Earlier this week we reported on how the Fylde Transport Trust’s Blackpool Brush Car 634 was on its way to the East Anglia Transport Museum but if that excitement wasn’t enough it can also be reported that they have a second delivery to the museum this week. That delivery is of the lower deck of Glasgow 488 with it now being reunited with its upper deck.
Glasgow 488 has been back in the UK for 10 years now having been repatriated from France in March 2013 having originally headed across the English Channel in November 1961. Upon arriving back in the UK the two decks of the tram were transported to the Ffestiniog Railway in Wales where it was intended to complete the restoration of 488. Plans changed and so the two decks of the tram were moved across the UK to Suffolk – the lower deck was moved in August 2021 (off site storage) and it was followed in March 2022 by the upper deck which has been on site at the East Anglia Transport Museum for a while.
The lower deck and upper deck and now back in the same location for the first time in over two years but remain separate entities for now. Both are currently stored in the West Tram Depot (the newer structure which has been built as part of the expansion of the museum) where they can call Blackpool Brush Cars 290 and 625, Balloon 726 and Amsterdam 474 (which has been moved there for the first time) stablemates.
Blackpool Brush 634 is currently stabled at the original tram depot where it has already had attention since arriving in Suffolk on Tuesday 14th November. The lighting circuits have been tested along with the compressor circuit and all, so far, seems to have gone well.
634 seen at the tracks at the East Anglia Transport Museum after arrival on 14th November 2023.
Tucked up inside the depot where it has fellow Blackpool car, Standard 159 for company.
Inside the West Depot with the lower deck of Glasgow 488 now in situ. Sitting on its truck the lower deck is in front of the upper deck which requires restoration and sits on an accommodation truck.
Amsterdam 474 has also made its first visit to the new depot. Its seen here just outside the building whilst work takes place inside. (All Photographs by Tim Major)
Very glad to see all looks good. Whilst the collection is varied as to vehicle types it might need a bit of repainting into replicas of different liveries as with Sunderland impersonator of the Binns livery just to give the “public” a choice.
When in the fullness of time Glassgow can be represented by a different style again it will give some scope to do much more restoration work and still attract a repeat visitor from further away.
The home fleet there is looking very tired unfortunately to . Blackpool 159 has kept going for decades now with quick body repairs along with London 1858 and Amsterdam 474 .
I thought 634 was supposed to be in it’s Coral Island Terror Train livery? It’s nothing like it! Tons of signwriting is totally missing. Was this a half hearted attempt by Blackpool Heritage Tours to paint a tram for their ghost tours? Hopefully the team at The EATM will put things right and either complete the livery properly (including changing ‘TRAM’ back to ‘TRAIN’) or even better, repaint it back into green & cream fleet livery.
When Sunderland 100 from Crich was painted blue and white as an advert for it’s sponsors British Steel a good many years ago all hell broke loose in the enthusiast community about the non-authentic livery. Now nobody even seems to notice a very similar abomonation.
It was only ever billed as “in the style of” or “an approximation of” the Terror Train advert. It would never be allowable to include elements which would infringe Coral Islands trademarks and copyright without prior permission.
What EATM do with it will be prescribed in the loan agreement with the FTT (NOT BHTT or BTS)…
abomonation?
Bit strong
The tram was not painted to represent its former advert livery, but instead a new advert loosely based on its former livery for a project which sadly did not happen. This was covered in several posts here on BTO at the time, and that is probably the reason the main enthusiast body does not compare to the original advert livery.
The tram belongs to the FTT, it is only on loan to EATM and therefore it is our decision on what livery the tram carries. We are more than happy to discuss if you wish to sponsor a repaint into the livery of your choice, you can contact us tgrough our web page, Facebook page or via BTO.