Following a period of silence, work has now commenced on preparing Blackpool Brush car 622 for its new role as a static classroom at Anchorsholme Primary School. The project was first announced several months ago and was expected to result in 622 moving to the school at Easter, but some confusion regarding costs of the sale and issues with paperwork have slowed progress.
It may be recalled that 622 was originally sold so that its recently refurbished trucks could be re-used under sister car 632 when this tram was preserved by the Lancastrian Transport Trust. The tram, now owned by Classic Bus North West, has been stored at the LTT’s Brinwell Road depot since September 2010, but has never been classed as a preserved tram and has surrendered various parts to other vehicles. When the school arrangement was first announced, some work was carried out to repair 622‘s ceiling, as some of the beading used to hold the ceiling panels in place had previously been removed for re-use in OMO 8. Now, after work had stalled for a few months, the car is being rubbed down ready for repainting, and the last traces of its former Pontins all-over advert have been removed, leaving behind a tatty undercoat of white, blue and yellow. This should soon disapear when the tram receives an amended version of its famous ‘Tigerrific’ advert for Blackpool Zoo, although this is expected to feature other animals as well as tigers to increase its appeal to schoolchildren.
Hopefully 622‘s impending departure will allow for a shunt around of the vehicles stored at Brinwell Road. It would be excellent if the space vacated by 622 could be filled by one of the many LTT-owned trams currently in outside storage, with the unique VAMBAC-equipped Coronation 304 an obvious candidate to move undercover. Whilst 622‘s ultimate fate may not meet with universal approval, hopefully its transfer to a new home may help at least one other tram to enjoy a more secure future which would hopefully be much appreciated by the enthusiast community.