Time for another “Picture in Time” and this week we include a couple of photos of one of the always popular Open Boat Cars.
Its again July 1977 and on a fine and sunny afternoon what’s better than to send a Boat Car to Fleetwood? It was 606 which headed north and in these two images we see it as it makes its way back south to Pleasure Beach. As we see 606 is in the simple cream and green fleet livery and has a single pane windscreen installed. Today this tram is one of four Boats which has gone on a boat and now calls the USA its home. It can currently be seen at the National Capital Trolley Museum in Colesville, Maryland.
This first image shows the tram on the reserved track section in Fleetwood sandwiched between Radcliffe Road (behind the photographer) and Copse Road (behind the tram). The crossover near the site of the line off to the closed Copse Road Depot can be seen in the background, not far south of today’s Stanley Road stop.
Then we’ve raced up to Broadwater to catch the same journey and the driver is now looking distinctly more cheerful! Despite it being a sunny afternoon the tram hasn’t attracted too many passengers for a ride back to Blackpool.
Both Photographs by Donald Brooks, July 1977