What’s Light Rail? What’s a Tram? What’s the Difference?

Urban mass transit can be a confusing thing, with trains, light rail and tramways, so let’s try to make sense of it all.
/ jagohazzard
ko-fi.com/jagohazzard

[@MatiPryjomko]

Light Rail, fighter of the Dark Rail.

[@C2K777]

"These are not the Light Rail cars you are looking for"

[@misterthegeoff9767]

We don't talk about London's Dark Rail network. Some things are better left forgotten.

[@datsright]

Aaaaaah aaaaaaaaaaaaah!

[@SportyMabamba]

CHAMPION OF THE... SUNNN

[@mro6039]

You’re a Master of Karate...

[@Greatanotherchannel]

Light rail now with 56% less saturated fats

[@davidbull7210]

What about trams-fats?

[@chriswalford4161]

With fibre we’ll be able to reduce exposure to trams-fats

[@tjejojyj]

Yes, but look at the sugar content!!

[@albertcarello7328]

Hilarious! It's great hearing someone with a sense of humor! Also is it saturated or unsaturated fats!?

[@audiotron1003]

I think it's saturated if the passengers are overweight and if they are polytechnic students then poly unsaturated.

[@misterthegeoff9767]

So modern trams were introduced to the UK by an American named Mr. Train. Nominative determinism got so close and yet so far away on that one.

[@millomweb]

Mr Train played a part somewhere along the line (is that another pun?) But the Oystermouth & Mumbles railway is where public 'rail' service began for farepaying passengers. Horse-drawn, of course.

[@highpath4776]

@@millomweb Mr Train's original trams used L shaped rail, which stuck up above ground level, which was not liked by cyclists , horses or walkers - or cars when they came along.

[@millomweb]

@@highpath4776 You mean his trams were L shaped !

[@Welgeldiguniekalias]

I know what I want and I want it now. I want trams, 'cause I'm Mr. Train.

[@highpath4776]

@@millomweb No , the rails were. (the wheels were flangeless I think).

[@mfaizsyahmi]

4:51 "George Francis Train" "Hah! Really?!" - Jay Foreman

[@SportyMabamba]

This is when I knew I was among People of Culture

[@EnterStationNameHere]

I see you are a man of culture

[@EonityLuna]

I knew someone was going to make that reference here.

[@LucavlogsandgamingOFFICIAL]

So Civilised

[@foitzer4839]

+

[@MrGreatplum]

Now I understand why Toby the Tram Engine looks like he does - every day is a school day! Great stuff!

[@ubergeekian]

Toby's original line was the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway and Toby himself was an LNER J70, formerly GER C53. Henrietta was a W&U carriage, one of which was the coach wrecked in a field in The Titfield Thunderbolt.

[@adrianburn7178]

I was brought up in Melbourne, Australia, which has long been one of the world's great tram cities. Trams never went out of fashion there and the network has continued to expand in recent decades.

[@Wb3110]

Including the conversion of the old Port Melbourne Line (Which was the first Railway in Australia) to a light Rail system in the late 1990s.

[@citiesskyscrapers4561]

Melbourne’s tram system is the largest in the world.

[@lawrencelewis8105]

I live in Toronto, Canada and we still have what we call streetcars. The system has expanded somewhat over the last 25 years but not by much and there is endless talk of expansion in the future but I probably won't live to see it.

[@Wb3110]

Oops that’s what I meant. It’s a bit of a shame really that it’s not a train line anymore.

[@maddyg3208]

@@soulsphere9242 I was about to say that. I think it was 1987.

[@erikziak1249]

Tram in old German means (a wooden) beam in English. Way is today used in English, but old German also had it. The meaning of the word way remained unchanged in present in English. Trams were usually long beams of wood with uniform shape from one end to another (circular, square, etc.). Other languages like Slovak or Czech took the old german word tram into their vocabulary, where it is still used today (in german they use the term Balken insted). So tramway literally means a way made out of beams. Which later became rails made out of steel. See that image at 1:01 for reference. Some say that the tram was not the "rail", but the sleeper. I doubt that, since the earliest tramways (again 1:01) did not need that many sleepers and trams, especially a century ago, did not have sleepers, rather thin metal rods connecting the rails every couple of meters, just to keep the gauge. Early electric trams were small, light and slow (25 km/h max). A tramway started out not as the vehicle, it was the "beam road". Later the word tramway was used to call the vehicle itself and the "road" became the track. Back to present day. In Central Europe we have Tramways, High speed tramways, light rail and (heavy or big) rail. High speed tramway is a regular tramway that operates on tracks that are on the level of light rail = they are used exclusively by trams and usually have a proper "railway" signalling system, so the drivers are sure that the track in front of them is free of other trams (at least up to the next signal) if the light is green. reference to the word Tram: www.woerterbuchnetz.de/DWB/tram

[@RCassinello]

Yeah, literally "Tram" is the Germanic word for what "Rail" is in Latin languages, whilst similarly "Way" is the Germanic word for "Road" in Latin languages. This basically means that: Tramway Tramroad Railway Railroad ...All literally used to mean exactly the same thing.

[@lawrencelewis2592]

@@RCassinello I was in Germany several times in the 1970s and the term strassenbahn was in use for trams. I have been to Germany several times in the last few years and strassenbahn seems to have fallen out of fashion and the term tram is now used.

[@paulmentzer7658]

I was looking for the German word "strassenbahn" for in the USA we took the word "Strass" translated into English is "Street" and the German word "Bahn" to the English word "Car" to come with the name "Streetcar". "Streetcar has been used on this side of the Atlantic since 1836 for what people in Britain call a "Tram".

[@caramelldansen2204]

I wonder if that word "Balken" has any relation to the word "Balkan" (meaning the geographical region in southeastern Europe) from the Turkish language (meaning a wooded, mountainous area)

[@erikziak1249]

@@caramelldansen2204 I am no linguistic expert, but I do not expect a connection. It might be just a coincidence.

[@NomicFin]

Here in Finland they're constructing a new line that in English is called a light rail but in Finnish a fast tramway. The latter is probably more accurate, as it will run along the streets and the rolling stock looks extremely similar to the existing trams.

