The stub of the left rail on the outward-bound line protrudes. Note also the cobble sets visible under the tarmac.

Out of Service!

Stacked up rail removed from the recently dug out trench.

Now that the group has a container on site (thanks to THS Containers of Sharnford, Leicestershire and Brindley Lift Truck Services, also of Sharnford) we are able to progress in the clear-up exercise and load the large parts of the tram that we have previously been unable to transport to our home site near Lutterworth.

It’s great to feel that things are rolling forward in such a positive way.

The wooden chassis frame, platforms and one side of the saloon await loading into the container alongside. Not much of 31 left on the farm now.

The bulk-head from the No.1 end of the lower saloon and one side of the upper deck are loaded into the container. Two examples of pieces that we really didn't want to have to dismantle further yet were too big to transport any other way.

A monumental leap forward was made today when a rather impressive SCANIA Hi-Ab HGV turned up at the farm and delivered a sea container for the Leicester Tram 31 Group.

Y2 THS - A Scania HGV Hi-Ab tractor unit belonging to THS Containers of Sharnford, Leicester.

For All Your Container Requirements!

We are very lucky to have the use of this container and we owe a debt of gratitude to some very generous and kind people.

To THS Containers of Sharnford, Leicestershire, for the use of the container and the delivery; To Richard Hayes of Brindley Lift Truck Services Ltd, also of Sharnford, Leicestershire, for making it happen; To Anthony Janes and Roger Cooper who made the introductions and recomendations! Your kindness and efforts have allowed our project to move forward immensely and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without all of you. Lastly thank you to Glynn – the man who dropped off the container – we were so impressed!

See the video of the drop off below and see how close the container was placed to the last standing parts of the tram – expertly controlled and placed within a foot of the lower saloon and nothing damaged! Thank you again!