During the latter part of 2020 it was announced that as part of the restoration to service of Blackpool Brush Railcoach 298 to run at the Crich Tramway Village, the Ffestiniog Railway in Wales had been contracted to construct a new underframe. The first few months of 2021 has seen this work progress and it has now got to the stage where the physical work has commenced.
So far the Ffestiniog Railway have completed all the design work for the underframe and the project team at Crich have inspected these fully and approved the designs at the end of January. This was followed by the ordering of the steel for the underframe and then the start of the works.
As for 298 itself, it currently remains at the Tramway Museum Society Clay Cross store but is scheduled to be moved across to Crich during 2021 to allow the restoration work to start in earnest. While the Ffestiniog Railway have been contracted to construct the replacement underframe, the bulk of the work to restore the tram will be undertaken in Crich’s own workshops with the tram due to be returned to original condition – thus becoming the only Blackpool Brush Car to have been restored in this style.
- Also recently at Crich have been the first tram movement of 2021 as preparations are made for the season to start on 12th April Blackpool Pantograph 167 had to be shunted out the way to allow Cardiff 131 to be moved to the Workshop for a start to be made on its commissioning so it can start the inspection of the track.
I had completely forgotten that RHO Hills in Blackpool became a Binns store! These adverts on public transport being completely synonymous with the North East of England!
Wrong thread Geoff? 🙂