[@rodrigodelprat]

Here in Melbourne, our trams magically get renamed light rail when they get off the road on their own dedicated (ex-heavy rail) path.

[@WillKemp]

Known as the "lie trail" around the time of Melbourne's 1990 tram dispute.

[@bryan3550]

Yep!

[@Dave_Sisson]

That's mainly because spin doctors told politicians that "Light Rail" sounds more exciting than "Tram" to voters. There is no true light rail n Melbourne because every single route also includes a fair bit of running on streets, so no matter what the publicists say, they are all trams.

[@kanedaku]

@@JamesTK That brightened my day! Light headlines bearing down in a tu

[@scottlewisparsons9551]

Yeah, they are all trams in Melbourne...don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! I love the trams in Melbourne but live in Sydney with the boring, slow and very precious light rail.

[@PaulLemars01]

I'm sitting here wearing a Sound Transit shirt. My wonderful wife works in the safety department of Sound Transit which is charged with developing and operating light rail in Seattle Washington USA. It's wonderful to watch your videos and revel in the history of city based railway. The tube is where it all began whether underground or overground. We all share a link with our great great grandfather. I (mis)spent a great deal of my youth bumming a lift on the tube. I was supposed to be going to college in Southend via Benfleet station but I got on the London side and then got off at Barking and hopped the Tube into London where I would spend the day cruising all over the network. I loved experiencing how far the tube went. I'd just take my lunch and spend the day sightseeing. It was a long time ago and now my wife is part of light rail here. It's a funny old world. Keep up the good work Jago, your almost at 100k subscribers. Your a real youtuber now!

[@BarryAllenMagic]

Blackpool of course still has a tram network; and are still running the vintage stock at Weekends and Bank Holidays. Absolutely fantastic to travel on; compared to their boring modern-day replacements.

[@wetcardie66]

Growing up there i used it to go from Talbot square to my aunts tabacconists in whitegate drive..happy days

[@Skorpychan]

I nearly got hit by one of those when I went there. Then nearly hit by a horse pulling a carriage while getting out the tram's way. And, later, by a police car driving on the goddamn beach, which I'd decided to walk along to avoid the traffic that had nearly hit me earlier.

[@joehitchen9311]

Missed opportunity for a closing pun to the effect of "I hope you enjoyed this enlightening video on..."

[@dangerousandy]

A few points to muse: •Weymouth Quay Tramway = Heavy Rail • I always thought the Alton & Basingstoke Light Railway was the first ‘proper’ light railway to be opened under the Light Railways Act 1896 - I’m probably wrong. •Thomas the Tank Engine was reprimanded by the Old Bill for not having his wheels covered or having a cow catcher. Naughty boy.

[@Tevildo]

The first light railway opened under the 1896 Act was the Rother Valley Railway (1900), part of the (pre-existing) Kent & East Sussex Railway. (Not to be confused with the current Rother Valley Railway (1991), a heritage line). The Alton & Basingstoke opened in 1904.

[@zork999]

And that is why Toby the Tram Engine came to the Island of Sodor. And there was much rejoicing.

[@DavidWilliams-km5xu]

I've walked part of old route with the railway ramblers from Basingstoke to Alton. It was considered a light railway. And had a short life.

[@claas901]

In Kassel, Germany we have an interesting mix of what you'd call tram and light rail. In the city, the trains use the same tracks as our usual trams but they change at the (former) main station onto the regular rail network and are a bit like regional trains with way more stops outside the city, so they are called RegioTram.

[@erikziak1249]

Such systems are know as Tram-Trains.

[@michaelm_720]

That sounds somewhat similar to the light rail network in Denver, Colorado. They run on the street in the inner city and segregated from the roads in the suburbs.

[@erikziak1249]

@@ominous6845 Not just a very long tram. Tram-train vehicles must comply with rail standards. They usually can run also on 15kV 16,7 Hz (in Germany), not just on 600 V DC like trams. They must comply with other norms of the "big rail" like stiffness of the body (400kN) as well norms regarding their pantographs, wheel profile according to UIC-ORE, etc. A very long tram, which does not operate on any parts of rails where it would share the track with "big rail", is just a fast tram. Not a tram-train. It does not have to comply with "big rail" norms.

[@thestargateking]

Tbh the way I see it, the DLR is much more of a metro than a light rail. For me a light rail is basically a high capacity tramway with majority separation from roads, with a tramway being a system that is majority street running, and by street running I specifically mean, running in a lane that cars could use not just crossing the road frequently and running in the median of a road. (Although I would count running in the median as street running if the tram stops required the passengers to get off onto the road instead of a platform)

[@stefansoder6903]

A metro system IS light rail.

[@thestargateking]

@@stefansoder6903 no

[@chrismckellar9350]

@@stefansoder6903 - I agree but it is also referred to light Metro as a marketing ploy to confuse people further.

[@chrismckellar9350]

A tramway is a light rail graded (street and/or street operation) system.

[@petermolloy6142]

@@stefansoder6903 With overhead wires, yes, but not when the power source is a third-rail system.

[@davidyoung5114]

This segment reminds me of when Dr. Neil Degrasse-Tyson told the story of the photon that checked into a hotel and was asked if it had any luggage, to which the photon replied 'No, I'm travelling light!'

[@rogerbarton497]

We have a Tram-Train in Sheffield (at least I think we do , last time I heard it was stuck on the back of a lorry at some traffic lights because the lorry couldn't negotiate a corner). Apparently it's a tram that can run on tram and main line tracks. Thankfully nobody came up with the idea of using Pacers for this function, which were basically a Leyland bus on train wheels. The gentleman you mentioned by the name of "Train" didn't escape my notice either.

[@TheErador]

All the Pacers! All of them.

[@kevinh96]

Interestingly the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (a co-operation between Leeds, Wakefield, Kirklees, Calderdale and Bradford local authorities) has just published a masterplan for an extensive rapid transit network across West Yorkshire which will incorporate and co-ordinate buses, trains, trams and so called light rail links across the county, and one thing they appear keen on is the use of Tram Trains.

