Its another edition of “Picture in Time” and in this edition we are off to the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley.
Trams have now not run at the Black Country Living Museum for many years with major expansion works meaning it hasn’t been possible, and there seems to be no sign of their return in the near future. In fact the next tram to operate in Dudley is likely to be on the West Midlands Metro when that extension opens to the public at some point – the line does provide access to the museum.
If the trams do ever return to the museum then the below photo shows one which certainly won’t be operating – as its standard gauge and the tramway is the regular Black Country gauge of 3’6”. This is Wolverhampton Tramways Company 23, an 1892 built double deck horse tram constructed at Loughborough.
After withdrawal it was sold on for use as a summerhouse in Bridgnorth. It was subsequently rescued for preservation in 1973 and is now stored undercover at the Black Country Living Museum as seen in the below image.
Photograph by John Moore, 27th July 2014