As we enter our birthday celebration month – 1st December is the date that British Trams Online was originally launched, and this year marks our 23rd anniversary! – we will be bringing you more content with several photo series running. The first (of three) of these series has a very simple concept – we start at the number 1 and go through sequentially featuring a photo of a tram with that number! Like all of our photo series its just an excuse to use more of the photos in our collection!
It will come as no surprise to you all that there were many choices for number 1. With most tramways starting their number sequence at 1, and many examples entering preservation, we almost had our pick of whatever we liked! We have settled on London County Council 1 – Bluebird – a tram which has been back running at Crich for the past couple of seasons after a major and expensive restoration. Built in 1932, it was intended to show what modern trams could look like but would end up being a false dawn and would end its life as a unique prototype. After withdrawal in London it would finish its operating career in Leeds and then entered preservation. It would remain a static exhibit until funding from the London County Council Tramways Trust saw it enter Crich’s workshops in 2014. Completed in time for a launch in September 2024 it looked as if it may miss the 2025 season but the issues that prevented it being commissioned originally were soon resolved and it would run again after all. In this photo we see 1 at work during Tram Weekend on 14th September 2025. In damp conditions its just about to come under Bowes Lyon Bridge at Crich with a trip up the line to Glory Mine. (Photograph by Gareth Prior, 14th September 2025)