Progress on the main depot refurbishment project at Crich Tramway Village has been brisk, with replacement of the roof of more than one third of the main running sheds already completed. Depot 2 (covering roads 4, 5 & 6) has now been completely re-roofed, and this building has been filled with trams again so that Depot 3 can be worked on next.
Following on from ‘The Big Tram Shunt’ on 5th November, a further shunting operation was carried out on Saturday 25th November. By this time, Depot 2 was sporting a brand new roof made up of insulated panels complete with nine full length skylight panels which offer vastly improved lighting inside, and this is before the new internal lights have been installed. The recently repainted Sheffield 74 had the honour of being the first tram to enter the refurbished building – but this was only a temporary move as it was later transferred to the Exhibition Hall. Other notable moves saw Leeds 180 enter the workshop for attention to its resistances and wiring, whilst Glasgow 1115 was put in Depot V and Grimsby & Immingham 14 returned to its usual position at the back of Road 4. Also of note was the appearance of Blackpool 166 on the depot fan – not so unusual on the face of it, but this was actually quite a sight thanks to a light dusting of snow across the museum site!
All of this resulted in Depot 3 being devoid of trams, allowing the wiring to be taken down on 27th November so that the roof could be replaced. This is not the only work in progress around the depots however, as some of the stone setts have been lifted to create an expanded tarmac pathway for less able visitors. Although there will still be plenty of setts remaining to maintain a nostalgic atmosphere, this is obviously very important and it is welcome that the needs of all visitors are being acknowledged more than ever.