The National Transport Trust have recently unveiled two more “Red Wheels” at tram related locations. The significance of Blackpool’s Rigby Road Depot and the Kingsway Tram Subway in London have been recognised by these latest “Red Wheels” and join over 150 other sites across the country.
The “Red Wheel” scheme is the National Transport Trust’s answer to English Heritage’s “Blue Plaque” scheme with the obvious difference being that rather than recognising significant people in history they are all about important sites of transport heritage.
So far in 2023, there have been three new “Red Wheels” erected and two of them are tram related!
The first came on 31st January and saw the historic Kingsway Tram Subway recognised. The citation for the award said “Northern end of a cross-London tram link showing, between the tracks, the unusual conduit power supply”.
This was followed on 10th March 2023 by Rigby Road Depot in Blackpool with the National Transport Trust saying “Built 1935 to house a fleet of contemporary trams – many double deck. Unique in still being used for the housing, maintenance and operation of the same heritage fleet.”
For interest the third of 2023 is in Edinburgh at the site of Granton Gas Works Station.
Trams are no stranger to “Red Wheels” with Birkenhead Street Tramway at Hamilton Square, Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, Great Orme Tramway, Heaton Park Tramway Siding, Manx Electric Railway, Crich Tramway Village, Queens Road Tram Depot in Manchester (not the Metrolink one!), Snaefell Mountain Railway, Stoneygate Tram Depot in Leicester and Volk’s Electric Railway amongst those recognised.
- Full details about the scheme are available on the National Transport Trust website at https://www.nationaltransporttrust.org.uk/red-wheels