Topless tours of Blackpool illuminations

After just three evenings of operation for Blackpool Transport’s illumination tours by heritage tramcar, a very credible five different vehicles have already been selected for use in this role, with two open top cars joining the familiar illuminated trams thanks to fine weather.

Firstly, however, an apology: on Sunday 1st September, the first illumination tour of 2013 was performed by the illuminated Trawler 737, which began its tour facing backwards, subsequently reversing at Bispham so that it could get back to Pleasure Beach in time to operate a second tour that night. This duty should have been worked by a heritage tram as we previously pointed out, but it has been learned that 737 was used because Standard 147 failed just before leaving the depot. Open cars were reportedly available but were not considered for use due to a bitterly cold wind, and no other heritage tram could be prepared for use at such short notice, and so 737 was sent out as a last minute substitute. This was a totally understandable decision under the circumstances and since then, heritage cars have been allocated to the first tour each evening as planned. This will continue for around the first two weeks of the ‘lights’ season, until it gets dark early enough for the first tram out to fit in two full-length tours before the illuminations are turned off, although vintage trams will continue to see use on Friday and Saturday nights.

So, on Monday 2nd September, open top Balloon ‘Princess Alice’ 706 became the first non-feature car to complete an illuminations tour in 2013. Notably, this is believed to have been the first time that 706 has been out after dark since its brief visit to the Heaton Park Tramway in 2010! The choice of car proved to be a good one, as the ever-popular 706 attracted a full top deck load of passengers eager to get an unrestricted view of the illuminations. This was a welcome return to a familiar role for this tram having been noticeably absent during the 2011 season, whilst it also failed to run at all during the 2012 illuminations, after suffering various defects earlier in the year.

Even better, on Tuesday 3rd September, newly repainted Open Boat 227 (ex-602) was the first tour car to leave depot, and as expected, it performed two tours thanks to this being a particularly mild evening. Boats on illumination tours have been extremely rare for the past few years, making 227‘s appearance all the more welcome, and as with 706 the previous day it proved to be a people magnet as usual. This was of course only its third outing since being painted red and cream, and the immaculate tram looked stunning as it travelled along the promenade with twinkling lights along the roadway providing a uniquely Blackpool backdrop.

Hopefully the illumination tours will continue to be a great success, creating further employment for the heritage trams and helping to further justify the efforts and expense invested in their preservation.