The task of transferring Blackpool Brush Railcoach 290 from its current location to storage at Rigby Road sounds a simple one on paper, but unfortunately it has turned out to be anything but. It will be recalled that this tram has been on static display on its own specially laid siding near the Pleasure Beach for the last few years but is now due to be removed so that Centenary car 641 can take its place for the 2015 illuminations; however, the first stage of this did not go according to plan!
Earlier this week a low loader was summoned to collect 290 and take the tram back to the sanctuary of Rigby Road depot, after agreement was reached for it to be stored there for its owners, the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust. Its trolley tower had already been removed in advance of the move day. The need to switch off the overhead power to enable the delicate loading process to take place meant that this had to be undertaken in the small hours so as not to disrupt the tram service, and so after the last tram had finally run back to Starr Gate depot in the early hours of 11th August, preparations to load the tram for its short journey by road began… and that was when the problems started!
Having spent three years in a very exposed location near to the sea, 290 has unsurprisingly deteriorated and it appears that various mechanical parts have seized up. This has not been helped as its brakes have been tightly wound on for the duration of its time at Pleasure Beach, and the effects of the harsh coastal climate have also caused a lot of rusting. As a result, when a winch was attached to the end of the tram to pull it towards the waiting lorry, 290 refused to move an inch and all that was achieved is that the coupler box was ripped off. With limited time available to move the car due to the first service tram of the day departing from Starr Gate at 0500, it soon became clear that it would be impossible to recover the tram before then and as a result the whole operation had to be abandoned, leaving only a damaged dash panel on 290 where the tow pin box had come away and, presumably, a hefty bill from the haulage company, as evidence of the rescue attempt.
The tram’s owners must now revert to Plan B, whatever that is, as clearly the tram will have to be moved at some point, although it is not clear how this is going to be achieved. It is also now all too obvious despite previous protestations to the contrary that standing a tram on the promenade for so long is very unwise and results in serious deterioration of the vehicle concerned, but with sponsors having already made financial contributions towards the repainting of car 641 for it to be displayed in the same spot, it is doubtful that this plan will be axed now. Indeed, it had been hoped to unveil the new exhibit for the ‘Ride the Lights’ event which is less than three weeks away, although it remains to be seen whether 290 will still be in residence at that time. Hopefully a solution to this problem will be found although it must be hoped that lessons are learned from this sorry saga and that 641 will not endure the same level of deterioration.
A respectable paint job on Brush car 290 seemingly hides a multitude of sins, as evidenced by the recent attempt to move the tram to a more secure site. 290 is pictured earlier this year on its isolated display track near the Pleasure Beach heritage loading stop. (Photo by Andrew Waddington)
My personal favourite Brush car. A combination of its historical significance as the last North Station car, its being the sole Brush car in later years to retain atmospheric art deco Alhambrinal ceiling panelling over the entrance porch (of a different style to the English Electric cars) and the original 1937 internal destination blind apertures (even 622 and 636 couldn’t boast these features), its being such a long-time stalwart of the Fleetwood service and winter workings due to being one of the last two cars with the distinctive fan heaters – and who could forget its epic return to service for one night only in 2009 when it became the last Fleetwood car on the traditional tramway and despite 5 years’ disuse, put in an excellent performance, trundling home in triumph around 2.45 am as I recall? That was one of the best tramway experiences I ever had anywhere!
Sadly my own funds have been committed to another preservation project, but I hope some way may yet be found of removing 627/290 to the safety of Rigby Road and conserving it for the future.
Standing a vehicle anywhere for a prelonged period without moving is never good for it, even under cover. So I can only imagine the state of this tram now. But what also concerns me is the state a Centenary will end up in if the same happens again. They are far more prone to corrosion than the Brush cars, as anyone who saw them in service in their latter days will have noticed. The frame is of box steel construction which, when new, was painted with hammerite. This coating formed an effective barrier to the outside but did allow the box sections to corrode from the inside out. Also the electrolytic corrosion between the steel frame and aluminium panels is accelerated by the salty atmosphere.
Once again this whole sorry saga really does show a complete lack of engineering know how by the FHLT, which can’t be good for the vehicles in their care. They may have done a good job in preserving them, but perhaps now they should return them to Rigby Road and the care of the new organisation there.
Incidentally, why was such a historic Brush car not retained in the first place?
Because its no more or less historic than any other perhaps.
Did nobody inspect the tram to see what needed to be done before the low loader arrived? Expecting just to turn up and tow it away when it had not even been lubricated was a recipe for failure.