The planned mini-event at Beamish Museum, starring the four Blackpool trams currently on site, is now expected to take place on the weekend of Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd March. This is likely to be the only such opportunity to see and ride on four Blackpool cars at this museum in 2014, as Marton Box 31 is due to move to Heaton Park in exchange for Stockport 5 before the next major transport event.
As well as 31, the event should feature visiting tramcars, Pantograph 167 (on loan from Crich Tramway Village ahead of an upcoming visit to Blackpool for the summer season) and Railcoach 280 (owned by the Manchester Transport Museum Society), as well as Balloon 703 which is of course masquerading as Sunderland 101. This will be the first of several weekends of enhanced transport activity at Beamish, due to take place on the first full weekend of each month. Full details of this special mini-gala have not been announced, but the chance to enjoy four contrasting Blackpool trams at this fantastic museum should be enough to encourage many extra visitors to attend on 1st and 2nd March.
Will 167 and 280 still run at Beamish when Stockport 5 visits?
Yes that’s the plan! There should be a few weeks when all three are present to co-incide with the April transport event. However, 31 will be at Heaton Park by then so there will be no chance of a four-car service using solely Blackpool trams, hence the March event.
Beamish now reporting on their website that they have purchased Sunderland 101 / Blackpool 703 which will therefore now be remaining at Beamish.