The official website of Beamish, the Living Museum of the North, has confirmed dates for their major special events during 2013 which include an expanded programme of transport activities. The highlight of the year for tram enthusiasts will be the planned celebration of the Beamish tramway’s 40th anniversary in April, which forms part of the ‘Great North Festival of Transport’.
Under the banner of ‘Our Friends Electric’, the tramway anniversary celebrations will be held over a period of four days, between Thursday 4th and Sunday 7th April. Exact details of what will happen remains a closely guarded secret, but the event will apparently offer ‘something for everyone’ and is set to feature a number of visiting trams operating alongside the resident fleet. None of these have yet been officially confirmed by the Museum, although the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society have announced that their own Lisbon 730 is expected to attend. A model tramway exhibition will also be held on the Saturday and Sunday only.
Trams aside, the following week will see the annual Great North Steam Fair take place from 11th to 14th April and at least some of the visiting trams should also operate for this event. The festival will then conclude with ‘Old King Coal’, a celebration of the North East’s rich mining heritage, held from 18th to 21st April. This should be a fantastic time for Beamish and will hopefully further cement its status as one of the major players in the heritage transport field, not just in Britain but also internationally!