Lytham 43 is Blackpool-bound!

2016 is just a few weeks old but already there is some very exciting news from the Blackpool Heritage Trust about a new addition to their collection of historic tramcars. As reported last year, the owner of Lytham 43 has agreed for the tram to move to Blackpool to join the heritage fleet after completion of its restoration, and it can now be confirmed that the lower saloon will be moving later this month!

43 is of course the only survivor of the long-closed Lytham electric tram system, and a representative of the double-deck open balcony ‘Pullman’ class dating from 1924. These trams ran on Blackpool tracks as far north as Gynn Square, and so one day the potential exists for this tram to rewrite history and become the first Lytham tram to run to Fleetwood! However, before that there is still a considerable amount of work to be completed, but moving it to Rigby Road should represent the best possible opportunity for the remaining tasks to be completed.

Lytham 43 has already been transformed in the last twelve months by its owner, Robert Mortimer who first acquired the tram in kit form. The lower saloon saloon is now largely complete and painted in the attractive blue and white livery of its former operator. This leaves the challenge of building a new top deck to replace the original which has not survived, and source a suitable truck, as well as completing the all-important mechanical and electrical work needed to bring the tram up to an operational standard. No doubt various options to fund this work will be looked at in due course, as the significance of the tram to the Blackpool fleet cannot really be overstated, hence the desire to move it undercover and closer to home. Three different tramway operators once existed on the Fylde coast, and the restoration of Lytham 43 would allow all three to be represented by operational examples in preservation for the first time ever. Assuming that Blackpool & Fleetwood Box car 40 remains on loan to Blackpool for the forseeable future, then all three should be included in the town’s own heritage fleet which would be an amazing achievement nobody would have dared to hope for a few years ago.

Robert Mortimer has done an amazing job to turn a set of parts into a stunning tramcar saloon and thanks to his generosity and negotiations with Bryan Lindop on behalf of Blackpool Transport and the Heritage Trust, the tram has a very bright future ahead of it. The car should be moving to Rigby Road in the next two weeks, and will then join the queue of trams awaiting workshop attention, although hopefully its huge historical value will ensure that it isn’t too many years before the stunning sight of a Lytham blue tram on the promenade can be seen for the first time since the 1930s! In the meantime, there may well be some opportunities to see the tram in its current incomplete state in connection with future events – another reason to hope that the highly popular workshop tours held last September will be repeated in 2016 and beyond.

A close-up view of one end of Lytham 43, showing the amazing amount of work already carried out to restore the remains of the tram. Note the distinctive blue livery which will undoubtedly be a striking sight on Blackpool's promenade in the future! The picture stuck to the door shows how the vehicle will look once completed with a replacement upper deck fitted. (Photo by Robert Mortimer)