With the Fleetwood Transport Festival – aka Tram Sunday – due to take place this coming Sunday today’s Picture in Time is heading to the northern extremity of the Blackpool Tramway for a few views of the event in 1992 – which also happened to be on 19th July.
Fleetwood Tram Sunday – as it has become popularly known amongst enthusiasts and the general public at large – was first held in 1985 and proved so popular that it soon became an annual event. It has taken place every year since with the exception of 2010 when a lack of volunteers caused the events cancellation and although the tram output has differed over the years and the operating pattern had changed it is still a good chance for the heritage trams to stretch their legs all the way to Fisherman’s Walk as will be happening this year with a six tram service running from Pleasure Beach throughout the day.
That is the present but this series is more interested in the past and we bring you three photos from the 1992 event on Sunday 19th July. It was obviously a warm and sunny day as we feature three Boat Cars and Bolton 66 in action. What is most noticeable is that only Bolton 66 is in more or less the same condition today (give or take a few adverts).
Photo number one is Boat 602 wearing the Yellow and Black Handybus based livery. Also notice that the tram is carrying a pantograph – fortunately a short lived accompaniment.
Next up is another Boat Car – this time it is 604 which is in the Red and White livery and it too has a pantograph fitted.
Finally we take a look at another Boat alongside Bolton 66. The Boat Car is 607 which is still in traditional Green and Cream and also has a trolley pole – this tram is now of course better known by its original identity of 236 and can be found at the Crich Tramway Village.
Photograph by Ralph Oakes-Garnett
Excellent shots and lets hope that ( weather permitting – fingers crossed) the Boats are out in force again this year.
Just two minor points perhaps. The event, as of 2011, is known now as the Fleetwood Festival of Transport.
The title you stated of Fleetwood Transport Festival, was certainly previously correct, but was a registered name for the previous organisation that ran the event. And so as that name was not relinquished to the new organisation, they had to create a new and slightly different one, hence FToF.
Secondly, as I recall it, whilst the 2010 event at first did have a few less volunteers than the previous years event, there were still more than enough to run it.
The main reason that 2010’s event didn’t proceed was that as the proposed date drew nearer, it was felt that there were no promises that Lord Street wouldn’t have still resembled something of The Somme with the track renewals for the LRV’s and so having tens of thousands of people there would have simply been a health & safety nightmare. The works weren’t fully completed until nearer September and so it turned out that that was the case and that the right decision was probably made. There were huge holes everywhere, nowhere to park anywhere like as many vehicles as would be expected to attend and the only exhibits on the street would basically have been a fleet of contractor’s JCB’s.
All fairly academic now I freely admit, but I just wanted you to have the right information and as I was then on the committee, I can assure you that that is the correct reason.
It is great that the heritage trams run between Blackpool and Fisherman’s Walk although, for obvious reasons, they no longer run through the festival itself.
Each year that I have visited this event I have become less and less impressed with it as a transport festival. In particular the lack of classic buses has been a big disappointment for me in recent years. As time goes on, the festival is becoming something different altogether from a transport festival. At least we still have the opportunity to enjoy the heritage trams.
Be careful Michael – anyone who dares to suggest that the festival isn’t great anymore tends to be criticised! From a tram/transport perspective though its hard to argue with your sentiments, as a sort of free town gala it probably does a great job, but as a transport festival? Anyway as you say at least it gives a good opportunity to enjoy an expanded heritage tram service.
That’s fair, Andrew – it is hugely popular as an event with the main streets full of people. However it’s really a local carnival/gala day with a transport side show rather than a fully blown transport event.