After several years of bemoaning the fact that once an advert is added to a modern Blackpool tram it seems to be there to stay until its replaced there has been a development recently as two of the four Flexity2 trams carrying all over adverts have lost them and returned to full fleet livery. The trams concerned are 001 and 011.
001 has lost its advert for the Blackpool Big Ticket and various Merlin attractions in the resort. This had been in place since August 2019 and was the very first vinyl wrap advert that this tram had carried since entry into service in 2012. With these vinyls removed it has shown that the former side ads for the Sands Venue had never been removed as they are still there now with the tram back to fleet livery!
The second tram to lose its advert is 011. This tram had only been carrying vinyls for Mazuma Mobile since September 2022 but these have now been removed and it too is back in the standard Flexity fleet livery. The advert on 011 is the second shortest to have been carried on one of the Flexity2s with that for JD Sports on 014 the shortest having only been seen for a few weeks in October 2018.
Currently 003 and 016 – the Pretty Little Thing twins – retain their all over adverts and are now the only full advert liveries on the modern tram fleet.
001 is now a bit of a mix following the removal of its vinyls. It would appear that when it receive this vinyl wrap the former above window ads for the Sands Venue were not removed as with the Merlin adverts now taken off they are still there! As seen in this picture one of the oversized numbers also remains in place despite the advert being removed.
Another shot of 001 at Cabin. Showing its old advert for the Sands Venue here – a venue which has since closed.
And the plain 011 is seen here at Anchorsholme Lane. (All Photographs by Tony Armitage, 9th February 2023)