This latest edition of “Trams &” is again off to Beamish as we take a peek inside the tram depot at Foulbridge.
On 22nd March 2014 and with most of the trams and buses out of the depot our attention is mainly turned towards two vehicles – a tram and a trolleybus. While we can also see parts of other trams on the far left the main tram featured here is Oporto 196 in its South Shields livery (Newcastle 114 is just to the left and we can also just make out the very end of Grimsby & Immingham 26 in front of the open topper. That’s not all the tram we can see though as between the tram and trolleybus is the horse tram which has been under restoration at Beamish for a number of years. Using parts of Leamington & Warwick 8 this will be Newcastle & Gosforth 49 when the work is completed.
Then on the far side of the image we see Newcastle trolleybus 501. Part of the Beamish collection this trolleybus has seen very limited usage at the northeast museum (with a loan spell away at the East Anglia Transport Museum) but is now back waiting for the time when a trolleybus route is conceived as part of the Remaking Beamish project.
Photograph by Gareth Prior