[@rogerbarton497]

@@kevinh96 A coordinated timetable - Hope that works out. A good few years ago Leeds was considering a Metro system and at the same time a group was lobbying for the re-introduction of trolley buses instead.

[@TheErador]

@@rogerbarton497 supertram was doomed to fail from the beginning, there just isn't space for them

[@Croz89]

@@kevinh96 I am a little cautious about the idea of "Tram-Trains". They seem to be presented as a "jack of all trades" solution, a universal vehicle that can run on the street, new light rail track and old heavy rail lines. But you can end up with a vehicle that fills all of these roles but doesn't do any of them very well. Long distance passengers are faced with slower, smaller vehicles that stop too frequently whereas the old heavy rail trains were faster and could carry more people, even if they were a little less frequent. Meanwhile in the urban core you have huge LRV style vehicles squeezing round tight corners and potentially quite narrow streets, often at speeds not more than brisk jog. Certainly the idea has its uses, but they are not the best of all worlds.

[@TransCanadaPhil]

In Calgary the C-Train is known as a Light Rail System even though the downtown portion runs through a street (7th) like a tram even though the rest of the system outside of the downtown is separated with a combination of controlled crossings and grade separations. In Edmonton, their system is also referred to as a Light Rail System even though it's almost a metro with it running as a full underground subway in the downtown portions of the system and a combination of controlled crossings and grade separations outside downtown and no tram-like portions.

[@RCassinello]

There's also the Sheffield Supertram which scores the hattrick of running on the roads through Sheffield, segregated tracks near Sheffield, and on Network Rail's "heavy rail" tracks through Rotherham.

[@turbochargedtransit7241]

Light rail here in the US is basically a tram/streetcar that has a dedicated right of way, where streetcars/trolleys are just small rail vehicles that run on the street.

[@MihkelKiil]

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail in New Jersey runs along the streets

[@turbochargedtransit7241]

@@MihkelKiil it does have a separate ROW, which a streetcar doesn’t. Look at Portland, OR. It has a streetcar system that only operates on city streets, and a light rail system that runs on regular tracks, but also on the street.

[@2712animefreak]

This is interesting because just because they run on the street, they don't need to be that small. A good number of cities in Central Europe use rather large rolling stock along normal street lanes. To me, at least, a tram uses normal street lights (with possible additional signals) whereas light rail uses railway-like signaling.

[@turbochargedtransit7241]

@@2712animefreak as far as I know, the only 5 segment LRVs or streetcars (the ones commonly found in abroad) here in the US is NJ Transit’s Kinki Sharyo extended LRVs.

[@michaelwilson6584]

An amusing (to me at least) recollection of the tram system in Rome. A cyclist, on getting the bicycle wheels stuck in the tram rail, spied a tram coming. Unable to free the wheels, the cyclist signalled the tram to go round... Difficult!

[@LucaPasini]

As a person currently living in Rome, I think it represents well the mentality of the people here, and also how neglected the small tram network has been for decades now. At least the construction of some new lines has been recently funded, as well as the purchase of newer veichles. The urban rail network here is in general quite chaotic and inefficient (3 underground lines that have little in common with each other, some urban rail lines that look like the underground ones but legally are not, proper trams, a tram that is legally a light railway...) but it's fascinating nonetheless.

[@michaelwilson6584]

Yes. I recall two tram systems. The one run by the City transit authority with green trams and the elderly blue and white system that headed out to Cinecittà from Termini. In the years between living there and returning as a visitor many of the lines seem to have disappeared.

[@LucaPasini]

@@michaelwilson6584 The blue and white system has been closed since the opening of the A underground line in 1980, however there is a meter-gauge light rail line that follows the Casilina road from Termini station to the Centocelle neighbourhood, which is what's left of a long line to the town of Frosinone, gradually closed during the Eighties. Nowdays it's a quite neglected line with old and poorly kept high-floor rolling stock, but a few months ago plans have been finally approved to turn it into a standard gauge line integrated with the existing tram network, and to extend it to Tor Vergata University and Anagnina underground station. Rome is very far from having the public transport infrastructures it would need, due in part to its history (if you dig a hole in a random place you have great chances of finding some kind of ancient object or building), in part to the inefficiency of mayors and public offices, and in part also to the mentality of its citizens

[@michaelwilson6584]

Is it Ansgnina station that has an old Blue and White car on exhibit?

[@LucaPasini]

@@michaelwilson6584 Yes! I used to see it every day, and I still live relatively close to it (I've only been living in Rome for a couple of years now, I'm from a totally different part of Italy). More historic cars are on display at the Rome Transport Museum next to the Piramide/Ostiense/Porta San Paolo station complex.

[@frglee]

Interestingly, the early DLR P86 class light rail units had to sold when they could not be used on the tunnel to Bank. So they were sold to Essen in Germany where they now run as street trams. I may be wrong, but I seem to vaguely recall in the early days the DLR thought it might also run the P86 units along roads in places, though that was not to be. The definition of light rail and street trams seems to blur in many places anyway. Many lines have a mix of both features.

[@JagoHazzard]

They did indeed plan to run DLR trains along the road to Mile End - I did a video on it a few weeks back.

[@KravKernow]

I was going to go "Aha, then under that definition, the train that ran through Weymouth is a tram!" But apparently it was. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weymouth_Harbour_Tramway

[@iankemp1131]

Good point. A "tramway" that took full length main line passenger express trains! (though not at all express on the town section)

[@afletchermansson4418]

Nice installment, Sir. Then there's the San Diego Trolley, which calls itself a trolley and is also referred to as light rail. It operates on city streets so its also a tram. Guess that makes it a Light Trolley Tram (which is a regular Trolley Tram but with half the calories).

