Author Archives: Andrew Waddington

In Pictures: Glasgow 812 sees the daylight at Crich

Posted on Friday 14 December 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Glasgow 812 may have been a popular member of the Crich Tramway Village operational fleet for many years, but for some time now the enclosed Glasgow ‘Standard’ car has been out of service, awaiting its turn in the workshops for … Continue reading →

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Birkenhead 20 and the Trawler on tour for British Trams Online

Posted on Thursday 8 November 2018 by Andrew Waddington

On Wednesday 7th November, the British Trams Online tour of the Blackpool tramway took place, taking two very different trams around the coastal system. This acted as a farewell trip for Birkenhead 20 which was making its final appearance before … Continue reading →

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British Trams Online announce Blackpool tram tour for 7th November

Posted on Sunday 28 October 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Further to previous reports, we are delighted to announce that British Trams Online will be hosting a very special tram tour in Blackpool on Wednesday 7th November. This will primarily be to showcase Birkenhead 20 – a tram we have … Continue reading →

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Boat 227 named ‘Charlie Cairoli’

Posted on Friday 26 October 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Blackpool Boat car 227 was re-launched into service on the morning of Thursday 25th October, following completion of extensive overhaul and conservation work. The tram has been named ‘Charlie Cairoli’, honouring the legendary star of the world famous Blackpool Tower … Continue reading →

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Birkenhead 20 debuts in Blackpool – with more outings to follow!

Posted on Wednesday 24 October 2018 by Andrew Waddington

At long last, and following workshop attention including the fitting of a new set of tyres to its wheels, Birkenhead 20 carried passengers at Blackpool for the first time on Thursday 18th October. This outing was a tour for its … Continue reading →

Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway, Blackpool Tramway | 2 Comments

Birkenhead 20 to run in Blackpool – at last!

Posted on Wednesday 17 October 2018 by Andrew Waddington

News on Birkenhead 20 has been in short supply of late, with little being heard about the tram for much of its time spent in Blackpool – where it arrived on loan from the Birkenhead heritage tramway well over a … Continue reading →

Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway, Blackpool Tramway | 3 Comments

Event Review: ‘Simply Trams’ at Crich Tramway Village, 1st September 2018

Posted on Tuesday 4 September 2018 by Andrew Waddington

For 2018, the annual enthusiasts event at Crich Tramway Village was given a brand new name – ‘Simply Trams’ – and the main theme was that of ‘Birthdays & Anniversaries’, with Blackpool & Fleetwood 2 returning to service for one … Continue reading →

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Pretty little things spread to Blackpool!

Posted on Tuesday 28 August 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Two of Blackpool’s LRT fleet have received all-over vinyl adverts for women’s clothing store Pretty Little Thing – following on from two near identical liveries previously seen on the Stagecoach Supertram fleet in Sheffield. 016 was the first Blackpool tram … Continue reading →

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The Rack is back – for one day only!

Posted on Saturday 25 August 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Since it last ran in October 2014, Blackpool & Fleetwood ‘Rack’ 2 has been greatly missed in the operational fleet at Crich Tramway Village. However, the popular 1898 built tramcar is set to play a starring role in next week’s … Continue reading →

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A Blackpool Coronation car in Heywood!

Posted on Wednesday 22 August 2018 by Andrew Waddington

In an unexpected but extremely welcome development, Blackpool Coronation car 663 departed Rigby Road depot on the morning of Wednesday 22nd August, bound for the Heywood workshop premises of Ian Riley Engineering. There, extensive work is to be carried out … Continue reading →

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642 returns to service in Blackpool

Posted on Wednesday 22 August 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Blackpool Centenary car 642 made its welcome return to passenger service, as expected, on Sunday 19th August, when it was one of four trams to be employed on the enhanced heritage service between Pleasure Beach and Little Bispham. It has … Continue reading →

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London horse tram set to be restored at Crich

Posted on Thursday 16 August 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Not content to be bringing the unique LCC 1 ‘Bluebird’ back to life, the London County Council Tramways Trust have confirmed that its next project will be the reconstruction of a London horse tramcar, which has been provisionally allocated a … Continue reading →

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Sheffield 510 returns to service

Posted on Wednesday 15 August 2018 by Andrew Waddington

After just over a year out of service, Sheffield 510 returned to use at the Crich Tramway Village on Wednesday 15th August. The tram had been involved in a mishap – details of which were never fully clarified – which … Continue reading →

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Centenary car 642 launch date announced

Posted on Wednesday 15 August 2018 by Andrew Waddington

After unveiling the new look of Centenary car 642 Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours have now announced that, subject to availability, the tram will be in use on the enhanced four-car service running between Pleasure Beach and Little Bispham on Sunday … Continue reading →

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A Railcoach on the road!

Posted on Wednesday 15 August 2018 by Andrew Waddington

The project to recreate an English Electric Railcoach for operation in Blackpool has been officially re-started, with tramcar 279 on the move again. The tram, which has been stored at Rigby Road for several years in a partially restored condition, … Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Fylde Transport Trust | 3 Comments

In Pictures: Centenary car 642 out on test

Posted on Saturday 11 August 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Following the recent announcement by Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours regarding the repaint of Centenary car 642 in an amended version of its 1990s Travelcard advert complete with green and cream ends, the tram made its debut on the promenade in … Continue reading →

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Future plans for Balloon 715 announced

Posted on Thursday 9 August 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Blackpool Balloon 715 is a well-used and popular member of Blackpool’s operational heritage tram fleet, but the car is actually owned by the Fylde Transport Trust. A new deal has been announced confirming that 715 will remain on loan to … Continue reading →

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Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours unveil 642’s new look

Posted on Sunday 5 August 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours have unveiled their latest creation – Centenary car 642, which has been in the Rigby Road workshops receiving a makeover for the last few months. The tram last ran in early 2016 when it was temporarily … Continue reading →

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Positive news for the VAMBAC Coronation

Posted on Friday 3 August 2018 by Andrew Waddington

One of the biggest bugbears for many fans of Blackpool’s heritage trams, has been the lack of an operational Coronation car in the fleet. All three survivors are currently stored at Rigby Road, in need of varying levels of work … Continue reading →

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Lost Trams: Douglas horse tram 34

Posted on Thursday 2 August 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Little has been heard of the small number of trams that were sold off from the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway as part of a thinning-down of their fleet – but today we rectify that with some pictures of car 34. … Continue reading →

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