A depot shunt at Rigby Road, Blackpool took place on Thursday 12th January, in order to release Twin car 673+683 from the back of the depot, in preparation for an expected move off-site in the very near future. This provided a rare opportunity to see two of the most popular trams in the Blackpool fleet out in daylight, neither of which had run in passenger service since the end of 2010.
First of the elusive duo to appear on the depot fan was the unique open-top Balloon car, ‘Princess Alice’ 706. This tram presented a rather sad sight, having not been touched since its enjoyable visit to Heaton Park in November 2010. The tram is still missing its lifeguards at one end, whilst the trolley arm is still tied down from its road journey back home from Manchester. As a result of this, 706 was towed out by Balloon 723, a tram that did run regularly in 2011 but now faces an uncertain future. Likewise, it is not known yet whether 706 will be returned to service this year or not, as it is reportedly in a poor condition and may not be seen as a worthwhile investment. Hopefully the situation regarding this iconic tram will become clearer in the months ahead.
As if the appearance of 706 and Centenary car 641′s departure weren’t enough excitement for one day, another treat was in store in the shape of Coronation 660 which was also brought outside for a while. Although not part of the running fleet for 2011, 660 had run to Starr Gate and back on September 13th last year when it was used to test the new wash plant, and once again the tram was able to move under its own power. This car is expected to be fitted with transponders which will hopefully allow it to return to service later this year.
Our thanks go to Andrew Blood for sharing this information with us, and more importantly, allowing British Trams Online to publish some of his photos showing both of these trams being shunted.