[@Jaxck77]

So here in Seattle, the term “light rail” literally means “rail with a light car”. The trains here are huge & heavy, and they rely on this weight to maintain traction with the rail. Light rail on the other hand maintains traction with powerful electric motors with extremely high torque. This allows light rail to accelerate & decelerate much more smoothly, but decreases its top speed. Most importantly however is that it allows the cars to be light, in the same weight class as a bus. This allows light rail to go up hills, but it also allows light rail to be at street level and at speed safely. Trains at street level in the Western US can only go a couple of miles per hour, basically walking speed, because otherwise there is a very serious risk of a very serious collision. Seattle’s underground light rail network originally had buses running on the same lines as the light rail, a practice which only ended in early 2020 (the system having been built ten years earlier). Lighter rail also needs less strong bedding to keep the rails aligned, so spongy but easy to work with materials like freshly poured concrete can be used (concrete sleepers for heavy rail have to be pre-seasoned and use a very high grit mix to improve their strength against load. Wood sleepers are cheaper, easier to season, and easier to transport which is still why they are the global standard). This makes construction of new Light Rail lines extremely rapid, about the same speed as constructing roads.

[@millomweb]

Same weight as a bus - I see it now - the reappearance of 'Pacer trams' !!!!!!

[@ThermoMan]

Really interesting, thank you.

[@BNSFandSP]

I agree with the lighter rolling stock, but Dallas has a light rail network that uses heavier rails than some freight roads (136lb, IIRC). I think light rail is the new term for interurban (at least in the States).

[@millomweb]

@@BNSFandSP Again, at the heart of it could be legal reasons for ease of placing the tracks.

[@Whitebeard79outOfRus]

@@BNSFandSP The main feature of light-rail in the US IMO is an express type of service while the streetcars| trolleys are low-speed in-street service

[@JM-tc3hk]

Could do a mini series on the UK’s tram networks. Sheffield, Manchester, Blackpool, Nottingham, Edinburgh and Birmingham.

[@fredpond1087]

What about Glasgow?. Glasgow had a huge tram system until the City Fathers (Cooncil) deliberately ran it into the ground in the 1950's. They did more damage than Dr. Beeching did to the railways in the 60's.

[@DavidWilliams-km5xu]

I would love to go the Glasgow subway.

[@hairyairey]

@@DavidWilliams-km5xu Do it when you can - make sure to ride all the way round "both" lines too.

[@grahamwhitworth9454]

I remember the Glasgow trams in the early 1960s. Locals called them tramcars, or more often just cors. They were painted orange and green to keep both Protestants and Catholics happy! (The same livery was applied to the trolleybuses and motor buses that replaced them.)

[@alexandraclement1456]

My city, Toronto, has a lot of trams routes, though we call them streetcars. Love riding them too.

[@johnburns4017]

That is what the Yanks call them. Now stop it!

[@alexandraclement1456]

@@johnburns4017 I am Canadian.

[@johnburns4017]

@@alexandraclement1456 I know. :)

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

@@johnburns4017 Yeah it's a stupid name, I wish we could change it. Thankfully I now live in Europe so I can unironically refer to the "Toronto tram system".

[@millomweb]

Clearly, that is short for something - and my guess is "street tramway carriage".

[@hectorthorverton4920]

The Liverpool Overhead's death sentence derived from the decision to make it out of cast iron rather than masonry. They probably had to do this because in reality it was on stilts over existing stuff. In the end it just crumbled away.

[@geekyboringfilms233]

@@williethomson8353 what

[@alexhando8541]

@@williethomson8353 What happened then?

[@johnburns4017]

@@alexhando8541 The Overhead was a double decked railway for most of its length. Freight trains under. The sulphur from the steam train's exhaust did not help, neither did neglect during WW2.

[@highpath4776]

@@johnburns4017 I think more the fact it was in liverpool related to the general uncaredforness

[@johnburns4017]

@@highpath4776 What do you mean?

[@petermostyneccleston2884]

The tram company which used to be around Colwyn Bay, and Llandudno, was called "The Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Electric Light Railway." this stopped operating in the 1950's, but there are a number of the components still in use.

[@ewanduffy]

Technically you didn't need an Act of Parliament for a railway, however, if you need to compulsorily purchase property, divert the King/Queen's highway or cross roads on the level, you needed an Act of Parliament. In addition, in the early days of railways, there were no Companies Acts and therefore, an Act of Parliament was needed to setup the company. The extension of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway to Dalkey was built without an Act of Parliament (this was in the era when Britain and Ireland were united).

[@highpath4776]

Was it done by a general agreement ?

[@ewanduffy]

@@highpath4776 The company took a lease of land from the Board of Works. The route was not great and contains many sharp curves, which bedevil the line to this day (if they had gone for an Act of Parliament, they could have altered the route). In addition, as they could not cross public roads on the level, the company had to gouge a mile long cutting along the route to carry the line under said roads. The line being of sharp curvature and in a cutting has caused problems to this day - the line remaining in use as part of the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART).

[@triggerwarning7662]

An act of parliament was not needed to set a up a company, it was a royal charter, as setting up such an organisation was a royal propagative.

[@GeorgeChoy]

On the subject of light rail please do a video on the Manchester Metrolink

[@georgebattrick2365]

David Frankal has done lots. The funniest is where he refers to one he made four years earlier, when he took the first tram on the Manchester Airport extension, and you click through, and there are he and his mate in their school uniforms before their voices broke. Oh, and a gold star to his father, who must have driven them to the airport at about 5:30 in the morning.

[@highpath4776]

@@georgebattrick2365 I think I went to the trafford centre station / stop on its first day of use (lockdown but I had two days work in trafford)

[@longiusaescius2537]

@georgebattrick2365 interesting

[@jamesblair18]

Jago again comprehensive and interesting. Love the DLR and how this has grown and London's tram network! many thanks

[@hotpointlil]

Tram runs along tracks that share the road. Light rail has its exclusive route, not shared with road traffic

[@eattherich9215]

@@hotpointlil: what then is the Croydon system since it runs on rail tracks and through the streets?

[@hotpointlil]

@@eattherich9215 Let's go with Super Hybrid Intermodal Transit system. 😋

[@shaunbrennan5281]

Thank you Mr Hazzard. I'm in Australia, I wasn't particularly interested in trains, or London , but I find your explanations and humour very relaxing and your delivery and voice are likewise easy on the ear. Well done sir, I have even leaned things, turns out, London trains are quite a fascinating saga ,who knew?!..well, apart from you obviously. Carry on .

