Its time for another trip to the Seaton Tramway for this latest instalment of our archive photo series “Picture in Time”.
This time around we feature no. 7 – a tram not currently operational but one which it is hoped will be restored to service in the future. 7 was originally built in 1958 and as with the trams we have featured in the last couple of weeks it was originally built to the 2 foot gauge of Modern Electric Tramways Eastbourne line. Built as an open top, double decker with small saloons at each end of the lower deck to provide some protection from the elements it would remain in service at Eastbourne until that line closed and was moved across to Seaton in 1970. Regauging came in 1976 and it would remain operational until 2007 when withdrawal came in preparation for an overhaul. Although work on this did commence it has stalled although in 2020 the Seaton Tramway confirmed their intention to restore the tram to service.
Featuring adverts for the National Tramway Museum and with the then new Edwardian tram terminus in the background here we see 7 at Seaton on 28th August 1995.
We then see 7 at Colyton on the same day with the tram have quickly been filled to capacity. Of note here is that the platform at Colyton is without the now familiar barriers along its edge. We can also see no. 12 in the background.
Both Photographs by Bob Hodges