Blackpool 630 goes all the way!

Seven days after its first test run between Town End and Wakebridge, another milestone
event occured for Blackpool Brush Railcoach 630 at Crich on Friday 9th March, when the tram was driven all the way to the tramway’s Glory Mine terminus and back. The far end of the line had previously been inaccessible due to ongoing trackwork, the completion of which was delayed due to snow, but with the work now complete the whole tramway has now been re-opened allowing 630 to become one of the first trams to operate over the new track.

The testing of the Brush car has mainly been to check the alignment of its pantograph, as most of the running fleet at Crich have either trolleys or bow collectors, and indeed the type of pantograph fitted to 630 is unfamiliar to this tramway. With this in mind, the tram was chased to Glory Mine by Johannesburg 60 for its first trip, so that someone could sit on 60‘s open balcony and ensure that the pantograph did not leave the wire or encounter any other difficulties en route. This was a good choice of tram as, had everything done to plan for the Blackpool 125 celebrations, Johannesburg 60 would have already met 630 at Blackpool in 2010 – so the pair have finally been brought together in the Derbyshire countryside.

Some photos of 630‘s latest outing can be found on the Crich Tramway Village blog website – http://www.crichtramwayvillagenews.blogspot.com/ If any reader of this site has any photos of the tram on test at Crich which they would be happy for us to
publish, please contact us at the usual email address.

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