Butler Henderson Posted June 11, 2013 Author Share Posted June 11, 2013 Having eventually found the drawing on the NET website, I think these comments should relate to the section north of Wilford Lane and south of the Trent. Yes apologies, I originally noted I had put south of Wilford Lane and edited the south of the Trent by mistake. Have corrected. Right, looking at the map it will cross the Trent on the old toll bridge on Main Road Wilford, then turn left and right to pick up the old GCR formation.Seem to be a number of drawings kicking about, this is the I referred to which shows the alignment alongside the embankment before joining its alignment at ground levelhttp://thetram.net/images/construction-site/Documents/Coronation%20Avenue%20to%20Wilford%20Lane.pdf Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 That's the same plan I found. Before that I wasn't aware it would leave the formation in that way - perhaps a change to reduce impact on the housing which is to the west side only? I'm presuming the siding is for offloading and parking on-track plant to maintain the ballasted section, which might not be able to run on the grooved rail through the city centre. Not sure what else it could be for! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted June 11, 2013 Author Share Posted June 11, 2013 Having the embankment between the line and the housing would be a good way of reducing noise on the houses. Its often been used for roads, ie the Ripon bypass which drops down from the alignment of the Leeds & Thirk after using its bridge to cross a river to run alongside the embankment on the countryside side from the city. The maintenance siding is interesting, making the tram more of local interest than the GC was as there was no station at Wilford although I have a stack of Bachmann GC buildings for a layout featuring such a station together with a low height Barton bus to fit under the bridge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 Found a page of recent photos of the tram works around Wilford http://www.thisiswilford.org.uk/16_3_14_Tram.htm. Not a lot of the GC earthworks left or where they are left they are not being used by the tram. Interesting that south of Wilford Lane the tracks are in situ but not the overhead poles whereas to the north the poles exist but not the tracks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBird Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Found a page of recent photos of the tram works around Wilford http://www.thisiswilford.org.uk/16_3_14_Tram.htm. Not a lot of the GC earthworks left or where they are left they are not being used by the tram. Interesting that south of Wilford Lane the tracks are in situ but not the overhead poles whereas to the north the poles exist but not the tracks! 404 Not found... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 404 Not found... Apolgies, somehow the address acquired a full stop on the endhttp://www.thisiswilford.org.uk/16_3_14_Tram.htm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted June 29, 2014 Author Share Posted June 29, 2014 So near and yet so far, photo found on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/35889125@N05/14294748507/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted August 23, 2014 Author Share Posted August 23, 2014 First movement http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/news/?p=8825#more-8825 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted August 23, 2014 Author Share Posted August 23, 2014 Local press report with picture of a tram descending off the bridge over Midland station, http://www.nottinghampost.com/tram-goes-Nottingham-s-new-railway-station-bridge/story-22803664-detail/story.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 For some reason I cannot paste a link (and the link icon goes dead) but anyway if you go to www.thetram.net on the right hand side of the web page the Latest Tram News presently has a link to a photo looking straight down the GC. The road crossing the tramway is Ruddington Lane which use to cross over the GC (bridge 295) and presumably both the trackbed has been lifted and the road lowered. The industrial units beyond the road on the right of the tramline are on the former Wilford Brick Works. The tram itself seems to be on a down grade which will be necessary to pass under the ring road (bridge 296?) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Indeed. The photographer is presumably on the Ring Road bridge, with the camera lifted somehow above the raised parapet, hopefully with due attention to their health and safety from the 70mph traffic whizzing past just behind them. This means trams are now able to run over the entire length of the ex-GC section. I'll have a go at posting the correct link. The tram track has indeed been raised up towards Ruddington Lane and I think the road has been lowered somewhat too - it was certainly closed for long enough. Would the Ring Road have been bridge 296? As it wasn't there when the GC was built and the bridges numbered I would have thought 295A was more likely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Why did they not stick with a road bridge over? Much safer, surely? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Inspired by this topic I took a walk out this afternoon to take some photos of the former GC section between Wilford Lane and the Ring Road. I saw three trams within 40min so some fairly serious testing is now going on. Please see the gallery here, including some Great Central relics! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 Photo on Flickr looking south down the GC alignment,you can see where the track bed has been lifted to cross Ruddington Lane on the level instead of passing under it (Bridge 295). The bridge it passes under is that built for the Nottingham ring road (295A?) afterwhich the tram lines swing to the west leaving the GC track bed. If anyone has bought the Great Central bookazine produced by Railway Magazine it is full of errors concerning the GC and the tram, there was no viaduct at Wilford so it cannot have been retained as implied therein, and this section of tram does not go to Chilwell. https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5330/17993409475_2caa4542ee_n.jpg Apologies for the link being to a small version but since Flickr altered their web pages it seem impossible to access the actual photo page using an android tablet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 Couple of photos found on Flickr showing the extent of change https://www.flickr.com/photos/alansphotocollection/21601558940/ at Wilford Lane where the GC crossed over by a low height bridge; you can see the remaining embankment in the background as the tram runs to the east side of it, and view looking north from further south https://www.flickr.com/photos/alansphotocollection/21166853244/ On youtube this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5jo67fk4vA at 4mins50 onwards shows the view from inside a tram as its swings onto the old GC formation to pass under the Nottingham Ring Road; thereafter it climbs vertically above the formation to cross a lowered Ruddington Lane on the level whereas the GC passed under the road. Photo found on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/alansphotocollection/21602684899 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.