Excitement for the many fans of Blackpool’s iconic Brush Railcoaches continues to grow, as two members of the class prepare to carry their first passengers away from the familiar surroundings of the Fylde Coast. Positive steps are being made in the commissioning of both cars 623 and 630, which have both regained their current collectors – a small but very significant step towards both trams re-entering service in the near future.
630 was the last tram to leave Blackpool in 2011, arriving at its new home, Crich Tramway Village just before Christmas. Since then the tram has had an overhauled pantograph fitted, and been transferred to the depot complex at Crich following a short stay in the workshop. The tram is not thought to have moved under its own power at its new home yet, and will reportedly not be commissioned until later in the year. This seems like a
sensible strategy as crews will need to become familiar with the operation of the ‘new’ tram, so it is likely that more familiar cars will be prepared for service ahead of 630 and Blackpool Jubilee car 762. However, it shouldn’t be too long before both trams are able to run again and 630 should prove to be a useful addition to the running fleet at Crich later on in 2012.
Meanwhile, over at Manchester, the final touches are being made to car 623 ahead of its planned launch event at Heaton Park on January 22nd. Following the fitting of a mini-tower on its roof, the trolley pole was finally added on Tuesday 10th January, allowing the Brush car to come alive for the first time since it left Blackpool! The tram was taken for its first test run through Heaton Park during the early evening that same day. Further testing and crew training is set to take place over the next few weeks before 623 is officially unveiled to the public, at what will no doubt be another excellent day for the heritage tramway later this month.