In an exciting development, British Trams Online can exclusively announce that
Blackpool ‘Boat’ car 605 will shortly be making the journey to the North East for an extended operating loan at Beamish Museum. Even more excitingly, British Trams Online will be sponsoring 605 in order to fund its restoration back to original 1930s green and cream livery! The deal between ourselves, Beamish Museum and the Lancastrian Transport Trust will see the tram operate at Beamish for a minimum of two years.
605 last carried passengers in October 2009, and soon afterwards it was withdrawn from service and sold to the Lancastrian Transport Trust, allowing them to preserve one of these iconic trams which have hardly changed at all during their long lifespan. Although 605 has been stored in the depot at Rigby Road ever since, it remains fully intact and is able to move under its own power, as was proven when it made a special appearance outside for a photoshoot in May 2011. The car retains its rather shabby coat of wartime green and cream which was applied late in 1998, but is basically ready to run – and run again it shall!
Beamish Museum have been negotiating with the LTT to borrow 605 so that this extremely popular tram can carry passengers on their Museum tramway, where it is bound to be a huge attraction for visitors. There, it will join fellow LTT-owned Balloon 703, currently masquerading as Sunderland 101, and will also be reunited with another former Blackpool resident, Marton Box 31. It is hoped that the Boat car will move to the North East very soon, and that will run for a few weeks in its current wartime livery, before
receiving a full repaint back into 1930s style livery ahead of the peak summer season. It will also return to its original identity as car 233 at this time.
Paul Jarman, the Keeper of Transport at Beamish, says: “I am delighted that we have
been able to further develop our relationship with the Lancastrian Transport Trust and that they are entrusting us with another of their priceless tramcars. The aim will be to commission it into service for Easter and run it for the holiday period, culminating in our four day ‘Great North Steam Fair’ alongside Birkenhead 20. It is very exciting to have a boat tram coming to Beamish – I had always liked these trams but until recently had not imagined the prospect of us being able to justify one at the Museum! With a new outlook on future developments, 233 will fit right in and hopefully become as popular with
visitors and staff as Blackpool 703/Sunderland 101 has become.”
British Trams Online has been looking at the possibility of funding a special project to celebrate our tenth anniversary later this year, and we are delighted to have been given the
opportunity to support this project to return one of Blackpool’s best loved-trams to active service at one of the UK’s thriving museum tramways. The project represents excellent value for money, and our contribution will also be recognised by a period-style advert panel, displayed on the centre platform area of the tram for all to see. We hope that many enthusiasts will be pleased with our decision to support 605, and of course regular readers of this website can look forward to plenty of exclusive content on this tram over the
coming months! We would also like to express our gratitude to Paul Jarman and his staff team, for the co-operation and enthusiasm which have enabled this dream to become a reality.