[@millomweb]

If you dig into London, it is fascinating, full stop !

[@AcornElectron]

Always interesting and informative! Keep up the good work fella and stay safe!

[@copilotconrad]

Yay nearly 100k subs well done! I remember this time last year, you only had around 15k!

[@Peasmouldia]

GWR were pretty fast and loose with their station names. But if they added "Road" to the title, you knew you were in for a long schlepp...

[@millomweb]

Perhaps not as bad as if you alight at Dent Station. You have a 2 mile (walk) to Dent !

[@librarian16]

@@millomweb That's nothing compared with the climb back up.

[@edwardsadler7515]

Not for nothing was the Great Western Railway known as 'The Great Way Round'!

[@chriswalford4161]

It’s roughly the same with “Parkway” now

[@Peasmouldia]

@@chriswalford4161 Seend Station in Wiltshire should have been called "Seend, base camp". To get to the village passengers were confronted with a mile long 1in 8 climb..

[@Welshman2008]

2:31 “Equipped with Cowcatchers” “But I don’t catch cows 🐄 sir” said Thomas

[@NiftyKnot]

The Sheffield Tram-Train: The tramway that is also a light railway that borrows Network Rail lines partway

[@davidbull7210]

Then you've got a stretch of the Tyne and Wear Metro that shares track with the main line so that could be called Light-Rail-Train...

[@chrismckellar9350]

A tram-train is where at light rail tram is built to heavy rail specifications that can operate on heavy and light rail networks.

[@citizenerased1992]

I wondered if this would get a mention. A shame these videos are often a touch London-centric.

[@chrismckellar9350]

@@citizenerased1992 - The reason why the videos are London-centric is Jago loves in London.

[@hairyairey]

@@davidbull7210 arguably the Tyne and Wear Metro is a short train not light rail as most of its lines are the old North Tyne loop.

[@integralhighspeedusb]

Now that I live a long way from London I find myself suddenly nostalgic for the DLR. Thankyou for this video.

[@librarian16]

I travelled on the Liverpool Overhead Railway a few times. One interesting feature was that the trains had a first class section, which didn't cost much more than the normal, but was where you travelled when you had your best clothes on.

[@fenlinescouser3898]

I'm envious being only old enough to remember the demolition.

[@millomweb]

Did you ever go through the tunnel while riding on it ?

[@librarian16]

@@millomweb You mean the tunnel at the Dingle terminus? I went there just once.

[@millomweb]

@@librarian16 The one where it collapsed a bit a few years back and residents had to move out for a while ! I'd guess the railway only went through 1 tunnel ??

[@librarian16]

@@fenlinescouser3898 Be careful of what you wish for. I'm 89, with mobility limitations, and have just been told that I am "extremely vulnerable" and must shield until the end of March. You will live to see things that I won't.

[@CorvoFG]

Tram sounds working class and light railway sounds like a posh way of not calling something a tram when it is.

[@2H80vids]

That's kind of true.😁 When "light railway" is used to describe a Colonel Stephens-type affair (something like the East Kent) it sounds fine but, when applied to a modern, state-of-the-art system, it starts to sound like "management-speak". Another one like that is "rapid transit system". Funny thing is though, I think "Docklands Light Railway" sounds just about right for what it is.😁

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@2H80vids even though it’s heavier than a lot of other metro networks! It only looks light by comparison to the LU 😄

[@Whitebeard79outOfRus]

Still it doesn't eliminate the real difference between them two. It is more clearly seen in American style terms of "streetcar" instead of "tram", underlining the fact that tram is in-street feature, with lower average speed and "stops at every corner" - and the "light rail" which is express service, mostly over former heavy railways.

[@hyperdistortion2]

Now, if someone could convince TfL to extend either the DLR or Tramlink so they have a direct interchange... that’d be the best commute ever. Fun and informative as always!

[@hyperdistortion2]

@Podkova Croydon to Canary Wharf, avoiding London Bridge or Canada Water in rush hour; that’s the dream!

[@misterthegeoff9767]

hmm the tram line actually crosses over the commuter rail line between Beckenham Road and Beckenham Junction so it doesn't seem impossible to at least run trams into Lewisham commuter rail station for an easy transfer. The land near where the lines cross appears to be mostly allotments too which are probably easier to build a junction over than people's houses. Intriguing idea but you know it's illegal to link 2 different parts of South London without forcing people to buy a Zone 1 ticket and change at London Bridge, right?

[@hyperdistortion2]

@@misterthegeoff9767 Illegal though it may be, it’s time to rebel, for the sake of south London residents everywhere (in south London)!

[@eattherich9215]

@Podkova: agreed. Make it go down South Norwood Hill and I can stop driving to my Brother's. 😄

[@barrygower6733]

I recall taking the train from Wimbledon to West Croydon when it was a Southern Region service. It was a very interesting journey with numerous signal boxes at which tokens were exchanged, and quite a few level crossings.

[@godfreytables3141]

RandstadRail in The Hague blew my mind. Runs along streets with trams, shares a metro section, and has its own light rail branch. The section shared with metro trains has stations with dual height platforms to cater for the differing vehicle floor heights.

[@gregfarley715]

There is a carriage from the overhead railway in the museum of Liverpool, would reccomend

[@carribob1992]

Sometimes Light Rail takes over from the main railway. The Manchester Metrolink covers the former LYR line from Manchester Victoria to Bury Interchange as well as the southern part of the former MSJ&R.

[@netking66]

Same with Wimbledon - Mitcham - Croydon line in London. I rode it as a railway in 1979 and as a tramway in 2018.

[@blockstacker5614]

Where I come from, both lightrail trains and trams/streetcars have run on the streets and on extended lines branching out of the city.

[@brianfretwell3886]

Most of Blackpool's trams route are on segregated areas except in Fleetwood too. The (re) extension to Blackpool North station will be main part of shared traffic running in Blackpool now the main depot has moved from Talbot Road.

