A fairly low profile tram restoration which has been ongoing for a number of years at Beamish is that of the horse tram – a combination of Newcastle & Gosforth 49 and Leamington & Warwick 8. Work has been continuing recently in Beamish’s Regional Heritage Engineering Centre by a small team of volunteers.
The restoration of this tram actually started back in late 2013 with the Leamington & Warwick horse tram body having been acquired by Beamish from Summerlee from the previous year. Ever since this time slow progress has been made on the tram with a small group of volunteers undertaking the work in the RHEC as and when time has allowed.
Recent progress has seen replica lamps fitted with the new dash panels also now under construction. The stairs are also making good progress meaning that the lower deck will soon be more or less complete. Attention will then turn to the top deck of this open top double decker.
Elsewhere on the tram front a Beamish there are currently four trams available for service following the return of Blackpool 31 (Newcastle 114, Oporto 196 and Sheffield 264 the others). Sunderland 16 is now being prepared for lifting to allow attention to its wheelsets and it is hoped that this may be available for service again in the next few months.