Following the completion of works on the road junction at Manchester Square in Blackpool after months of chaos, it had been hoped that the disruption affecting access by trams to and from the Rigby Road site was at an end. However, this was not to be! It may be remembered that trams had to be guided through the work site for several months and this resulted in the heritage fleet being stabled at Starr Gate for quite some time earlier in the year, finally moving back to their normal home during the summer.
It is understood that problems were experienced with the traffic control signals at Manchester Square on Friday 31st October (maybe some Halloween spirits were playing tricks!?). With safety being the main concern, a decision was made at some point to transfer all of the trams required for illumination tour duties over the busy weekend, which of course co-incided with the end of the school half-term break, to Starr Gate depot. On Friday 31st October and Saturday 1st November, five different trams were used on tours, comprising Twin set 272+T2, Balloons 701 and 717, Frigate 736 and the Western Train 733+734. Standard 147 was also temporarily re-located to allow its use for a pre-booked private charter on the afternoon of Sunday 2nd November, and it then came back out in the evening when it worked two illumination tours.
Unfortunately, having the tour cars based at Starr Gate created a large amount of ‘dead mileage’ with the trams first having to travel to Foxhall where they would reverse and run empty to collect their passengers on the Pleasure Beach loops. At the end of a shift, cars once again had to run empty to the Foxhall to cross over before heading back to Starr Gate. However, this inconvenience was the only option available other than cancelling all tours on one of the busiest weekends of the tramway year and therefore Blackpool Transport undoubtedly made the right choice. Once again, the determination to ensure that the heritage fleet were able to strut their stuff on the promenade was clear for all to see and there can be no doubt in anyone’s minds after the events of 2014 that the company is extremely dedicated to the operation of its vintage trams for the enjoyment of the public. Well done Blackpool Transport and a special thanks to the staff involved in making the transfer of trams to Starr Gate possible at very short notice – however, we do hope that this won’t happen again anytime soon and that things will run much more smoothly for the operation in 2015!