After a year that has been packed with interest and surprises at Crich Tramway Village, enthusiasts could be forgiven for expecting the staff and volunteers to take some time to recover, having provided some unforgettable scenes for tram enthusiasts to enjoy this summer – but no! One of the last events of the year, Red Oktober, took place on Sunday 21st October and featured two trams making rare appearances in the open air.
This event primarlily focusses on classic cars and other vehicles from the Eastern Bloc, with re-enactors in appropriate dress adding to the atmosphere. However, an unexpected highlight was the appearance of Halle 902 which was displayed on the traverser. Since being unceremoniously withdrawn from use back in 2006, this has been quite an elusive tram and although hardly the most popular member of the Crich fleet, the chance to see it outside again was welcome. Further interest was created by the appearance of Prague 180 which was posed close to Halle 902, giving the chance to photograph both cars together. Unfortunately the weather on this day was not very favourable with an unwelcome thick fog, but this makes it all the more pleasing that so much effort was made to extract these two trams from their usual resting places.
Once again Crich should be applauded for including two more little-seen trams in another of its special events. Perhaps incorporating attractions such as this for enthusiasts alongside other events with more broad appeal will be the way forward for this museum? Red Oktober has certainly been a popular addition to the events calendar and hopefully will have given a welcome late season boost to museum revenue.