Departing at 10.49, after waiting for some last minute stragglers to board, a journey was made to the far terminus at Glory Mine (where passengers have only been able to alight since 2014), pausing at Wakebridge to pass a well loaded service tram. Then we ran to the end of line, before reversing into the loop where service trams pick up.

The tramway tracks continue for 35m or so beyond the reversal point, but are blocked by spoil on the track and de-electrified so could not be covered. [Does anyone know when/if it was ever used and when it was taken OOU; there is a pole for overhead at the end with a short piece of hanging wire?] Our conductor issued the rare special orange 'pass' tickets for unlimited rides on the service trams for the rest of the day at no extra charge (that was positive then!).

We now had to wait for the next service tram to arrive as our next manoeuvre to Glory Mine siding required the yellow single line token (on the incoming tram). Once obtained, we moved forward onto the single line, changed the points and then back into the siding. Travelling over points without a frog causes a jolt as each wheel rides (or hops) over it; a new experience for most on board. Service trams do not do this. It is a very rare move and at one 'point' we nearly dewired as the overhead pointwork here is seldom used. The ever vigilant Crich crew did watch the tram wheels and overhead pole very closely at all times during the tour, using whistles to control movements promptly and effectively.

Once in the siding, the token was returned and the service tram departed. The customary group picture was taken before returning to Town End. This was uneventful except for a set of sprung points at Wakebridge requiring leaf fall residue washing out before they would spring back correctly. (Spring points don't like autumn.) At Town End, we ran past the normal public set down point at Stephenson Place (an ECS move only done by mobility impaired passengers on the adapted accessible tram!) to the passenger pick up point and the end of east siding. Another reversal and we took the facing crossover back up the line to just past the depot entrance; the points were changed and it was in to the depot.

The tour ran to the doors of No.1 road, quickly reversing to enter No.2 and half way along the shed pit road, being stopped by a stabled Blackpool boat tram; so a boat length from the end of the line! After road 3, we reversed much further than needed to access road 4, a special on-the-day bonus that the crew had arranged for us - the depot headshunt. This is normally considered OOU, however having the tramway's Health and Safety inspector on board clearly helped. Word was that one of the tram crew got down on bended knee and begged for this track to be included! After roads 4, 5 and 6 there was a short break (for spotting, photos etc) in the centre siding between roads 6 and 7, normally occupied but cleared specially. During this a couple of stabled items were moved from 'needed' track to track we had covered (great planning). By now our tour was gaining an interested audience of bemused members of the public, watching a tram going back and forth into each of the depot roads in order!

Reboarding, sequential coverage continued of roads 7 to 11 inclusive. Road 7 was empty so the far shed wall was reached (further than the stabled trams on the other roads!) and greatly appreciated by all. A third of road 8 was covered and similarly on road 11 accessed by crossing the traverser.

Then the pièce de résistance; things started to get really interesting as reversing back from road 11, we stopped on the traverser. The lights went out as the trolley pole was lowered and the crew told us to remain seated. We then started to move sideways! The full length of the traverser (166ft) was covered before returning back towards road 11. A video https://goo.gl/DUiGTM by Jenny Williamson.

A Hull member of repute from the venerable 'front of train' gang may have been slightly disappointed to discover that he was sitting 'on the wrong side' of the tram to ensure maximum traverser coverage at the far end! Four normal looking flat bottomed rails were evenly spaced across the width of this 'very broad gauge' (about 26ft on Google Earth) traverser.

This gave remarkable, near 100% coverage of the electrified depot yard lines and available shed lines (a few are not wired, and there were only very short 'stubs' clear on roads 12- 15), so we left the depot. The crew were not done with us however, and there followed a quick run back down to Town End to cover the final set of trailing points (not used in passenger service) by the depot exit road.

We were told that we were making a short run from Town End up to Wakebridge and back - referred to by the crew as the 'Wakebridge Flyer'! This is not common, and on arrival required the trolley pole to be moved across to the overhead on the other side of the loop so that, on reversal, it was on the correct wire to return. This took a little while due to the need to turn the pole wheel 90 degrees to contact the wire, but did give the unusual sight of a tram departing with its pole at a right angle to it, picking up current from the wire above the adjacent track in the loop, until the points were reached!

As Simon Mortimer said about his picture: 'A classic branch line scene'; taken from the top deck in Glory Mine siding. [Simon Mortimer]

As the entrance to the Children's Play Area in the Great Exhibition Hall is reached a Crich Tramway volunteer holds the curious crowds safely back. [Jenny Williamson]

The depot crossover was taken in the 'wrong' direction back to finish on depot road 2. Once the power was turned off, the party alighted for an unexpected workshop tour. (Each depot wire is individually switched separately from the yard overhead; red lights show which wires are live and which are not.)

The crew explained the various projects that were going on and how parts were refurbished. We were most impressed by the painstaking dedication and enthusiasm of the volunteers. Considerable work (and expense) is required to restore a tram with its many intricate parts. It is like a complicated three dimensional jigsaw puzzle to reassemble. The visit ended at 13.30; our crew was duly thanked in the traditional BLS manner. The Museum enjoyed the visit so much that they issued a special press release! There was a report and pictures https://goo.gl/0v0pjP in 'British Trams on Line' - a comment to which was: What a strange activity!! Sounds like fun! Many participants had lunch here (the facilities are very good) and 20 reconvened at the Goodluck Lead Mine, while a few stayed on to travel on the three service trams that were out running and have a look round the museum etc.

Back to top