Concluding a busy week for Scott’s Heavy Haulage, Twin set 674+684 has now left Blackpool and joined the recently departed Centenary car 647 at a temporary storage site in Gateshead after being sold to the North Eastern Electrical Traction Trust. The set has duly become the third to leave Blackpool in the last twelve months, but unlike sets 1 and 3 both halves have moved to the same destination.
674+684 led a fairly mundane existence since entering service in the early sixties, losing its original all-cream livery in favour of green and cream, its only real claims to fame being its participation in two processions to mark the tramway centenary in 1985, and then the 100th anniversary of trams to Fleetwood in 1998. In 2003 it became one of five Twin cars to receive brightly coloured bus-style liveries complete with Metro Coastlines branding. The unusual but stylish cadbury purple and yellow colour scheme was chosen for this particular set, which entered service so painted in June 2003. Soon after it was involved in a collision and the Metro logos on 684‘s dash panel were never restored. Sadly it was the first Metro Twin set to be withdrawn after the 2008 illuminations season, and has been stored out of sight ever since, a damaged coupling apparently preventing its return to use in 2010 when other Twin cars enjoyed a brief renaissance.
After being split from its trailer and having its pantograph and tower removed, 674 left Rigby Road first, departing for its new home on Thursday 12th July. Once the car was unloaded onto temporary rails, the same low loader then returned to Blackpool to collect the trailer 684 which duly departed on the evening of Friday 13th July. The date did not prove unlucky and the loading process passed without incident, as is usual for the extremely professional staff from Scott’s Heavy Haulage. Although the duo looked extremely dirty following their prolonged storage period, both appeared to be largely intact and are therefore a superb choice for preservation. Hopefully one day, 674+684 will be able to run in the North East along with the Budapest twin set also owned by NEETT, which would provide a unique comparisan in the same concept between the UK and overseas.
This has left a mere seven trams which have been sold still at Rigby Road, of which six belong to the Lancastrian Transport Trust and are likely to stay put for the time being. The only other tram still awaiting collection by its owner is Ex-Towing Railcoach 680 which is destined for a bright future at Heaton Park, Manchester and will hopefully move once the tramway’s new depot is constructed. The latest departure also takes the number of Twin cars still at Rigby Road down to just three, all of which remain the property of Blackpool Transport. Both 672+682 and 675+685 are expected to run again fairly soon, with the former currently being prepared for repainting in a heritage style livery, whilst 676+686 are stored in a poor condition, but could perhaps one day return to use. Set 6 was at one time destined to join the collection of the Lancastrian Transport Trust but no money ever changed hands, and Blackpool Transport have since decided to keep it for now in case they wish to expand their own heritage tram fleet in the future.
After being seperated from its trailer, 674 is seen here being shunted into the Electrical Compound where its pantograph and tower were removed ready for its road journey to Gateshead. Notice the tray below the pantograph, designed to stop grease from falling onto the roof of the tram. (Photo by Andrew Blood)
Friday 13th July saw a lonely 684 sitting on Blundell Street for the last time. Despite a fairly long period of stoarge, 674+684 appear to be in very good condition and even their paintwork still looks very tidy. (Photo by Andrew Blood)