A tramway we don’t often feature on British Trams Online is the heritage line at Summerlee but this week we can bring you news that the restoration of Glasgow 1245 has now commenced with the body being raised and the bogies removed. The motors have also been inspected and a start has been made on de-rusting the main frame.
1245 has led a rather nomadic existence since entering preservation following withdrawal in 1962 with stints in storage at the East Anglia Transport Museum between 1969 and 1998 and Blackpool Transport’s Rigby Road depot from 1998 until 2003. In 2003 the tram was donated to the Summerlee Transport Group and following the splitting of the upper and lower decks it was transported up to its current home for what was hoped to be a full
restoration. Once at Summerlee the two decks were joined together and it was stored at the back of the Depot whilst a decision was made on how best to undertake its restoration. It now appears that this has now been made with the first steps in what is likely to be a fairly lengthy restoration (considering the tram has not turned a wheel for many decades). Once completed the tram will be able to join the operating fleet at Summerlee alongside Lanarkshire 53, Dusseldorf 392 and Glasgow 1017.