The annual Wirral Bus & Tram Show was held at Birkenhead on Sunday 6th October, and was blessed by fine weather, prompting many transport enthusiasts to visit the Birkenhead tramway to enjoy the attraction’s best event of the year. As well as the usual intensive tram service, there was a lot more on offer with static displays of assorted vintage vehicles, and historic buses giving rides around the local area.
The day did start with one minor disappointment; due to a compressor defect which only arose a few days earlier, Birkenhead 20 is presently out of service. Despite efforts to repair it, this sadly proved impossible to fix in time for the event and so the car’s role was reduced to that of a static exhibit, stabled on the siding at Taylor Street depot alongside a Guy tower wagon. However, the other three operational tramcars owned and restored by the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society – Liverpool 762, Wallasey 78 and Lisbon 730 – were all used in service throughout the day, along with Hong Kong car 69 which was added to the line-up as a late substitute for 20, giving plenty of variety for passengers. Indeed, sister car 70 was the only serviceable tram not to run on this day, and it stayed inside Taylor Street depot, in the company of both ongoing restoration projects, Warrington 2 and Liverpool 245. Meanwhile, the other storage shed at Pacific Road was occupied by non-operational cars, Liverpool 43 and Blackpool 626, although unlike last year the doors were opened sufficiently to allow visitors to glimpse both cars.
Although the format of this event tends not to differ much over the years, the Bus & Tram Show is always a good day out and was enjoyed very much by those who attended. Next year’s event will hopefully be boosted as Liverpool ‘Baby Grand’ 245 is expected to be in service by then, which should add a welcome new dimension and ensure that the 2014 event is likely to be Birkenhead’s best for several years.