Wednesday 29th February was an interesting day on the Blackpool tramway with not one, but two open ‘Boat’ cars appearing in daylight! The appearance of 605 outside the depot is described elsewhere, but a huge surprise came during the morning when Boat 600 was taken out for a test run on the main line! The tram ran as far north as Thornton Gate – this is as far as trams are currently able to reach – and is believed to have visited this location twice before heading back to the depot.
600‘s outing was notable for several reasons. As well as being the first use of a Boat in 2012 and the earliest in the year that one of the class has run in many years, if not ever, it
represented the first time that 600 had been north of Little Bispham since its major overhaul. In fact, as far as we know, no Boats had been north of Little Bispham since autumn 2009 making this a very significant occasion. It is believed that 600 was being used to test the suitability of recently modified sections of overhead line for trolley-fitted cars. Normally Standard 147 would be the first choice for such duties but the tram is reportedly in the Fitting Shop for an unknown reasons, and mild weather led to the Boat car being used instead.
This week has also seen the new Flexity2 trams running to Thornton Gate on a regular
basis for the very first time, as more of the tramway is reopened in readiness for the season ahead. Balloon 723 was also seen at Thornton Gate on Monday 27th February, but unfortunately this trip ended in disaster with the tram needing a tow back to depot, courtesy of Engineering car 754. Hopefully it won’t be too long before testing and crew training runs are able to venture to Ash Street Fleetwood, and maybe even the Ferry terminus will be reached before Easter.