A further development in the strange tale of Blackpool Centenary car 646 has taken place since we reported last week, that parts of the tram were being offered for sale on an internet auction site. The sale of the first item, a windscreen wiper blade, has now been abandoned due to the commencement of discussions regarding the possibility of a new home for the complete tram.
Although the auction listing for 646‘s wiper remains visible on eBay, the accompanying text has been amended stating that parts of the tram are no longer being sold to souvenir hunters, and that any bids made will be deleted. This is a very odd move as it is possible to remove an item from the website if a decision is made not to sell it, yet the owner of 646 presently seems to be using the site to provide tantilising updates regarding plans for the future of the tram.
A short paragraph on the item listing page now informs readers that ‘no items are being removed at present’, and that the current owner is discussing a ‘forever home’ for the tram with a museum. At this time it is not being revealed which museum this could be, but it may result in the Centenary car finally becoming a musuem exhibit after the previous preservation attempt by the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust was abandoned after it was vandalised whilst in temporary outside storage. It had then been intended to convert the tram into offices with a bathroom, but its current owner always felt that 646 should really be put in a museum and it is now looking like their wish may be granted after all. It should be stressed that nothing is yet set in stone but the future of this tram is certainly looking brighter than it was just a few days ago.