The next couple of months will see a further two periods of the popular Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours Gold timetable operating with outline details of both weekends now revealed. The next time the Gold timetable will be in action will be over the August Bank Holiday weekend (27th to 29th August) with the standard timetable in use and this will be followed by the Anniversary Spectacular (24th and 25th September) which will also include depot tours, rare trams on display and vintage bus tours.
The August Bank Holiday weekend will actually start on the Friday evening with a special tour. Details of which tram will be in use for this tour have not yet been announced but previous pre-weekend event tours have utilised trams such as Modified Balloon 718 and Western Train 733+734. The weekend proper then gets under way on Saturday 27th August (continuing on Sunday 28th and Monday 29th) and will feature the now standard Gold timetable utilising six trams with all making one trip through to Fleetwood during the day. Details of which trams are in use will be revealed shortly before the event.
Just four weeks later and it is the return of the Anniversary Spectacular on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th September. After the huge success of last year’s 130th anniversary events the weekend will follow a similar pattern with all serviceable passenger trams used at some point over the weekend (including the illuminated feature cars). Trams are set to depart from Pleasure Beach every 20 minutes to a variety of northbound destinations and there will also be half hourly departures from both Starr Gate and Fleetwood termini.
Of course one of the highlights of the 2015 event was the scruffy surprise Balloon 723 (which is now the belle of the ball) and although plans are at an early stage we are now being told there could be a “not so scruffy surprise”for 2016! There will also be a line-up of unrestored trams and engineering vehicles on Blundell Street with a different line-up each day and for those who like to see behind-the-scenes there will be guided tours of Rigby Road and Starr Gate Depots again. Tickets for the tours will cost £10 (£6 for children, under 5s free) which includes a trip on a tram between the two depots with a trip through the wash at Starr Gate. Tickets for the tours must be purchased in advance by phoning Emma on 01253 209 521 between 1230 and 1530 on weekdays or by emailing heritage.trams@blackpooltransport.com with details of an afternoon phone number.
Other highlights of the Anniversary Spectacular will be heritage bus services over closed tram routes and there will be a tram shop at North Pier with a range of Heritage Tram Tour merchandise.
We will bring you more details of both weekends as they are released.
I’ll guess the surprise is brush 634, it was already in near ready to run condition when it returned to Blackpool