After an absence of two years Fleetwood Tram Sunday – or the Fleetwood Transport Festival if you prefer – is back on Sunday 17th July and although the event has evolved a lot since that first one back in 1985, Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours will be putting the tram into the event with static displays as well as special tours both on the day and the day before for those who want to make a weekend of it.
Saturday 16th July will see a brand new tour take place – the Full System Tour. As the name suggests this tour will take participants across the whole of the Blackpool Tramway (as it exists at the moment) including trips over many crossovers and centre lines. The new tour will depart from Hopton Road (outside the tram depot) at 1130 and after covering the tramway should be back on Blundell Street (alongside the Fitting Shop wall) by 1430-1500. For this three and a half your it will cost adults £25 and children £12.50. While this does seem a lot more than other tours offered it is a lengthy tour and for those of you who like a bit of rare track this is the tour for you!
The tour should run as follows:
Hopton Road – Tower – Pleasure Beach – Foxhall – Starr Gate – Headshunt/Depot road – departure move to platform – Little Bispham – Bispham – Cabin – Bispham – Thornton Gate – Fleetwood Ferry outer (15 minute break) – Fisherman’s Walk – Fleetwood Ferry – Cleveleys – Thornton Gate – Festival House – North Pier – Blundell Street
It is planned that a B fleet Balloon will be allocated to the trip. More details of the tour can be seen at https://blackpoolheritage.com/tours/systemtour/. This is hoped to be the first of several trips like this with more to come later in the year and is being considered a trial to see what does or doesn’t work.
Onto Tram Sunday day itself – Sunday 17th July – and as in recent events Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours will be sending some vehicles to be displayed. Tram wise these should be the Illuminated Trawler and a Balloon Car whilst there will also be a couple of buses – a 1960s Leyland PD3 and ADL E400.
There will also be a couple of tours linking to the edge of the event site. Balloon Cars 700 and 717 are due to be running between North Pier and Fisherman’s Walk throughout the day at approximately 30 minute intervals. The 1012 and 1048 trips can be pre-booked but all other trips during the day will be available as walk-on fares.
For those who don’t want to stray too far away from Fleetwood there will also be Mini Tours running between Fisherman’s Walk and Thornton Gate. Due to operate between 1115 and 1615 they will cost £5 for adults and £2.50 for children.
In addition Bolton 66 will be sticking to Blackpool and running the usual Promenade Tours – with tours due to operate at 1000, 1120, 1345, 1510 and 1630.
The weekend is then rounded off with an Evening Tour – which includes a trip through Starr Gate Depot. The Illuminated Frigate is due to run this which will set off from North Pier at 1900 before running to Little Bispham, Starr Gate and then back to North Pier. Pre-booking is recommended.
- Full details of all Blackpool Heritage Tram Tour events are on their website at https://blackpoolheritage.com/