[@simonmitchell7071]

I am sure the good Colonel would have loved eBay for all his rolling stock needs...

[@fenlinescouser3898]

Unless outbid by Adrian Shooter!

[@victoredwards247]

Don't know if this is still the case , but back in the 80's another requirement to be defined as a "Light Railway" was that the driver (if there is one) mustn't be in a separate cab. Which is presumably why we have "Operators" sitting in with the passengers on the DLR.

[@librarian16]

The Croydon tram driver sits in a separate cab. There is a door through to the passenger compartment, but it is usuall locked.

[@victoredwards247]

I shall have to go on the new tram network. It wasn't there when I used to work in Croydon. The rule only applied to Light Railways, ie segregated train lines. They were also not allowed to carry goods as Jago said. I had a friend who worked in BR and he was most peeved at the consessions that a "Light Railway" got as opposed to main line trains.

[@alexhando8541]

@@victoredwards247 A Light Railway is different from Light Rail as the Light Railway Act of 1897 is still in force to this very day, sorry if I'm being a pedant

[@eattherich9215]

The operator's area on DLR trains is now sectioned off because of covid-19.

[@victoredwards247]

@@alexhando8541 Enlightenment is never a bad thing ! :-) I shall have to look that up !

[@heronimousbrapson863]

In North America, there was an early 20th century transportation system referred to as the "interurban" railway. It would be interesting to know which of these classifications mentioned it would fit into.

[@robertweissman4850]

Particularly good video, Jago. Friends must appreciate all of the travelling around that you do, to obtain good views. Some very fine historical pictures shown. The first disused railway I walked was the Colonel Stephens’ Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. In 1964, much of it was there, rusting away, and the track was still in place at Tenterden Town - Rolvenden and beyond. It’s pleasing that some light railway routes like that have been restored to a fine standard.

[@richardabrown]

Hi I always enjoy your video I think you missed one of the different between standard rail and light rail and that is the track itself as light rail is lighter than standard rail. Keep up the good work

[@1963TOMB]

Historically rail 'strength' is defined in lbs (pounds), or actually lbs per foot, i.e. weight of the rails. At points and crossings the weight of the rails are increased compared with that in other areas to allow for the additional wear encountered. My son knows all about this as he is an apprentice CNC machinist at a factory that makes points and crossings for Network Rail, London Underground and DLR, amongst others - he started his interest as a youngster by building a 1:19 scale (16mm to the foot) narrow gauge railway in our garden.

[@neilbain8736]

This Stevens needs a video of his own. ( I once knew a couple of Trains, father and son, both transport nuts, the former latterly to be found frequenting a certain paddle steamer until he passed on ). Tram rails and wheels are designed to behave differently on corners than those of trains because tram routes can have much tighter radii. In fact I stumbled across a document specifying this, which cryptically and somewhat bizarrely said trams ride on their flanges, but I haven't been able to find it again since to clarify exactly how this worked. Manchester trams are a hybrid system. mixing rail and street specification. The rails and wheels are to railway specifications. They use old railway lines but with new track, yet still use many of the original stations and the original platforms. When on the roads in the city, it does look a bit surreal in the city centre with chest high platforms surrounded by people.

[@johnburns4017]

The Manchester trams have an irritating habit of screeching around corners. They also look out of place. Those high street platforms look awful and are irritating to use. Low platform trams are a dream to use. walk straight on from the pavement then a nice flat floor in the tram. Real hop on and off. Manchester should have taken away the platforms on the old stations or filled in between.

[@neilbain8736]

@@johnburns4017 The platforms are odd indeed because lots of places combine road working with old rail routes and have normal low platforms for trams. Maybe it's because in Manchester they used the actual same stations and just put trams into them instead. But what would it have taken to lower the platforms at the old stations? No train uses the same platforms or rails as trams on the old rail routes. Where they run side by side, trams and trains are kept absolutely separate, each on their own track to the same stations with the tram using one of the redundant train platforms.

[@johnburns4017]

@@neilbain8736 Did the Manchester trams lay new track on the old reused lines?

[@johnburns4017]

@@neilbain8736 Trams have to be segregated as they cannot run on the same track, due to crash protection, line of sight driving, and various other reasons. They are literally electric buses on rails.

[@neilbain8736]

@@johnburns4017 Yes they did.

[@lawrencelewis2592]

Here's another difference- here in Toronto, we have streetcars (trams) that stop on request, otherwise they do not stop. Ottawa has a new light rail line and it makes all stops whether or not someone requests it. It runs entirely in its own ROW unlike Toronto where they run with other traffic. There is a new LR line under construction along Eglinton avenue and it will make all stops and does not mix with road traffic.

[@mikemidulster]

Great footage! 100K subscribers closing fast!

[@annother3350]

2:32 T O B Y ! ! !

[@dangerousandy]

Regular law breaker...

[@annother3350]

@@dangerousandy I prefer 'Maverick'

[@fenlinescouser3898]

...or not T O B Y. That is the question

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Train got arrested when tried to lay tram tracks in London as he was in breach of the Highways Act of the time

[@fortissimo6210]

For harming and endangering the Uxbridge road

[@SportyMabamba]

Guerilla Infrastructure, gotta love it

[@librarian16]

His rails were above the road surface, not like modern trameays.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@librarian16 didn't know that bit. No wonder he was arrested.

[@ewanduffy]

IIRC he was run out of Dublin also.

[@caramelldansen2204]

It's surprising to think about how early Birkenhead was in the tram game, especially given how little of it remains!

[@rolandharmer6402]

Another very enjoyable video. I suppose another distinction between light rail and trams is that trams are low floor and need minimal platforms - oh! I was forgetting Manchester.

[@AtheistOrphan]

2:23 - It’s Toby!

[@Sammie_Sorrelly]

"Monorails don't seem to be classed as light rail despite meeting most of the criteria" Well, I hear those things are awfully loud.

[@MrGreatplum]

It glides as softly as a cloud...

[@scottlewisparsons9551]

We used to have a monorail in Sydney but they demolished it some years ago. When they planned it about they forgot to plan a route that actually served much purpose!

