Despite having returned to Beamish Museum from Blackpool in March of this year, Blackpool Marton Box 31 has still not returned to service at its home tramway. This is due to the car having worn tyres, and it has now been confirmed that it is unlikely to operate at all this summer, with a current target of November for its reappearance.
31 has now been lifted on jacks and its bogies rolled out for attention, with the motors also now removed for overhaul. The wheelsets have been removed allowing the tyres to be removed also. Unfortunately, the time to get these replaced is quite considerable, as the new tyres are coming from South Africa and are being made to order, to ensure that they meet the required specifications. These will then be assembled in Wales before coming to Beamish so that the tram can be reunited with its trucks on completion of all of the required work.
It may seem strange to aim to have an open top tram ready for use in November, but the Christmas festivities provide Beamish with some extremely busy days and so this high-capacity car will be extremely useful at that time of year. After Christmas, it is anticipated that Sunderland 16 will be temporarily withdrawn from service so its tyres can be turned; with only four trams operational at present and up to four required for service on busy days, 16 cannot be spared until Blackpool 31 is available for service again. It is also hoped to have Gateshead 10 running again at some point during 2018, in spite of progress on its heavy overhaul having slowed considerably of late. Outside contractors are now being employed to complete the mechanical work, with extensive work on the bogies needed, including essential welding of the bogie frames and attention to the brakes and suspension. Once complete this tram will ease the present shortage of serviceable vehicles considerably, and also return the longest serving member of the museum’s tramway fleet to its rightful place in regular service.
With 31 having won our own ‘Tram of the Year’ contest thanks to its enjoyable spell of operation in Blackpool last year, it is a shame that it has fallen from grace so. Likewise, Blackpool Standard 147 – which was exchanged for 31 and spent just over a year running at Beamish – has also not turned a wheel since its return to Blackpool as it too requires workshop attention. The car has now entered the Paint Shop where it will receive a full repaint following extensive body preparation, which should ensure that it looks immaculate for many years to come, and the popular tram should be back in action at some point in the summer. It had originally been intended that both 31 and 147 would benefit from some work whilst on loan to Blackpool and Beamish respectively, but for unspecified reasons this never happened. It is a great shame that this did not come to fruition; hopefully the change of plan will not adversely affect either car for too much longer as it is most unfortunate that they are now missing from service at a time of year when both could, and should, be seeing frequent use.
I remember reading that Blackpool were going to do this work somewhere, does anyone know what happened? I may have imagined it of course.
You didn’t imagine it – it says it in the article you have just read (or not) and commented on!!