The North West Museum of Road Transport in St Helens is home to the Fylde Transport Trust’s Twin Motor Car 671 with the tram arriving there on 18th April 2021. It’s the only tram currently located at the museum (although follows in the footsteps of other trams such as Blackpool Coronation 304 to have spent time there). When arriving there it was in the Line 1 Metro Coastlines Green and Yellow livery but with the news that it would receive a repaint into the original all cream livery. Work on this repaint is now underway with much of the modern-day livery now having been removed.
Of the extensive collection of 16 trams owned by the Fylde Transport Trust, 671 (or 281 as it will be numbered when the repaint is completed) is the only one not currently at Rigby Road and indeed is the only one which is fully on display with those in Blackpool either operational or stored in the depot and only visible during Tramtown tours.
It too used to be in store at Rigby Road until it moved in April 2021 and had been expected to be the first of many which would have to move to pastures news. This is to allow the redevelopment of the facility with less space likely to be available to trams but instead of a flurry it has been more of a trickle of departures, although more will need to leave in the near future to allow the plans there (including the bus depot which is to be upgraded to take electric buses) to be put into action.
It is intended that 671 will be displayed at St Helens in the external condition as when it first entered service and was not permanently coupled to its trailer, which is not owned by the FTT and remains at Rigby Road and is owned by Blackpool Transport.
Please note the original edition of this article inadvertently mentioned that the tram’s original number was 271. This was an error in the writing of the article and the Fylde Transport Trust have confirmed that the tram will be numbered 281 and transfers for this number are already in stock ready for application once painting is completed.
Much of the Metro Coastlines livery has been removed from this side of the tram already with the cream paint the dominant feature.
More work is needed on this side of the tram with the green and yellow colours still around the windows and centre doors. (Both Photographs by Scott Spencer)
It would help if they apply the correct fleet number to the tram – 281 !!
271 remained an unrebuilt EE railcoach to the end of its days when it became an OMO car. The twincar motor cars were 272-281 and upon renumbering in April 1968, 272-280 became 672-680 and 281 took the number 671.
Yes, 281 was indeed the original number – something of an anomaly in the numbering sequence. 271 did not undergo a rebuild until the end of 1968, when it became the ‘Coffin’ tram 618 and subsequently OMO car 13 entering service as such in 1976. Hopefully 281 will give rise to interest in the Blackpool Heritage Trams among visitors to the Museum of Road Transport. They could then be signposted to the Blackpool system including Tramtown – some appropriate literature (leaflets, etc.) would be useful to be made available at the St Helens attraction.