[@barvdw]

There are a few very precise cases where a monorail is the best mode for transit, but in almost all other cases, more conventional modes like trams, trains or metro are not only cheaper, but better. Monorail is better when space is tight, and steap slopes have to be dealt with. Or when you want to build a tourist attraction, rather than a transportation mode (hence why they are so popular with theme parks around the world). For about every other case, just go for something else.

[@fenlinescouser3898]

@@barvdw Which is why I find this interesting...... rail.bombardier.com/en/solutions-and-technologies/worldwide-projects.html/bombardier/projects/middle-east-africa/egypt/innovia-monorail-300---cityflo-650---cairo--egypt/en especially the length of the two lines, speed of travel and power supply.

[@chrispayne523]

We had a tramway/light railway in East Anglia. The Wisbech and Upwell Tramway lasted until 1966 and sections of the A1101 still has verges along the side of the road where the track used to go. The Reverent W. Awdry author of the Thomas the Tank Engine stories was the vicar of Emneth which is near, based Toby the Tram engine on the engines used on the line.

[@darylcheshire1618]

There is a branch line from Barcaldine in Queensland to Aramac. It was built and run by the local council on a shoestring until 1975. It was the same gauge as the Queensland Railways track and used hand me down rolling stock but because only QR could operate railways in Queensland, the Aramac line was called a tramway.

[@MrPeterhe]

Light rail? Oh, now I have to find my copy of the Titfield Thunderbolt.

[@JagoHazzard]

I love that film! Introduced me to the term “light railway order.”

[@cargy930]

Ironically, the line used to film the movie had already been axed before production, beating Beeching's butchery by a good few years too.

[@stephensaunders1845]

​@@cargy930 A good few years indeed- passenger services ended in 1925 and goods in 1951. A few reminders are left, like the vestigial viaduct here in Midford - it appears, along with the still intact S&D viaduct (now part of a cycleway), in the opening scenes of the Titfield Thunderbolt.

[@marvintpandroid2213]

Are they anything to do with the light programme?

[@millomweb]

Try retuning to DAB.

[@LesD9]

I hear they often provide a Home Service. (According to a friend!)

[@millomweb]

@@LesD9 I had a feeling in the late 70 early 80s that the BBC WORLD service wasn't available in England. May be it would have been had dad put up that areial wire from the house to the tree.

[@johnkirkpatrick1523]

In New Orleans, Louisiana U.S.A. the natives had "Streetcars". They could identify "foreigners" as soon as they used the term "Trolleys". They also used the term "Neutral Ground" (Sounds like a war zone) as opposed to "Median". They still operate 1920's vintage cars built by J.G.Brill and Perley-Thomas. They added roller bearings to the original trucks (Bogies if you will)..

[@pmorris1940]

They also had a streetcar named Desire (Sorry, couldn't help myself).

[@obdev9473]

In Cambridgeshire we have a guided busway, which runs partly over the route of former railway lines. The buses are controlled normally on city streets but are hands-free when on the busway. More Brio than Scalextric. Works pretty well although whether it met its commercial objectives is a matter for debate.

[@hairyairey]

Some of us here in Cambridgeshire call it the misguided bus - I think the cost of maintenance exceeds any possible profit. In time it might all get ripped up and turned back into a railway line because there is certainly the need for more freight capacity.

[@simonabunker]

Sydney just got a light trail extension - although most of it runs down existing streets. And being Sydney, the cars are incompatible with the existing light rail route. You can still see a lot of the remnants of the extensive original tram network they ripped out. Melbourne was sensible and kept their trams.

[@neville132bbk]

If only Dunedin had had the money and foresight to maintain the High Street cable car- == to the San Francisco ones....and the event more interesting and vertiginous Rattray St to Kaikorai Valley line......they'd be great tourist attractions as well as local user friendly like the one in Wellington

[@davidellis1355]

Anyone else having Thomas the Tank engine flash backs, Toby the Tram ☺️

[@tillowlglass1441]

I'm intrigued by the partly obscured warehouse sign in the picture of the Liverpool Elevated Railway. Yorkshire Kipper Works? Yorkshire Ripper Works! Or perhaps the too far ahead of its time Yorkshire Zipper Works

[@theenigmaticst7572]

Thank you for mentioning the Liverpool Overhead railway! It's such a shame that it's gone, but it would have been awesome had it survived.

[@RockTheChef]

Steampunk version of the DLR

[@muxradow]

Writing from New York, a fair distinction might be...: * TRAM or trolley or trolley-car or street_car: Runs mostly on or parallel to a road, which is often a _shared_ right - of - way; power is from an _overhead_ catenary & captured via a pantograph; car doors are minimally above _ground_ level// _-&-_ * LIGHT_RAIL: Runs on a _dedicated_ right - of - way, where there _never_ are pedestrians; power is from a shoe on the car's under-carriage and it over-runs the _third_rail_ ( FAR too lethal to be exposed on a road), which is offset to the side of the railbed; car doors are high above the roadbed, since _all_ stops are _always_ at raised platforms.// =-= As an aside: The track gauge _can_ be the same for light_rail and

[@muxradow]

street_cars. A good example is Philadelphia, where street_car lines come into the center of the city and share tracks with light_rail. The street_cars stop beyond the raised platforms, so changing modes means 3 or 4 steps. This is a very old system and works quite well, with each mode concentrated where it fits better. /Mike_R

[@MarkMcCluney]

Ah! More truncation humour. Jolly good.

[@oc2phish07]

Oh my word, Jago. Definitely one of your better videos (and they are ALL good). I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Not only was the factual history excellent, and contained things I never knew, but your humour really shone through. Well Done.

[@JagoHazzard]

Thanks!

[@bryansmith1920]

I once again find myself enlightened and entertained Thank You

[@RegebroRepairs]

Sir, I disagree with your assessment! The comment section is not for disagreeing with assessments, but for flamewars!

[@millomweb]

NO IT ISN'T ! :(

[@millomweb]

@Ross Bourne OH NO IT ISN'T (God, it's lonely in here with just the two of us playing.)

