As most people reading this website will probably be aware, the East Anglia Transport Museum at Carlton Colville are currently embarking on a major expansion of their site following the acquisition of additional land. With an extension of the East Suffolk Light Railway having taken place the other major project to have been undertaken so far is the construction of a new tram depot – and that is the focus of this latest article.
The structure of the depot – known as the west tram depot – has been erected over the past year and with this completed, trams started to move in last December. At that time they were only stabled on a single track within the depot but recently they have also been moved to the second track – although this isn’t a sign that all the trackwork on the approach to the depot is complete as the moves have taken place sideways.
The depot now houses three and a half trams. This includes the three recent arrivals from Blackpool – Brush Cars 290 and 625 and Balloon Car 726 – as well as the top deck of Glasgow 488. The lower deck of 488 remains stored off site for the present.
Sheffield 513 had, for a time, also been resident in this depot but it has now moved back to the main shed and is being prepared for a return to service – its first use in 2023 – with it on the roster of planned output for May.
The top deck of Glasgow 488 is now on the left hand track having previously been stored under tarpaulins outside the building. Brush 290 and Balloon 726 are still seen on the other track. You can see that work has taken place on the Brush Car.
Another look inside the depot and this time we can see that behind 488 is the other Brush Car on site – 625. (Both Photographs by Tim Major, 21st April 2023)