The ambitious plans made by the Lancastrian Transport Trust to develop a heritage transport attraction on the Fylde Coast to showcase its large collection of historic trams and buses could receive a much-needed injection of money from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Trust has announced.
A bid was submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) by the LTT in December 2011, and it has now been confirmed that representatives of the HLF will soon meet with key LTT members to discuss their exciting plans. This will include a visit to the site at Thornton Gate, previously a permanent way yard and currently home to the equipment of contractors working on the tramway upgrade work, which is earmarked as the most likely future home for the LTT’s vehicles. The Trust has already been offered a lease on this site by Blackpool Borough Council, so funding is now the main obstacle to achieving their goals.
The HLF are of course no stranger to tramways, having funded several projects at the National Tramway Museum, including the creation of the superb workshop viewing gallery and the major rebuild of Oporto 273. They have also supported the restorations of both Wallasey 78 at Birkenhead, and the illuminated Western Train 733+734 at Blackpool. Hopefully the LTT will be the latest organisation to receive a cash boost from this source.