Three repaints in three years for Blackpool 290

Having spent just over a year in a controversial graffiti art livery, preserved Blackpool Brush Railcoach 290 is set for yet another makeover courtesy of its owners, the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust. Having initially been outshopped in a white and gold livery for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee two years ago before the graffiti was applied, the tram now looks set to regain some dignity with a fresh coat of green and cream paint.

A coat of grey primer is currently in the latter stages of being applied to 290‘s exterior, before the tram is completed in a recreation of one of its former green and cream liveries. Indeed, the trolley tower has already been repainted green with the roof expected to follow imminently. This is especially appropriate in the year that approval was given for the construction of an extension from the promenade tramway through to North Station, as 290 was of course the last service tram to run on the old North Station route, and it is hoped that this repaint will be used to emphasise its role in tramway history as the Blackpool system looks towards the future. One compromise is expected to be the windows, which were spray-painted gold when the tram became a street art installation last summer. As restoring a fully authentic appearance after this would be impractical, it is anticipated that the saloon windows will be covered with adverts instead, although this should still represent a vast improvement in appearance for the tram after over a year adorned with a giant blue-haired woman painted by the apparently respected graffiti artist known as Inkie.

Unfortunately, 290 looks set to remain exposed to the elements for a while yet as there are still no plans to remove it from its current location at the Pleasure Beach, where it has stood since August 2012; its destination ‘Fleetwood Tram Museum 2014’ having proved too optimistic! During this time the tram has visibly suffered badly at the mercy of the harsh coastal climate, with its lifeguards having become detached more than once and various parts of the bodywork rusting. Hopefully, unlike the last time it was repainted, the bodywork will be rubbed down and prepared properly, otherwise any accumulated dirt and rust will be trapped beneath another layer of paint, which will do the tram no good at all in the long term. However, the fresh paintwork should at least acknowledge the historic value of the tram, and should create a much more attractive static display in time for the 2014 illuminations season.

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1 Response to Three repaints in three years for Blackpool 290

  1. David L says:

    There were 3 people painting it this afternoon.

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