It seems to have been a very long time since we last featured an update on the extensive restoration of Glasgow 488 which will eventually run at the East Anglia Transport Museum so in this article we review recent progress which should see a major milestone achieved later this year.
Upon final withdrawal from service in Glasgow, no. 488 was one of the lucky trams to be preserved but unlike the many which have found new homes across Scotland and England it was to be donated to the Paris Transport Museum in France where it was moved during 1961. The tram was subsequently put on display at the museum although this only lasted for around 10 years before it was put into store away from the public gaze.
That is where it was to remain until 2013 when 488 was repatriated to the UK thanks to a bequest from Peter Mitchell. Transported back to the UK with upper and lower decks split – in a similar way to how it was transported to France in the first place the intention was that it would operate at the East Anglia Transport Museum with this initially being as part of a loan agreement, although the EATM are now the proud owners of the tramcar.
The Ffestiniog Railway in Wales (making this a truly international tale with a Scottish tram being repatriated from France to operate in England and being restored in Wales!) were contracted to undertake the restoration and the two decks were transported separately to their Boston Lodge works in 2013 to allow for work to commence.
Over the past seven and a bit years work has been taking place on the tram and it would appear that 2021 will be a year when major milestones are achieved in the project. An update on the “Preserving Glasgow Tram No. 488” website posted during February confirms that the restoration of the lower deck has now been completed and that this will be transported to Carlton Colville in the summer. The truck is also being actively worked upon and work on the upper deck is to take place at Ffestiniog with this due to be finished by the end of 2021.
If all goes according to plan these three elements will be brought together in the first quarter of 2022 with the intriguing prospect that Glasgow 488 will be able to join the operating fleet at the East Anglia Transport Museum by Easter 2022!
Now that is something to look forward to in 2022!
- To find out more about the project to restore 488 please visit the Preserving Glasgow Tram No. 488” website at http://www.488.cyberpictures.net/index.html