Following the exciting news of Blackpool 680‘s arrival at Rigby Road on Friday 21st August, no time has been wasted in preparing the tram for service and it has now been revealed that it will make its public debut over the August Bank Holiday weekend! Of course the tram is on loan from Heaton Park for an initial two year stay, although there is a good chance that this could be extended.
The heritage engineering team at Blackpool have pulled out all the stops to get 680 ready for use, and are sufficiently confident to announce that the car is scheduled to run for the first time in Blackpool since 2008, on Sunday 30th August. It is planned that the car’s maiden voyage will be at 1000 when it will depart from Pleasure Beach with a run right through to Fleetwood. On its return to Blackpool, further departures are scheduled from Pleasure Beach at 1200 to Bispham, 1300 to Cabin, and then to Little Bispham at 1420, 1540 and 1700. It is also hoped to have 680 running again on Bank Holiday Monday 31st August and so there should be numerous opportunities to enjoy a ride on it over these two ‘gold’ operating days.
So far the commissioning process has seen 680‘s tower refitted along with a pantograph in place of the trolley pole it sported whilst operating at Manchester; this has allowed initial static testing to take place and already the car has been contendedly ticking away within the confines of the Electrical Compound, clearly raring to go back onto the promenade after such a long absence. The transponder equipment has been prepared for fitting and will be installed early in the week.
The August Bank Holiday weekend sees a green service running with four heritage trams in use on Saturday 29th August, followed by two days of the now well established gold timetable using six different trams. As ever the output will largely depend on the weather although the heritage team will aim to send out as wide a variety of trams as is possible over the course of the long weekend. And of course, if you can’t be there don’t forget that next month sees the 130th anniversary celebrations and that looks set to be even more spectacular!
Can you have too many pictures of this stunning tramcar returning home? Here we are again on Blundell Street with 680 on its low loader waiting to be unloaded starting its loan period. (Photo courtesy of Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours)