Its that time of the year again – Illuminations season in Blackpool! This year sees a revised pattern of Heritage Tram Tours Illumination tours with a reduced output due to run on selected days of the week but it won’t just be the public tours that see heritage trams out under the lights as its not uncommon to see Private Hires during the Illuminations as well.
Indeed the first Private Hire of the Illumination season actually took place before the illuminations were officially switched on! On Thursday 29th August there was a hire for the British County Music Festival which was being held at the Winter Gardens over switch-on weekend. With live music being played on board during the tour the Frigate and Balloon 700 were used for this hire, becoming the first trams on tours whilst the lights shone for this season but not for 2024 as of course the illuminations now continue until January.
For several years now switch on night itself (which was Friday 30th August) doesn’t see any Illumination Tours and with the Tower Headland used it also means the dreaded split tram service operates. This saw trams running from Starr Gate to Manchester Square and North Pier to Fleetwood Ferry with no service running either between Manchester Square and North Pier or up to North Station. This was in place from 1500 onwards.
Then Saturday 31St August saw the start of Illumination Tours and both commissioned feature cars were used – the Western Train and the Frigate. This was the first use of the Western Train in service since last December when it suffered a fault, missed the rest of the Illuminations and then had to be towed back from Starr Gate to Rigby Road.
Illumination Tours will now take place every week until Sunday 5th January 2025. Currently only tours with the Western Train and the Frigate are advertised with both out Fridays-Sundays and only one on other days of the week (except for the October half-term when both are out all nights). In September there are only tours Wednesday to Sunday (except 7th and 21st owing to the Fireworks), October sees nightly tours (except 5th October for more Fireworks) before November and December revert to Wednesday to Sunday.
Illumination Tours can be booked in advance at https://blackpoolheritage.com/illuminations-tours/.
Balloon 700 heads along the Promenade with a southbound Private Hire.
And its soon followed by the Frigate. (Photographs x2 by Steven Hughes, 29th August 2024)
No way through at North Pier for 017 with barriers warning the driver not to go any further.
Having terminated, 008 now uses the crossover at North Pier to return to Fleetwood Ferry.
At the other end of the split we see 012 uses the Foxhall crossover to return to Manchester Square and form the next service to Starr Gate. (Photographs x3 by Steven Hughes, 30th August 2024)
First night of Illumination Tours and the Frigate has just come off the loop at Pleasure Beach at the start of a tour.
The Western Train was also out and is seen here heading back south through Lowther Avenue.
It was also the first day of the new tram timetable which sees improved frequencies in the evening, although no service for North Station after 1900. 014 at Pleasure Beach with one of the Little Bispham services. (Photographs x3 by Steven Hughes, 31st August 2024)
Whatever has happened to the Trawler?
Available as a backup, but with limited space at Starr Gate, naturally the two larger capacity illuminated cars are preferred.
Its at Rigby Road. The operating heritage fleet are still based at Starr Gate depot, with one or two sometimes stabled on the depot fan at Rigby Road (usually B Fleet cars) – anything inside the old depot is effectively mothballed for now.
The main Heritage Depot at Rigby Road is closed while awaiting a structural survey and a Major Restoration, so the Heritage Operation is running a Skeleton Operation from Starr Gate with a limited pool of Trams for the foreseeable future
Unfortunately, this survey is yet to be completed (At least, to my knowledge) and given the state of Rigby Road, these restoration works will have to start as soon as possible so I highly doubt that we’ll see the full Heritage Operation return until some time in 2026 at the very earliest (with a possibility that it may not return until 2027, or even at all)
Now we all know; an absence of much activity at Rigby Road this past year. I doubt that some of the older generation (myself included) will see any of these mothballed trams at all in the near (or distant?) future. It is a pity that all the up-beat and positive signs about the future visitor centre are nothing more than just that – signs. As a long standing member of the FTS, I cannot see any future interest for those who support and love the Blackpool Trams (the old fleet). I know that several like minded supporters of the tramway are dismayed at the present situation, with no attempt to work on trams which have received (or have been promised) large sums of money from a number of sources. Fond memories remain however-sadly, just memories.
Well said in these latter two email: nothing but broken promises and a load of hot air which is of no use to either our type of Balloons or indeed any other beloved heritage tram!