Gateshead 52 returns to the North East

Gateshead 52 made its long-awaited return to the North East of England on Tuesday 7th January 2014, after more than five decades of storage in Derbyshire. Ownership of the car has now been transferred from the National Tramway Museum to Beamish Museum following a special resolution approved by Tramway Museum Society members in 2012, and on this day the remains of the tram finally touched down at Beamish.

52 has undoubtedly been one of the most neglected tramcars in the national collection. After standing outside in the early years of the Crich museum site, it was moved to the TMS Clay Cross store in 1970 and remained there ever since. Sadly the tram was a victim of a severe fire which affected the building several years ago, and the result is that this once near complete tram is now little more than a shell. However, an expression of interest by Beamish Museum in acquiring the remains of Gateshead 52 allowed the tram to gain a brighter future, and hopefully in the not too distant future, this derelict wreck will be completely rebuilt, giving the museum another local tram to add to its collection.

Initial preparations for the big move included fitting additional bracing to 52, to stabilise the main body structure so that it could be moved safely. After some other tram bodies were moved out of the way, 52 was carefully extracted from its long-term resting place in the final days of 2013, before heading to a top secret temporary storage site. In the New Year, it was on to Beamish with 52 being safely delivered at its new home on the morning of January 7th by Scotts Heavy Haulage.

The task of restoring the tram to operational condition will be long and costly, but it is fantastic to see this tram given another chance to rise from the ashes and put its tragic past behind it. Incidentally, no final decision has yet been taken as to how the car will ultimately be restored. The idea of returning it to its early unvestibuled condition is certainly appealing, although the later, fully enclosed condition would probably be a more popular choice for tram crews, particularly in winter!

Both the TMS and Beamish deserve considerable praise for working together to offer this tram a more prosperous future, whilst also cementing the excellent working relationship that already exists between these two museums. 2014 seems to be a year of increased co-operation between the TMS and other organisations, and hopefully 52‘s move to Beamish is just the start of this. Watch this space!

Seen shortly after arrival at Beamish, the remains of Gateshead 52 certainly present a very sorry sight. The tram is currently stored near the Town, pending the creation of space for it inside the main tram depot. (Photo courtesy of the Beamish Transport & Industry Blog)

 

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