Stentor Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 My Missus spotted this as we were walking by last Sunday in a front garden in Merton, Surrey. It has a Parry People Mover logo on it but it doesn’t look like a class 139. Did they have other vehicles and is this one of them or is the sticker a red herring? What variety of stock is this ? A quick search on Google could only flush out the same question on Flickr. Any insight much appreciated. Thanks //simon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
decauville1126 Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 It looks like the one that I rode on in Brighton when they had a demonstration line there in front of the Theatre Royal. Many bodyshells were, I think, modified and swapped. I seem to recall there was some published info a year or so back trying to unravel the identities. Does it have a chassis/running gear or is it the bodyshell only? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruachan Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 That looks similar, but not identical, to the narrow gauge Parry People Mover that was demonstrated on the Welshpool and Llanfair Railway in 1994: ppm-wllr-040994.jpg (606×390) (whrs.org.uk) There's a little more information, and photos, on the narrow gauge Parry People Movers here: https://whrs.org.uk/WHRProject/ppm.htm 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruachan Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 7 minutes ago, decauville1126 said: It looks like the one that I rode on in Brighton when they had a demonstration line there in front of the Theatre Royal. That's helped refine my search a bit. I think the vehicle in question is the one pictured in the second photo in this article: https://publictransportexperience.blogspot.com/2012/08/short-stay-at-stourbridge-4.html 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BluenGreyAnorak Posted February 6 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 6 Looks like the one in this article, although doesn't give much away about the specifics: https://www.railforthevalley.com/latest-news/zweisystem/parry-people-movers-for-granville-island/ 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Vigor Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 21 minutes ago, Stentor said: My Missus spotted this as we were walking by last Sunday in a front garden in Merton, Surrey. It has a Parry People Mover logo on it but it doesn’t look like a class 139. Did they have other vehicles and is this one of them or is the sticker a red herring? What variety of stock is this ? A quick search on Google could only flush out the same question on Flickr. Any insight much appreciated. Thanks //simon I bet he's popular with his neighbours! 😏 2 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stentor Posted February 6 Author Share Posted February 6 Thanks to everybody for their quick and informative responses. In answer to a couple of questions I couldn’t see whether it had any kind of running gear or a number as we were short of time, next time I’m that way I’ll have a look. Sad to see it in its current state of decay given that it was up and running a short time ago but maybe that’s just me thinking that 2004 was sometime last week. //simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Vigor Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 (edited) Edited February 7 by Paul H Vigor to add information 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Vigor Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 31 minutes ago, Paul H Vigor said: Destination board appears to confirm 'Harbour Side'? Shipped back to UK from Canada?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 5 hours ago, Paul H Vigor said: Destination board appears to confirm 'Harbour Side'? Shipped back to UK from Canada?? I don't think it ever went there. The fact they stuck that destination on it for a photo doesn't mean it ever left the UK! Certainly don't recall reading anything about it in Tramways & Urban Transit magazine at the time..... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted February 7 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 7 (edited) It would make a nice cocktail bar in my backgarden, rip out the insides put a few sideways benches and a table in it. i’m in the market for a garden office and not far from Merton too ! Edited February 7 by adb968008 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 Probably intended for Tramlink's relaying of the Merton Abbey Branch ! 🙄 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben B Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 Is it the ex-Himley Model Village mover? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Roland Matthews Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 There is a Facebook Group for Friends of Tram Car No 7 Although there is nothing on there right now, it might be updated as it has been set up recently. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1193916451283232 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BluenGreyAnorak Posted February 7 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 7 1 hour ago, Ben B said: Is it the ex-Himley Model Village mover? No, although they're a similar shape. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Roland Matthews Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 It's Parry People Movers Car 7, the demonstrator built in 1993. It has run in Brighton's theatreland, Weymouth, and the Welsh Highland Railway, among other places. A special form of hybrid, incorporating a flywheel, - like a spinning top, it carries a van-load of people with only a small engine or motor. This is opposed to a conventional train or bus that needs a large engine for the same capacity. It is the forerunner of Britain's most reliable rail service, the Stourbridge Shuttle. 1 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Roland Matthews Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 (edited) No 7 was shown in 3 photos on this piece of material from PPM. Are the two ends of the vehicle different? The rear looks like one window? Edited February 18 by Sir Roland Matthews More info added 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BluenGreyAnorak Posted February 18 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 18 It looks like the rear incorporates a large door. Wheelchair access, maybe? What does seem odd is that it has what appear to be regular road vehicle lights - side and indicators on the front and stop/tail, etc on the rear. Could it only work in one direction? Do trams that run over roads have to indicate in the same way road vehicles do? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 That selection of images seem to show a body with or without toplights, with or without a clerestory and with or without a destination display of some sort ........... either a lot of rebuilding's been going on or this is more than one vehicle ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Roland Matthews Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 I think images D and E might be different vehicles and A, B (rear view) and C are all No. 7. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Vigor Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/2023/03/15/people-mover-inventor-john-parry-dies-aged-85 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 2 hours ago, BluenGreyAnorak said: It looks like the rear incorporates a large door. Wheelchair access, maybe? What does seem odd is that it has what appear to be regular road vehicle lights - side and indicators on the front and stop/tail, etc on the rear. Could it only work in one direction? Do trams that run over roads have to indicate in the same way road vehicles do? Yes they do. Modern street-running trams have to be fitted with head lights, tail lights, indicators and brake lights. They normally also have to have reflectors, though I don't see any on the Parry vehicle. The end reflectors are yellow on a bi-directional tram, because the normal red and white ones would be wrong half the time. The various photos indicate this vehicle only has a door on one side. I speculate that it was built as uni-directional but probably had a second set of controls added because the various demonstrations it ran would have been much more difficult to do if they'd needed loops to turn the vehicle. This might also explain the difference in end window arrangements. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 On the refurbished Blackpool tramway, flashers are used when stopping and leaving the stop/platforms. Ironically, apart from Fleetwood, all the tramway is on a reserved right of way, no road access at all. And even in Fleetwood the trams still carry on without pulling in to the stops like a bus!. I can't remember if the flashers were introduced on the older trams before the major refurb; I suspect they were fitted to some after major overhauls. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold john new Posted February 18 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 18 Link to Stuart Morris' video of the Weymouth trial - see YouTube 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Roland Matthews Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 @BluenGreyAnorak There is a cab at one end because they could only afford one cab when it was built. It can go forwards and backwards, or at least it used to. I know what you mean though, the lighting clusters don't look like they're set up for bi-directional running. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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