Anyone who follows the Blackpool Tramway in any details will probably have been aware that the start of the Illuminations this year there has been a missing tram on tour duty – the Trawler. The LEDs fitted to the tram, providing it with its illuminated aspect as there are no traditional bulbs on the tram, have been proving problematic but recent workshop attention has seen these start to work again and the tram returned to tour duty in time for Friday 11th October.
Since returning to service the state of the art LEDs fitted to the tram have proven to be troublesome with the Trawler spending periods out of service (its fairly low capacity has also seen it not the tram of choice on busy nights) but 2019 has seemingly been one of the worst for the tram, numbered 737, with its use during the year limited to an early season Fish and Chips tour and daylight specials during the second day of the September Spectacular weekend at the end of last month.
Hopefully the fix to the LEDs will now enable the Trawler to take its rightful place on tours for the last few weeks of the 2019 Illuminations. This will include the Illuminated Tram Parade on Thursday 24th October where all three feature cars are due to run from Pleasure Beach to Little Bispham and back at 1745 for special ticket holders – this will also include a pause of the trams adjacent to the Tower to allow spectators to take photos.
And whilst on the subject of Blackpool, afternoon heritage tram tours are now taking place every day until the end of the illuminations on Sunday 3rd November. This will see two heritage trams allocated to service between 1300 and 1700 each day.
The Trawler stands on Pleasure Beach loop on 11th October with most of its LEDs shining bright.
B-fleet Balloon 718, on a Private Hire, is seen here alongside the Trawler. (Both Photographs by Scott Fraser, 11th October 2019)