What an absolutely amazing week it has been – the news has come thick and fast but the crowning achievement of the past seven days and probably one of the most exciting developments to have occurred since Trams Today was founded was the news of the expansion of Blackpool’s heritage fleet. The news seems to have been received with the expected shock and delight, with whole hearted praise heaped upon those who have achieved the seemingly impossible. Past differences have been cast aside and the welfare of the trams put first with the result that nine former Blackpool trams are no safe and should enjoy a secure future on the tracks of their home system where they belong. Both Blackpool Transport and the Lancastrian Transport Trust deserve praise of the highest order for ensuring negotiations reached an ultimately successful outcome and one which has already seen tangible benefits following the repatriation of both Coronation 304 and OMO 8. To see the sunshine yellow and crimson tram standing once more outside the gates of Rigby Road, back where she belongs, was, for me, the highlight of the year so far and one which raises the exciting expectations of once again being able to enjoy a ride on this type of tram, an experience enjoyed all too briefly in 2010. It may be a while to wait but this only enhances the anticipation, as does the possibility of one day having a ride on an open balcony Standard, an English Electric Railcoach and a Vambac fitted Coronation. The Blackpool heritage fleet is now one of the most significant collections of historic vehicles in the country and one capable of fulfilling its original purpose, that of providing service along the promenade, just as these trams did in their heyday. Inevitably, the momentous news from Blackpool has dominated the week, with the story attracting the highest number of ‘likes’ of any post to have appeared on the site so far, an indication of how well received the announcement was. It has even, thankfully, slightly overshadowed the other major development in Blackpool, the disfigurement of Brush Car 627 with a coat of ‘street art’. With beauty definitely being in the eye of the beholder, the new look for this tram has resulted in strong opinions from those who like the new livery and those who consider it almost a form of vandalism, but it has definitely become a talking point. However, whatever your opinions on 627, the two major stories from Blackpool this week have certainly been contrasting, with the Lancastrian Transport Trust securing a bright future for their collection whilst the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust resorts to a lurid paint scheme for one of its acquisitions. In order to avoid Blackpool overload, it was planned to feature another system on the cover photos this week. However, the news from the heritage fleet almost demands a tribute in the form of two photos of the trams which will soon be returning to the safety and security of Rigby Road. The banner picture features Balloon 704 and Ex Towing Car 679 at Fleetwood Ferry in 1994, with 704 wearing the standard 1990s paint scheme and 679 carrying its well remembered advert for Mecca Bingo, complete with fibreglass bears on the roof. One day both of these trams should return to the rails in Blackpool once more. The profile picture meanwhile is of Brush Car 632 in its current condition and 1970s style livery on the centre track at Bispham with Princess Alice 706 behind. Once returned to the tramway, 632 will eventually join 706 in providing sterling service on the heritage tours. Looking ahead to the next seven days and it looks set to be an equally exciting period, with at least one major development expected from one of our museum tramways whilst the heritage service in Blackpool is also gearing up for another operating day when, on June 23rd, traditional trams take to the tracks once again. Full details of the scheduled trams and timings of the service will appear on this site when available. As well as continuing to bring you all the latest and most exciting news, our two regular features will be continuing unchanged for the week ahead. Yet more of San Francisco’s colourful PCCs will be covered, with, amongst others, a fruit salad tram and a red rocket featured in the next few days. We will also continue to delve into history with further details of the many trams which found temporary salvation on the Middleton Railway. As well as more images of trams stored on the site and full accounts of their subsequent fates, we will also be including three trams which almost made the journey to Middleton only to be diverted to more safe and secure homes at the last minute. As ever we end this review of the week by welcoming all those who have joined the site lately. Our number of followers has increased significantly once again, with even more people now liking the page in order to read the latest news and enjoy the diverse features the site aims to bring you. With the exception of one Dutch maniac who delights in complaining about the site on every available forum, the responses from readers are wholeheartedly positive and make compiling the news and features an even more enjoyable task.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 19:12:36 +0000
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