The weekend of Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June was a bumper period for the Seaton Tramway with many visitors lured to the Devon coast by the good weather being experienced and also, on the Sunday, the return of the Classic Car Show and over 1000 passengers carried on every available tramcar.
The weekend started on Saturday 8 June with an “Eastbourne Running Day” when the service was operated mainly by those trams which had run at Eastbourne before Modern Electric Tramways made the move along the coast to Seaton. Trams 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 were all used in service during the day which was fine and sunny. There was then a concert taking place at Colyton in the evening and a special tram service consisting of the “new” trams: 9, 10 and 11 was operated to ferry passengers to and from this.
Then on Sunday 9 June the Classic Car Show returned, this time taking place at the Underfleet Car Park next to the Seaton terminus. This day was always likely to be a busy one as UK Railtours ran a special railtour from London to Axminster – with an estimated 300 passengers on board – to visit the tramway. This railtour also saw the naming of a South West Trains class 159 DMU after the Seaton Tramway, with regular visitor to Seaton, BBC Newsreader Nicholas Owen, doing the honours. In the end it was estimated that over 1000 passengers were carried on the tramway during the day and all of the available fleet were pressed into action of some sort.
This meant that 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 19 were all out of the mainline and Works Car 02 also put in appearances. 4 was initially used on the depot shuttles (for tours of the depot) but was later pressed into normal passenger service on specials whilst 14, 16 and 19 were all used on tram driving experiences.
It is planned that members of the “Eastbourne” fleet will operate again on 26, 27 July, 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31 August and 2, 3, 4 September and during the peak summer period there are usually some members of the older guard in service with 8 and 12 in particular regular performers.
A busy scene at Seaton terminus on 9 June with Blackpool Boat car inspired 4 on the left and 9,8 and 16 all on the right.
It was no less busy at the other end of the line as this view at Colyton shows. Exeter 19 is seen on the little used siding with the two blue trams - 8 and 9 - loading passengers before heading back to Seaton. (Both photos: Mike Poole)
* A Photo Gallery from this weekend at Seaton will be added to British Trams Online in the next few weeks.