An extremely hectic time for the hard-working staff of Scott’s Heavy Haulage has continued with further trams being transported away from Blackpool this week. 19th & 20th December have seen Twin Set 671+681 and Brush Railcoach 625 depart, for a new life with Merseytravel.
The week’s action commenced on the morning of Monday 19th December, when 671 was loaded up. 671+681 had been moved into the Electrical Compound a few days earlier to be uncoupled, whilst 671‘s pantograph, tower and lifeguards were also removed. After being loaded on Blundell Street, the tram left Blackpool bound for a new temporary home at Knowsley, where it will be stored pending the availability of additional accommodation
at Birkenhead. The same low loader then returned to Blackpool to collect 681, which was hastily loaded; however with darkness falling it was decided to leave the lorry and tram on Blundell Street overnight, and the trailer duly left early the following morning instead. This departure makes 671+681 the first complete Twin set to leave Blackpool – however it has been claimed that the duo may be rebuilt as separate cars by their new owner.
Once 681 had been unloaded next to its ex-partner, the Scott’s lorry returned to Blackpool yet again to collect Brush car 625. This tram is also believed to have been sold to Merseytravel, and after another speedy loading process it left Rigby Road at around lunchtime, presumably to join the Twin set at Knowsley. 625 had last ran in service way
back in 2004, when it was one of numerous Railcoaches to be withdrawn from service, and it has spent most of the time in storage at the back of road 10 in the depot. It was, however, brought out under its own power to be photographed for a charity calendar in May 2011, and indeed it was driven into the Electrical Compound for its pantograph tower to be removed on the day of its departure!
Merseytravel’s new acquisitions will now have to wait for negotiations for the company to take over control of the Birkenhead heritage tramway to hopefully reach a successful outcome, before they can carry passengers again. It must also be emphasised that these trams have been bought to serve a useful purpose, on what will hopefully become a valuable transport link for the people of Birkenhead. They should not be considered as ‘preserved’, nor should the project be confused with the restoration work carried out by the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society, whose superb vintage trams will hopefully operate alongside these modified Blackpool cars one day in the not too distant future.