A bumper Bank Holiday for Blackpool’s heritage trams

Blackpool’s heritage tram fleet enjoyed their final spell of daytime operation during 2014 over the August Bank Holiday weekend, with a very credible total of eleven different historic trams appearing in traffic over the three action-packed days. This included the year debuts for both Boat 227 and Balloon 701 following workshop attention, with the latter showing off its fresh coat of red and white paint – but for many, the highlight of the weekend was the welcome return to service of Coronation car 304 on the Monday afternoon.

Saturday 23rd August’s theme of ‘Bank Holiday Boating’ was almost scuppered by the weather with heavy rain in the morning, but thankfully this cleared just in time for the morning Fleetwood tour featuring Boat cars 227 and 230, and miraculously the sun shone for the rest of the day! Pioneer Boat car 600 also came out at lunchtime meaning that all three Boats remaining in Blackpool were in service together and there were a number of opportunities to photograph the trio during the course of the day. Also out was the unique open top Balloon ‘Princess Alice’ 706 which worked the late afternoon Fleetwood tour, with passengers unusually permitted to stay on board for the run to Rigby Road depot on the return leg to offer a connection with an extra evening tour, utilising Pantograph car 167. This was to be 167‘s last full length tour before it returns to Crich and despite a £20 price tag there no shortage of takers for this special late tour, which took the visiting tramcar to both Starr Gate and Fleetwood, recreating scenes which would have been common some sixty years ago. This event went a long way towards funding the costs of transporting the car back to Crich and is likely to be followed by other similar add-on events in the future.

An innovate new approach was also introduced to the daytime heritage service on this day with three crews switching between the four heritage trams in service, and the fourth car being stabled at the Pleasure Beach, with the static tram being rotated throughout the day. This practice seemed to work well and could well be repeated on future running days if it meets with overall approval.

The focus switched to the Balloon cars on Sunday 24th August with another trip to Fleetwood by 706 in the morning, this time joined by the freshly painted 701. With the body panels requiring more preparatory work than anticipated before it could be repainted, the intricate lining out of its ‘Routemaster’ red and white livery is not yet complete but the tram still looked absolutely stunning in the morning sun and its appearance despite the delays to the work involved was very much appreciated. Completing the day’s initial line up were Balloons 700 and 717, with a fantastic line-up of Balloons in three totally different liveries being staged at Pleasure Beach, although some unexpected swapping later on in the day brought cars 167 and 227 out for the second day running and allowed the red Boat and red Balloon to be seen together.

All too soon it was the third and final day of the weekend’s events, made possible thanks to the financial support of an anonymous local businessman. Due to poor weather the heritage service was run solely by enclosed cars with 167 making another last run to Fleetwood in the morning, accompanied by Brush Railcoach 631. Other trams to appear over the course of the day were Balloons 701 and 717 whilst there was a rare appearance from Centenary car 648; however the undisputed star was Coronation 304 which was running with passengers at Blackpool for the first time in nearly four years! It was therefore no surprise that this car became a people magnet with several full standing loads observed. Such was the demand for the weekend’s grand finale – a run to Fleetwood by the Coronation car – that a second tram was added to provide extra capacity, with 701 being chosen to join 304 in bringing the curtain down on a very enjoyable weekend.

Although due to other commitments, neither of the British Trams Online team were able to attend on this occasion, all reports indicate that those who were in Blackpool for the weekend enjoyed it immensely. The success of the heritage tram tours has once again been boosted and hopefully this will continue throughout 2015 and beyond, with the reactivation of 304 after a few years in the wilderness in particular serving to remind us all that almost anything is possible on the Blackpool tramway!

Saturday 23rd August was very much about the Boats - and here the trio of 227, 230 and 600 are seen together at the Pleasure Beach in glorious sunshine.

The ever popular 706 was out on both the Saturday and Sunday. Here it is seen reversing at North Pier for another short promenade working.

Pantograph car 167 ran on all three days and is seen on arrival back at Rigby Road for the last time during its current visit on the Bank Holiday Monday. Unusually, passengers were allowed to stay on board to the depot giving added novelty value to the occasion.

1991 or 2014? Red and white Balloon 701 meets original liveried Centenary car 648 at Pleasure Beach on August 25th.

The return to service of Coronation 304 brought the weekend's excitement to a close and here the celebrity tram is seen terminating at Manchester Square with its final working of the weekend. (All photos by Bradley Jones)