One of the least well-known preserved trams to be found in the British Isles must surely be Lytham 43, which is the sole survivor of this system still in existence today. The remains of the lower deck of this tramcar exist in dismantled form in private ownership, and efforts are now being made to restore them for possible future display.
A brand new underframe has recently been constructed on which the reconstructed lower deck will ultimately be placed upon once the kit of parts which are currently in storage have been put back together. The new frame is to be mounted upon the chassis from a caravan trailer; whilst this obviously means that it will not be a working tram in the conventional sense, it should be possible for it to be moved around easily and this could allow it to be taken to various rallies and other events to be displayed.
This most ambitious project is being undertaken by the owner of the tram and is therefore likely to take a considerable amount of time to complete, but the great efforts being made to recreate a Lytham tram from the fairly minimal amount of parts that survive deserve full praise and hopefully one day, the fruits of their labours will become a very valuable addition to the ranks of trams from the Fylde coast which are preserved at various locations in the UK and further afield.
There’s also a Lytham Gas tram at Cefn Coed Colliery Museum near Neath
Of course – I’d forgotten that one! Well remembered. I should probably have said the last surviving electric Lytham tram!
Hopefully this work will conserve 43’s remains as there is enough, bodywise, to recreate it – others have been rebuilt from less! That said a suitable low slung truck would be hard to find.
There was for many years until the mid 1970s a grounded cross bench body as a bus shelter at Green Drive bus terminus.
Any chance of a photograph or an entry in lost trams?