HEATON PARK TRAMWAY UPDATE The latest news from the Heaton Park Tramway in Manchester including news on a recent special event and updates on the trams of the Heaton Park fleet.
A special event entitled “Manchester 60” took place on 14th June and featured a two car electric and Horse Tram service – the first three car service since Blackpool 600 was retired poorly in 1996 and the first featuring Manchester L53.
As well as the event the Mad Theatre Company were filming inserts for “Angels with Manky Faces”, a Victorian play which will feature L53 in pre-filmed inserts as well as a host of other locations – details can be found here. Once the filming had been completed a normal service commenced.
L53 ran from Middleton Road to Whitegate again using horses from Latham Shires of Atherton. 765 and 6 ran in tandem from Lakeside to Centre Crossover with wrong line running to Middleton Road whilst L53 had a break.
Leeds 6 ran as a wartime car with blue light covers, posters, headlamp masks and white paint and will probably stay in this guise for the “Transport in Art” event on 12th July but will have the white painted out by the Leeds event in November.
Blackpool 752 was parked on the Lakeside spur but had to be towed owing to a problem with its new swivel head. An impromptu photo shoot was held at 1700 with all four cars at Lakeside – this is to be repeated again at the “Transport in Art” event on 12th July.
As briefly mentioned above 752 has now received a swivel trolley head and the motor defect is under review but it may be necessary to lift the car and remove the motor for repair.
6 and 765 are maintaining the Sunday service with 765 due off the road again in September to prepare it for Blackpool in 2010.
Heaton Park can confirm that they have been informally approached by Beamish as regards the loan of Leeds 6 in 2010 and they are keen to work with Beamish again. 6 will be available after the 30th birthday party (heads up – this should be on 28th March 2010!) and if a satisfactory agreement can be reached then there is no reason that 6 cannot make a trip northwards.
The next event at Heaton Park will be “Transport in Art” on 12th July. It is hoped that some original Ashley Best paintings will be auctioned as part of the event.
Source: John Whitehouse (Operations and Commercial Manager, Heaton Park Tramway)
Heaton Park Tramway – Friday 26th June 2009
Leeds 6 (in its wartime guise), Manchester 765 and Manchester L53 outside the Depot on 14th June.
Blackpool 752, Manchester 765 and Leeds 6 at the Lakeside Terminus, again on 14th June.
Manchester L53 running with two horses again. The location is outside the depot and the date is 14th June.
Manchester L53, Manchester 765 and Leeds 6 on 14th June.
All Photos: Andrew Hazlehurst