The very short closed season at the Seaton Tramway has already reached its end as trams were running once again in time for the February half-term (there are only around six weeks between the end of the 2024 season’s Christmas/New Year running and the start of operation for 2025). It also marked the end of a short period where no heritage trams were running in service anywhere in the British Isles with the normal all year-round operation at Beamish suspended for work at the start of 2025. And with the Seaton Tramway back running and the release of another newsletter details of which trams ran during February have also been given.
February – which only saw operation during the February half-term week and at weekends since then – saw seven different passenger trams in operation. Whilst its probably no surprise that the most used tram was a fully enclosed vehicle, there was also plenty of use of the workhorses of the fleet, the “new” open toppers.
16 was the tram which saw the most use with 320 miles covered by the ex-Bournemouth enclosed saloon but the second most used tram was 9 (which does at least have an enclosed lower deck following its modifications in 2023) which covered 270 miles.
Winter maintenance has been continuing on the trams during the month which meant that 12 and 14 were not available for service (although 12 has since entered service as March started). 2, 4 and 8 were also not used.
The miles covered were:
16 – 320 miles
9 – 270 miles
15 – 252 miles
10 – 216 miles
11 – 96 miles
19 – 60 miles
6 – 48 miles
Works Car 02 also remains out of use still undergoing its overhaul which we’ve previously reported on. That is the first major work on the vital tram for a long time and it will end up with the tram looking very different to the casual observer. For a long-time the tram has been in a works grey livery but the latest newsletter has teased a new colour with 02 seeming to be enjoying a repaint into a bright yellow, more in keeping with modern engineering vehicles.
Trackwork has also been continuing with work taking place at the north end of Colyton Station (that’s the part at the far end of the station where trams usually terminate before reversing) to relay both the points and track.