The fate of Blackpool Centenary car 646 has taken several bizarre twists and turns in recent weeks. Plans to preserve the tram by the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust were recently abandoned after the tram was damaged by vandals, and then it was sold to a new owner who placed various fittings from the car for sale on the Internet auction site eBay. However, the strangest development of all has now seen the tram disapear from its former resting place, as though it has vanished into thin air!
646 had been bought by its long-term advertiser, Paul Gaunt and deposited in the business’ car park earlier in the year. This site was very exposed and unfortunately led to 646 being vandalised, leading to the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust and Paul Joint reaching a mutual decision to abandon the preservation of the tram, with the FHLT focussing their efforts on securing the future of another Centenary car, 641, which is considered a more valuable tram as it was the first of the type to be built in 1984.
Now, after various items were removed from the forlorn Centenary car and sold off to souvenir hunters, 646 has mysteriously disapeared! Some time during the latter half of November, the tram was extracted from the Paul Gaunt premises and moved away, with only the cuts in the tarmac left by its wheels giving an indication at all that it was ever there. 646‘s current whereabouts are currently unknown, and likewise it is unclear at present what the future holds for this tram. A museum is understood to be interested in acquiring its bogies and some other useful components, whilst various rumours are circulating in regard of plans for the body. Whether the tram will survive for much longer remains to be seen, but it must be said that the future of this tram is looking far from bright at the moment.
If any reader has any information on the current whereabouts of 646, or has any legitimate information on plans for its future, please contact us, either by email or using the comments box provided below.