Saturday 27th March: Members Afternoon – 30th Birthday Preview

If you would like to attend this afternoon and are not a member, just turn up with a tenner in your hand and join! Simples!

The line up from 1400 is as follows:
* Preview of the refurbished museum including presentation by the museum curator
* Short address by and presentation of cheque to a representative from Blackpool Transport
* Light refreshments
* Birthday Cake
* Presentation of the future possibilities and plans for the Tramway and its ever expanding fleet of Trams. Plus a little reminder of the past 30 years.
* The opportunity to drive 765, the Tram which started it all
* The opportunity to act as a tram guard
* Recruitment drive for more active volunteers
* Preview of the Tramway’s first Illuminated Tram
* The chance of a cab ride on 752

Sunday 28th March: 30th Birthday Celebration
Open 1000-1900

Highlights of the day include:
* Manchester Eades Reversible Horse Tramcar L53 in service, the only time this year and the last time the two Manchester trams will run together for a while
* Both Electric Trams in operation
* Blackpool Railgrinder 752 in operation
* View progress on the extension
* Birthday Cake
* Model Trams, including David Hooker’s OO scale model of Heaton Park Tramway
* Official public reopening of the remodelled museum
* Display of the history of the Tramway and Trams in the Park
* Visiting vintage buses on display and operating, provided by Keighley Bus Museum (and others)
* Illuminated Tram
* Evening Tram Rides
* “Driver for a Tenner” driving experiences
* And much, much more...

The Heaton Park Tramway is the only preserved tramway in the country and currently operates for approximately 0.75 km in length between the Middleton Road Gates and the Boathouse at one of Europe’s largest municipally owned parks. An extension is currently being constructed with expansion plans in hand which will include extra trams being acquired. The heritage tramway was officially opened at Easter 1980 by the Lord Mayor of Manchester.

There are currently four trams on site at Heaton Park - Leeds 6 (Hull 96Manchester Eades Reversible Horse Tramcar L53, Blackpool Railgrinder 752 and Manchester 765 - although further trams are owned by the Manchester Tramway Museum Society. These include Manchester 173 (on display at the Manchester Museum of Transport) and Rawtenstall 23 (in store awaiting restoration). In addition the society have recently completed the acquisition of four trams from the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramway, namely Brush 623, Railcoach 680, Balloon 702 and Balloon 704 - the first three are expected to enter service on the line but 704 will either be for spares or a long term restoration project.

Later in 2010 there will be a couple of tram swaps involving Heaton Park. Leeds 6 will be visiting the North of England Open Air Museum in Beamish, County Durham in time for the Power from the Past event in April and will then stay for much of the summer - Oporto 196 will be making the opposite journey. Manchester 765 will be visiting Blackpool for the 125th anniversary celebrations with Blackpool Replica Vanguard 619 moving in the opposite direction. Manchester Eades Reversible Horse Tramcar L53 is also expected to go on loan elsewhere to make room for 619.

The Heaton Park Tramway is located four miles north of Manchester City Centre and what better way to get there than by modern tram on Manchester Metrolink. Regular Metrolink services operate to Bowker Vale and Heaton Park stations (either of which are suitable for visiting the HPT) on the Bury line. For full details on Metrolink services check their website here.

Alternatively you can travel by car. Heaton Park is adjacent to junction 19 of the M60 ring road. Parking is available on Middleton Road and Sheepfont Lane. A map is available on the official Heaton Park (not tramway) website - here.

Many buses also pass by the Middleton Road Park Entrance. Click here for a bus network route map on the GMPTE website.

Entrance to the Museum is FREE

Electric Tram fares are:
Adult £1 return, £2 multi-ride
Child 50p return, £1 multi-ride
Family £2.50, £4.50 multi-ride

Horse Tram Fares:
All Classes £1 return

For further information on the event contact 01282 436802

Don’t forget British Summer Time begins on Sunday 28th March – that means the clocks go an hour forward overnight. Make sure you change your watches and clocks otherwise you might miss an hour of the event, and you wouldn’t want that would you!

If you can’t make the event why not check out the Tramways Monthly Twitter page which is due to updated throughout the day with what is going on.

British Trams Online will be providing extensive coverage on the event at our next update over the Easter Weekend (some when between Friday 2nd and Monday 5th April).

All information in this preview is provided in good faith and is, to the best of our knowledge, correct at the time of going to press (Sunday 21st March 2010). To ensure you have the most up-to-date information please check the official website.