Whilst the big news from Crich Tramway Village this winter may be the ongoing depot refurbishment works – more on which will appear on this website shortly – the reconstruction of London County Council 1, alias ‘Bluebird’, has certainly not been forgotten. As these recent pictures show, the car is now beginning to look much more tram-like.
With the recent announcement that the restoration of LCC 1 is due to be completed before the end of 2019, it is pleasing to see the work at such an advanced stage although clearly there remains a huge amount of work to do. The bodywork is looking particularly impressive with the north end windscreen frame now fitted, and traces of blue paint beginning to appear in various places. The first of the bogies is nearly completed, whilst the second is not far behind. Hopefully once this particular aspect of the project is completed, the tram will be a lot more mobile and this should also enable overhauls on other trams to be progressed, something which has understandably had to take a bit of a back seat whilst ‘Bluebird’ has been the focus of the workshop staff’s attention.
On 6th January, LCC 1 was seen in the Crich workshop with its distinctive shape becoming ever more apparent as its reconstruction takes shape.
A look at one of the bogies for LCC 1 which is virtually complete.
The other bogie is seen at the rear of the workshop being worked on. (Photos by Peter Whiteley)
Another, more recent view of 'Bluebird' giving a good impression of the current state of the bodywork. (Photo by Dean Sharp)
It’s good to see this famous tram being resurrected. A tribute to all involved in its restoration.