Saturday 22nd October saw a Night Photography event take place at the Heaton Park Tramway with specially posed scenes including the trams – operational and not operational – as well as a visiting bus in the dark. Manchester trams 765 and 173 featured heavily in the photo opportunities with Manchester bus Daimler CVG6DD no. 4127 also posed alongside. In this pictorial article we take a look at some of the scenes which were able to be captured by photographers who took the rare opportunity to see the tramway after dark.
Its not often you see two traditional Manchester trams side-by-side in the dark! But that was one of the scenes seen during this event – 765 and 173 posed by the centre crossover on the way down to Middleton Road with the depot back right. 765 needs little introduction having been a stalwart of the tramway ever since it opened but 173 has yet to operate in preservation and waits its turn in the queue for restoration. Built in 1901, the tram ran for 30 years before withdrawal and sale for use as a shed. After rescue it underwent a cosmetic restoration and was for a time on display at the Greater Manchester Museum of Transport, finally moving to Heaton Park in December 2013.
Another shot of the two Manchester trams. With any luck in future years scenes like this can be repeated but with the double-decker in service.
765 has made its way down to Middleton Road Gates and its joined by another former Manchester Corporation Transport vehicle – Daimler CVG6DD 4127. New in October 1950, the bus is now part of the Tameside Transport Collection and visited Heaton Park to add to the scenes – and add it certainly did!
The same two vehicles seen at Whitegate. Note that both have their blinds set to run route 53 to Cheetham Hill.
Some of the assembled photographers point their cameras down towards Middleton Road with Manchester 173, Stockport 5 and Manchester 765 waiting. (Photographs x5 by Joshua Haworth)
Blackpool 623 is also out of the depot in this shot with it posed for photos at the top of the hill. With its destination blind appropriately set for a “Tour of Illuminations” and with strings of lights it looks at home in the park. (Photograph by Huw Cairns)
Brilliant evening. Very fortunate with the weather. I hope that there will be repeats.
I AGREE WITH YOU GEOFF, I COULDNT MAKE THIS NIGHT WHICH WAS VERY ANNOYING AND SOME OF THE PHOTOS LOOK FANTASTIC. HOPEFULLY THIS LATE EVENING PHOTOGRAPHY WILL HAPPEN AGAIN NEXT YEAR ON A NIGHT I CAN ATTEND ,,, FINGERS CROSSED.
Nice to see our TTC bus receive favourable comment on this site. Hopefully the event can be repeated next year. Well done to all who helped make the event such a success!