After a series of trials and tribulations, things finally seem to be looking up for the ‘Our Friends Electric’ event celebrating 40 years of tram operation at Beamish Museum. Friday 5th April witnessed the arrival of Glasgow 1068 from Crich after a series of unavoidable delays, whilst fellow visiting tram Lisbon 730 from Birkenhead has now been pressed into service at the museum and is proving its worth on the working tramway.
Glasgow 1068 finally departed from Crich Tramway Village late on Thursday 4th April, after being unloaded in full public view, and arrived at Beamish the following morning, where it was unloaded once the morning service trams had left the depot. Perhaps surprisingly, the car’s trolley mast remained in situ for its long road journey despite past problems with low hanging tree branches near Crich, but thankfully this calculated risk paid off and the tram arrived completely unscathed. This meant that it could be prepared for service more quickly – so much so, that it was taken out for a trial run around the museum circuit once the last visitors had gone home at the end of the day. This was also a success, and so 1068 will be entering service at the museum on Saturday 6th April, when it should become the first Scottish tram ever to operate at Beamish!
More good news concerns Lisbon 730 which ran in passenger service at its temporary home for the first time on the second day of the event, Friday 5th April, and it has proved to be a very popular attraction. The use of this tram and fellow Portugese car Oporto 196 in opposite directions was a particular highlight of the day. The first two days of the event have also seen various trams lined up on the depot fan when not required for service, ensuring that most of the fleet have been visible in daylight. Newcastle 114 has been decorated with flowers and commemorative banners on its decency boards, whilst Blackpool 31 is carrying ‘Circular Tour’ headboards as an extra attraction. These have added some novelty value to the occasion, helping to slightly compensate for some of the other disapointments experienced over the past weeks and months.
The efforts made to commission the visiting trams for service so quickly also deserves a mention. The work on Lisbon 730 was undertaken by representatives of three different organisations working together; namely Mike Mercer from the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society, Andy Bailey from the Tramway Museum Society, and Tom Dorney of the Beamish Tramway Group. Without their hard work, 730‘s entry into service could have been delayed even more, causing further disapointment. Members of the Manchester Transport Museum Society have also been on site for several days to support this event, particularly the model tram exhibition which will take place on April 6th & 7th.
Subject to availability, it is intended that the two visiting tramcars, Lisbon 730 and Glasgow 1068, will operate on the following dates:
Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th April (Our Friends Electric/model tramway show)
Thursday 10th – Sunday 13th April inclusive (Great North Steam Fair)
Thursday 17th – Sunday 20th April inclusive (Old King Coal event)
Whilst this may not be much consolation to anyone who has visited for the first day of the event, at least it is pleasing to see that Beamish Museum (and others) are doing their best to ensure that the remainder of the event is memorable for all the right reasons, and hopefully the final two days of the tramway anniversary celebrations will be highly succesful for all concerned.
A treat for early visitors to Beamish on April 5th, as Glasgow 1068 waits on its low loader before being unloaded outside the museum's tram and bus depot. (Photo courtesy of the Beamish Transport & Industry Blog)
A fine sight of two standard gauge trams hailing from Portugal passing at Foulbridge: Oporto 196 and Lisbon 730. (Photo by Gareth Prior)
More history in the making as Glasgow 1068 pauses in Beamish town for the very first time in the evening sunshine on Friday 5th April. (Photo courtesy of the Beamish Transport & Industry Blog)