Preserved Blackpool trams to move again?

The majority of the historic Blackpool tramcars owned by the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust, along with a number of privately owned trams purchased from the aborted Merseytravel scheme, are currently stored outside in a secure compound at Fleetwood’s docks. However, this could be set to change as plans for a major redevelopment of the Wyre Dock site is advancing.

Agreement has been reached for construction of a new power station to go ahead on land adjacent to the fish docks, as well as a new Fish Business Park. Depending on the final details of the project, this could well lead to the trams in situ having to be relocated again, with most of them already in their second outdoor storage site as most of the FHLT cars were previously stored near the former Copse Road depot and the ex-Merseytravel vehicles were stored at Knowsley for a number of years before returning to the Fylde coasts. Naturally, the Trust is keeping a close eye on the situation and is also involved in discussions with other local organisations including the custodians of Blackpool’s own collection of heritage trams based at Rigby Road, who are looking at the bigger picture for the representation of vintage transport on the Fylde coast. The Trust is still hopeful that, one day, it will be in a position to develop its own visitor attraction in Fleetwood providing permanent sanctuary for some of its trams, as well as the equipment salvaged from the substation at Copse Road. Whether this will ultimately be helped or hindered by the developments on the docks, remains to be seen.

In the event that the trams stored in Fleetwood need to be relocated, at least two of them should have a bright future as they have already been sold to new owners and would therefore presumably be moving to pastures new before this became an issue. Some months ago it was reported that Centenary car 643 had been sold and it now seems that a private individual has decided to take on Brush Railcoach 637. This tram was never actually part of the FHLT collection and was only ever intended as a source of parts to assist with the restoration of other trams; however its future now looks brighter and it will hopefully join the ranks of Brush cars to be officially preserved. Plans for 637‘s immediate future are not yet known although it is believed that its new owner is looking at various options, which have even included a move overseas! It would be somewhat ironic if a tram that was intended for scrap ended up being the first of those at Fleetwood to find a permanent refuge, but where Blackpool trams are involved, pretty much anything is possible!