Work on the restoration of the Illuminated Western Train 733+734 is near completion, according to a Press Release from Blackpool Transport this week. Read on for the full and unabridged release, which doesn’t actually give any major updates as to the progress of the restoration just to say it is on schedule.
The Western Train is the biggest and most spectacular illuminated tram ever operated in Blackpool. It was originally built in 1962 from life-expired trams and had an anticipated life of ten years, yet it managed to soldier on until being withdrawn in 1999. Over the past two years we have been rebuilding the Western Train within our workshops with the help of a £278,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and it should be back on our tracks on schedule in summer 2009. One of our aims with the Western Train rebuild is to let the young people of the Fylde experience Blackpool’s remarkable heritage first hand and we are working with education experts on projects that link to different stages of the National Curriculum. We will also be encouraging school parties to use the Western Train on visits to Blackpool, to see some of the overstated zest which has long made the town unique.
Source: Blackpool Transport