[@stevesalvage1089]

Well that's cleared that up thanks jago ! Good filming too, yes trams over tramlines in road , light rail lightly laid rails over various ground for light rail goods , Cornwall has many old examples , often wondered about this !

[@projectzip]

Most youtubers: dont like what I say, don’t watch. Jago: Bring the noise!

[@LewisCollard]

Liverpool Overhead Railway as steampunk DLR vs DLR as cyberpunk LOR is my favourite bit :) Keep em coming, your vids are always a treat :)

[@ouvsyproductions630]

Interestingly, in Sydney we seem to refer to our trams as "light rail", even though, especially so with the new CBD & South East Light Rail completed not all that long ago, the majority of it shares the street with road traffic and pedestrians. The term probably can be pinned to the 90s though when the Inner West Light Rail was made (the first tram Sydney had since the last of its extensive tram network was ripped up in the 1950s), using the old Darling Harbour Goods Line from the NSWGR and SRA days, as most of that ran along the former heavy rail corridor with the beginning out of Sydney Terminal to where the Powerhouse Museum is sharing the laneways that are used by some cars and service vehicles, as well as pedestrians. Canberra's recently completed 'tram' also is referred to as a light rail, and so is the ridiculous 2km Newcastle Light Rail which is literally a tram, but Newcastle's was built well into the NSW Government's 'L' branding for the light rails / trams of NSW. Melbourne of course still refers to their trams as trams, probably because they never got rid of all their trams like Sydney, and the Gold Coast's 'G:Link' is referred to mainly as a tram rather than a light rail as it shares the main roads for most of the line. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKeQepWHZb6hsMU Inner West Light Rail (28:35 for the 'tram' part) kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4KkZXyJeKqdbLc CBD&SELR kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqnXZo19p8Sta9k A nice contradictory news report

[@frankparsons1629]

Very engrossing, thank you Jago.

[@tombullen5676]

Excellent Jago. Thank you!

[@bazza945]

Very informative, as always, so thank you.

[@TheInfiniteAmo]

Seeing the obvious inspiration for Toby the Tram Engine @ 2:20 threw me for a loop there.

[@nutsnproud6932]

Thanks for the explanation Jago.

[@joannaatkinson235]

Loved this, thank you!

[@BilisNegra]

5:05 I've also associated "tram(way)" with urban transport for all of my life. Even if not a native speaker of English or living in an English speaking country, since after all, the Spanish term "Tranvía" is essentially the same word, kind of a direct port.

[@vespadavidson2315]

I have never actually been on a train, or a tram. However, love the videos. Thank you.

[@maleverett4550]

We, in Melbourne have an urban train network, a small underground loop, and trams. Lots of trams that cover the inner city, but some lines have got extended to the outer suburbs. But in the 80/90s one or two train lines were closed and a tram took over the line. So part the way it runs on the tram tracks through the suburbs and inner city, down the middle of the street then it hopes into the old train line and becomes a light rail.

[@collectivelyimprovingtrans2460]

Wow. Phenomenal video. This is something I have wondered for a really long time, like when you compare the DLR with the Manchester Metrolink, it is interesting.

[@whyyoulidl]

Thx J. And so begins a mini-binge on yr last 4 or 5 videos. This is what Friday WFH's all about!

[@Captain_Aardvark]

Thank you - very informative.

[@alanhaf2489]

I was in Detroit in 1987 when the "People Mover" elevated monorail was introduced. At that time it cost $1.

[@danlastname9002]

Monorail? It's a light rail!

[@steveaskey]

How about doing a video on trolleybuses, Mr H.? The tramway's equivalent of that uncle nobody mentions at family gatherings.

[@killickr]

Vaguely remember Wantage Road Station. Closed a year or so after we moved to the area (Grove). My father used to catch trains from there occasionally, presumably to London. I think there used to be a small Steam Engine displayed on one of the platforms. The station was probably 3 miles from the town centre.

[@JagoHazzard]

There was - the engine was No. 5, now preserved at Didcot.

[@rolandbogush2594]

Excellent, thank you for that clarification. A bit like cleaning a mirror from which much of the silvering has been lost - the image is as clear now as clear as it's ever going to be.

[@fortheloveofzuckuss1724]

Great video, I was reading a book on the Surrey Iron Railway the other night and was wondering why near me we have a Tramway Path and a row of houses known as Tramway terrace which were known as before we had Trams in 1906, and now I know.

[@JagoHazzard]

The Surrey Iron Railway is one I have in mind for a future video.

[@fortheloveofzuckuss1724]

@@JagoHazzard I will definitely look forward to that, more than usual

[@scottlewisparsons9551]

Thank you for your interesting an informative video Mr Hazzard. Also enjoyed reading some of the comments, there’s too many! I am new to your channel, however, I expect to be visiting often.

[@DrBovdin]

Here we go, a few months later, but still… To venture outside of the UK, I just want to mention the wonderfully diverse transit system in Lausanne, Switzerland. There are two metro lines of which one is a standard gauge “light rail”, i.e. essentially (reasonably modern) tram trains operating on mostly single, but grade separated track; the second being one running on rubber tyres, Paris style, a significant portion in tunnels replacing in situ an older funicular system and extending it. There is also a narrow gauge (1 m, if I remember correctly) independently operated commuter railway that is not considered a tramway, but it runs a very short, but still, distance at grade with road traffic. This of course in addition to local main line trains and an extensive network of trolley buses. All this in a fairly small city.

[@erikthenorviking8251]

I well remember the funicular - "la ficelle." Is the metre-gauge the Lausanne - Echallens - Bercher ? Had a lot of fun up at the Blonay - Chamby, too.

[@DrBovdin]

@@erikthenorviking8251 yes, the Lausanne - Echallens - Bercher or LEB for short is the metre-gauge one. Unfortunately not having had too much fun out and about in Lausanne though. The last year has been a bit of a dreary time for entertainment for some reason…

[@erikthenorviking8251]

Cheers, Erik! Here's hoping 2022 is much, MUCH better. I REALLY miss Switzerland...