Oldham 43 had a date with destiny – and a low loader – on Tuesday 17th June, when the unrestored tram body was finally delivered to a new permanent home at Manchester’s Heaton Park Tramway. This followed several months of extensive planning by members of the Manchester Transport Museum Society and discussions with haulage firm Gillespie’s, which resulted in the operation going ahead very smoothly on the day.
As has been reported on this website before, the derelict body of Oldham 43 has been languishing on a farm for around sixty years. That all changed early on the morning of June 17th, when the tram was craned onto a short lorry and transported to Heaton Park. This required some foliage and debris to be cleared away from the site occupied by the tram, so that the wagon could gain access. Once all the surrounding tree branches were removed, lifting chains were then lowered in through the roof of the tram before being threaded through the wheel arches and fastened. It was also necessary to remove a damaged window from the car, but otherwise the loading process passed without incident and the latest addition to the MTMS fleet arrived at Heaton Park at about 10:30am. A mini shunt had taken place there in anticipation of its arrival, with Blackpool Balloon car 702 moved onto the siding at the old Lakeside terminus, which had until recently been covered up by storage containers. Appropriately, 702 was propelled into this unfamiliar territory by fellow Blackpool car 623 which was of course displayed along with the Balloon at Trafford Park following initial departure from Blackpool back in 2010.
On its arrival at Heaton Park, the lorry was driven up to the Lakeside area carrying its precious cargo. Once in position at the road crossing close to the new tramway terminus, 43 was gently lifted off the vehicle using a vehicle-mounted crane, and lowered onto a waiting accommodation truck which had been prepared for it. Once secured, the tram was then moved cautiously to the back of the centre road in the new tram depot, with 702 later being placed in front. It has now been sheeted over with tarpaulins and will be left to dry out for the time being.
All of this means that Heaton Park now have another valuable addition to its unique collection of Manchester area trams, and for the first time ever an Oldham tramcar can now be considered to be officially preserved. It is now expected that some work will be undertaken to conserve the remains of 43 to ensure that it does not continue to deteriorate, but in the longer term it is planned to carry out a full restoration to enable this unique survivor to carry passengers again. Naturally any such project should be viewed as a long-term plan and will cost a very large sum of money, but to ensure the survival of this tram is a fantastic achievement for which the MTMS must be applauded. It is hoped that 43 will be able to be displayed to the public at the tramway’s next major event, a centenary celebration for Manchester 765 which is being held on 6th July.
Oldham 43 is lifted from the lorry which transported it to the sanctuary of Heaton Park. Note the Heaton Park Tramway logo in the centre window bay, leaving no confusion as to its ultimate destination!
Oldham 43's body mounted on the specially prepared accommodation truck being used to make it mobile. This view gives a good indication of the extent of work that will be needed to restore this tram to operating condition.
43 is seen safely inside its new home, the Lakeside Depot, alongside Manchester 173, a tram which resembles 43 in its original form, although ultimately it will be restored in a later guise as an enclosed single decker.
Blackpool Balloon 702 and Brush car 623 pose together at the old Lakeside terminus as 43 is unloaded, with 702 occupying the siding for the first time ever. (Photos x 4 by Joe Savage)
Great News, Looking forward to see Oldham 43 next time I am at Heaton Park.
Many more pictures available from 43’s big day on the Heaton Park Tramway facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HeatonParkTramway?ref_type=bookmark.
When does a tram fully restored from the condition this one is in, become a replica tram? It seems to be a bit like the old question when a broom has its handle replaced and later its brush replaced, and so on is it still the same broom?
I think with railway locomotives it is the frames which are considered the original, but once these are replaced the locomotive becomes a different one.
But how does it work with trams?
If it was truly the frames that counted for a steam loco, certainly the Flying Scotsman is on your terms a replica and as for anything that ever passed through Swindon works – who knows what the true identity of an individual loco is!!
I think that so long as as much original material as is salvigable is reused, it can be considered to be the same vehicle and classed as a restoration rather than a new build.