No sooner did we publish our article earlier in the week to say that more trams had entered service at the Crich Tramway Village for the first time in 2023 (which took us up to nine for the year) then another couple do the same! The latest trams to join the 2023 operating fleet are Blackpool 630 and London United Tramways 159.
The first of these to enter service was Blackpool 630 which was allocated to the three tram service on Wednesday 5th April. The single deck Brush Railcoach becomes the third tram from Blackpool to run this year, making that system the most represented in the current operating system. Its also the fourth single decker to be used.
Then on Thursday 6th April it was the turn of London United Tramways 159 to be used (and it was also running the following day, with Crich open on Good Friday). As with 630, 159 had been used in 2022 but this was its first use of the year with some nice spring weather finally seeming to arrive in the Derbyshire countryside.
The 11 trams to be used this year so far are Glasgow 22, Sheffield 74, London United Tramways 159, Blackpool 167, Leeds 180, Blackpool 236, Oporto 273, Leeds 399, Sheffield 510, Blackpool 630 and Liverpool 869.
London United Tramways 159 on its first passenger use of 2023 as it heads down to Town End. (Photograph by Dave Bickley, 6th April 2023)