Today’s “Picture in Time” again features the Blackpool Tramway in September 1984.
With its experimental single arm pantograph this photo shows OMO 5 at Pleasure Beach on its way to Starr Gate – working on route 4 on this day. Converted to a OMO car in 1972 from English Electric Railcoach 609 (221) by the time of this photo the tram had lost its original plum and custard livery which was replaced by the red and white colours during 1979.
The Brecknell Willis single arm pantograph had been fitted in 1976 but would have little more than six months left on the tram with the standard diamond pantograph being fitted the following year – it was the last OMO to lose its single arm panto. 5 is now preserved and stored at the Tramway Museum Society’s Clay Cross store.
Photograph by Phil Steer, September 1984
The livery car 5 gained in 1979 was the simplified version of the red and cream replacing that which included red on the lower panel beneath the driver’s offside window. I recall OMO 5 appeared in the earlier red and cream livery in the Autumn of 1975 and by the following Spring only cars 8 and 9 retained the plum and custard livery. The eventual return of car 8 in plum and custard is something keenly to be anticipated, although this will not be for some time yet. I often wonder what long term plans there are at Crich for car 5 – I’m sure it would prove popular in either plum and custard or red and cream.