Railway Herald
Greater Manchester Metrolink Firema T68 articulated tram No. 1020 crosses Windmill Street and approaches the G-MEX tram stop in Manchester city centre on Monday 2nd May 1992. Manchester Metrolink had opened from Bury to Manchester Victoria Station on 6th April 1992 being extended through the city centre to a temporary terminus alongside the Greater Manchester Exhibition Centre, the former BR Manchester Central Station, on 27th April 1992. All 26 T68 trams, which seated 84 people, were built in 1991 or 1992 and delivered to Manchester from the AnsaldoBreda factory in Naples, Italy for the start of operations. T68 No. 1020 was never modified to operate on the Eccles line services and so remained on the Bury and Altrincham to Manchester Piccadilly services for all of it's working life. Replaced by the new M5000 trams No. 1020 was withdrawn from use on 2nd November 2012. It is currently, March 2014, stored at the Metrolink Trafford Depot. All of the original fleet of T68 trams are now withdrawn from public use.
Bob Woolnough
