In this pictorial article we take a visit to Crich to view some of the trams running in service on a Sunday during October as well as peeping into the Workshop where more progress has been made on the restoration of Blackpool 298. Keith Chadbourne is our photographer.
These photos were taken on 15th October 2023 with a standard three tram service in operation. This saw two Blackpool trams and a Leeds car in operation featuring Blackpool 40, Leeds 180 and Blackpool 630. 40 had only returned to service a few days earlier.
Stephenson Place with Leeds 180 and Blackpool 40 waiting for their next duties.
Passengers patiently wait to board 180 at Town End.
This shows Blackpool 630 at Stephenson Place.
Leeds 180 pulls away from Town End and passes Blackpool 630.
Taken from the Workshop Viewing Gallery we look down to Blackpool 298. The next major restoration project work is now well underway and as can be seen here the wooden body framework is now starting to take shape. (All Photographs by Keith Chadbourne, 15th October 2023)
I do hope that when 298 is operational 630 remains in the operational fleet.
It’s not the most exciting tram but it would be nice to ride both to compare and contrast the difference 60 years makes.
That would be nice, in an ideal world such a contrast would exist at Blackpool but as they don’t seem to care about historical accuracy – hence the abomination that is 631! – a museum environment is likely to be the only place we can see Blackpool trams of the same class representing ‘as built’ and ‘final modernised’ conditions.
That said, I do hope that the operating fleet at Crich doesn’t become too dominated by ‘modern’ Blackpool trams. I can’t imagine many members of the general public would be too impressed if they turned up to find a three car service operated by 630, 645 & 762!
abomination?
I would hope that they would keep a variety in the type of trams running in their daily service. I would also be a bit disappointed if the 2 trams running were 630 and 762.