We return to Blackpool for the next set of images in “Picture in Time”. These were all taken in January 1979 just after the Fylde Coast had been hit by some snowfall.
We’re in the centre of Fleetwood for this photo and not many motor vehicles have yet disturbed the snow as OMO 3 negotiates the curves of Albert Square on its way to Fleetwood Ferry. The shop outside which the W.H. Smith lorry is parked was the company’s Fleetwood wholesale premises. Although that has long gone, there is now a W.H. Smith Local retail shop, also housing a post office, at the other end of Lord Street close to the Fisherman’s Walk stop. In 1979 the Cowens Butchers sign on the Adelaide Street side of the shop looked new. Amazingly this was still in situ until very recently, though much the worse for wear and without a butcher to advertise. Despite the shop-front adverts for Agfa, this photo was taken on Kodachrome.
OMO 3 was just over three years old by the time this photo was taken (or nearly 45 years old if you take into account its previous life as a first series English Electric Railcoach). Less than three months later and it would receive a pantograph and would remain in service until January 1987. Scrapping came just five months later.
Photograph by Donald Brooks, 29th January 1979
Correction:
omo car 3 was 7 years old by 1979 when this photograph was taken. It was one of four that entered service in 1972 at the commencement of the one man operation of the tramway.
I remember them when they first appeared. The original livery was, to say the least, both different & startling!
What a super shot: not just OMO 3, but much interesting background detail. Thank you.
I often thought that OMO 3 must have been rushed through production into service for driver training – it still retained half of the original Railcoach bulkhead either side of the centre exits, rather than the new style found in the other OMO cars. It later sported an early type of pantograph and also regained the original style leaf spring suspension towards the end of its operating life.