Do you want to rent-a-tram?

The Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust have come up with a rather bizarre new scheme in their latest attempt to safeguard the futures of their collection of historic Blackpool trams. Following previous projects involving trams being painted in novel liveries, attention has now been turned to Centenary car 641 which is being offered as an unusual item for hire!

Towards the end of its working life in Blackpool, 641 was painted in a bright orange livery, adorned with slogans promoting Blackpool Football Club. It is this connection that its custodians have decided to capitalise on, by advertising to fans of the local football team that the tram is now available to hire for special events. Having been stored outside at Kirkham Prison since departing its home system in 2012, 641 is not considered serviceable at present, so a period of operation at another tramway is presumably out of the question, but instead the car is being offered for use as an unusual static display to promote the local team. The cost of hiring 641 for the day is reportedly a cool £2,200 – although this is probably a fair price as it would include the costs of transporting the tram to an event from its current location. The idea is seemingly to use the car at any events connected with Blackpool F.C. although whether anyone is actually willing to take the FHLT up on this unusual offer remains to be seen. It will also be interesting to see, if 641 is rented out in the future, whether or not it will be permitted to return to the prison, or if an alternative home will have to be found for the tram.

Whether or not this particular idea will signal an improvement in the fortunes of the pioneer Centenary car, only time will tell, although it would appear that the tram will be retaining its plain orange colour scheme for the foreseeable future so as to potentially cash in on the appeal it has in this guise.

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1 Response to Do you want to rent-a-tram?

  1. JOHN says:

    The question is, do FHLT not need permission from Blackpool Football Club if they are trrying to hire it as an ‘associated’ product?

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