2014 - Tram: Blackpool Pantograph 167, Light Rail Vehicle: Manchester Metrolink 1007, Tramway: Crich Tramway Village, Event: Crich Tramway Village - Electric 50 - details
2013 - Tram: Blackpool Boat 227, Tramway: Heaton Park Tramway, Event: Rejuvenation of Blackpool Heritage Service - details
2012 - Tram: Blackpool Brush 623, Tramway: Blackpool, Event: Glasgow 50 at Crich - details
2011 - Blackpool Marton VAMBAC 11
2010 - Liverpool 762
2009 - Blackpool Western Train 733+734
2008 - Blackpool Balloon 717
2007 - Blackpool Brush 623
2006 - Leeds 345
2005 - Trampower Tram
2004 - Blackpool Illuminated Frigate 736 & Nottingham Express Transit 203 (Joint winners)
2003 - Leeds 602
Click on the above trams for links to the relevant Tram of the Year pages

Blackpool & Fleetwood Box 40
2014 marked the centenary of Box car 40 and this co-incided with a well-deserved overhaul for the tram as a joint project between Blackpool Transport and the car's owners, the Tramway Museum Society. After a solitary appearance on its native tracks, car 40 then headed to Crich to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of electric tram operation there, operating at the museum for the first time since 1965, and the car was used extensively before returning to Blackpool at the end of the season. [AW]

Blackpool Pantograph 167
This tram has enjoyed an especially busy year, becoming only the second preserved tram in history to operate on three different systems in a single calendar year. After a three month stay at Beamish, 167 returned to Blackpool for a fourth time, duly becoming the first visiting tram ever to carry passengers on the upgraded system. Following its return to Crich, the car then participated in some of the main events of the year and its reliable performance at all of these locations ensured its inclusion on our shortlist. [AW]

Blackpool Coronation 304
After being withdrawn at the end of 2010 and subsequently placed in outside storage after a short visit to Beamish, the chances of seeing this tram running in Blackpool again seemed slim, particularly in view of the complexities of its VAMBAC equipment. However, thanks to sterling efforts by a number of people, 304 was commissioned for service during the summer and debuted on heritage tour duty over the August Bank Holiday weekend - one of the greatest triumphs to date for the Blackpool Heritage Trust. [AW]

Manchester 765
Another centurion, this tramcar received workshop attention during the first half of the year before returning to service in July at a special event held to celebrate its 100th year. An even greater feat took place in November when 765 was transported to Manchester city centre for display outside the Town Hall complete with decorations to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. It has since returned to Heaton Park to continue its active retirement. [AW]

Newcastle 114
For most of 2014 it was business as usual for this popular member of the Beamish tram fleet. However, in September it enjoyed a brief stay at the Crich Tramway Village as one of the star attractions at the 'Electric 50' event. This was the first time that an electric tram from another museum had visited the national collection for a short-term operating loan and its presence was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the most ambitious tram event held this year. [AW]

Edinburgh Trams 275
We all know the story of the controversial Edinburgh Trams project but 2014 finally saw the first passengers carried between the Airport and York Place in the city centre. On Saturday 31st May large groups of would be passengers congregated at Gyle Centre waiting for the first revenue earning service and the tram chosen for the honour was 275. Departing Gyle Centre at 0500 the tram was packed on its first journey to the City Centre - the first tram to carry passengers on the cities streets since 16th November 1956.

Manchester Metrolink 1007
Back in 1992 the whole idea of modern trams on UK streets seemed to be a fanciful idea but it was in that year that the way was paved for other cities across the country when Manchester Metrolink opened. When it opened there was a fleet of 26 T68 LRVs purchased to operate the service between Bury and Altrincham and although they may not be the most aesthically pleasing vehicles ever to traverse a tramway they have an incredibly key role to play in the history of UK trams. As Manchester Metrolink has expanded a new fleet of trams was acquired and the decision was taken to withdraw the original T68s. It seemed for a time as though this historic fleet would completely disappear but then the Heaton Park Tramway came along and saved 1007 for preservation. Although the LRV was withdrawn from service in February 2014 it remained serviceable and had the honour of performing the last ever passenger runs of a T68 when, on Monday 26th May, it operated a Farewell T68 tour - along with sister 1016. It was during this tour that 1007 was officially presented to the Heaton Park Tramway, although at the time of writing it remains on Manchester Metrolink property. In being handed 1007 becomes the first second generation tram in the UK to be officially preserved and for that reason it is included on our shortlist.

Midland Metro 20
It has been a year of new LRVs being introduced across the UK and Midland Metro was not to be left out. Built by CAF in Spain the Urbos 3 trams are being introduced to replace the original T69 fleet. After several months of testing and two chances for locals to inspect the new vehicles; the first of the Urbos 3s carried passengers on Friday 5th September. On that day four of the vehicles were used in service but it is no. 20 which makes our shortlist as it was the tram which was chosen to operate the very first service and was used at the official launch ceremony.

Nottingham Express Transit 218
Another system to introduce new trams in 2014 was Nottingham Express Transit. The East Midlands city welcomed a fleet of Alstom built Citadis 302 trams with the first passenger runs for this class being on Sunday 27th July. The very first of the fleet to be used in passenger service was 218 - which has since been named Jim Taylor - and it is that vehicle which has been chosen for the shortlist becoming the very first Alstom built tram to run in the UK.

Crich Tramway Village
2014 has been a good year for the Crich Tramway Village - home of the National Tramway Museum - with several excellent special events taking place. But it is not just the special events - Best of Sheffield, Electric 50, Blackpool 711's 80th birthday - which warrants its inclusion on the shortlist as the year has seen 26 different passenger trams operate (including horse car Sheffield 15), an attempt to run at least three trams a day throughout the season and for the first time since the extension opened passengers have been able to alight at Glory Mine, opening up a whole new batch of photo opportunities.

Edinburgh Trams
After all the delays and controversy 2014 finally saw trams return to the streets of Edinburgh. Saturday 31st May was the date that many had been waiting a lifetime for as for the first time since November 1956 the public were able to travel on a tram in Scotland (outside of a Museum of course). For no other reason than this Edinburgh Trams deserves its place on the shortlist.

Heaton Park Tramway
Last years winner makes it onto the shortlist again in 2014. This year has seen the new Lakeside Depot officially opened (although trams were stabled in the building since the end of last year) but it is for other ongoing projects which also warrant its inclusion. Manchester 173 has made a trip across to Leeds to help commemorate the start of World War One whilst both Manchester Metrolink 1007 and Oldham 43 have joined the ever increasing and varied collection.

Manchester Metrolink
Yes it is true that Manchester Metrolink often makes the news for the wrong reasons as a result of delays across the system but there is much good about Manchester Metrolink which means it has to be on the shortlist. The latest piece of the extension jigsaw was opened in November when the Manchester Airport extension carried its first passengers - over a year early! 2014 had also started with the two final sections of the Oldham Rochdale line opening. The expansion of Metrolink will also not stop there with construction underway on the important Second City Crossing and the Trafford Centre extension has now also been given the go-ahead.

Seaton Tramway
It was a Valentines Day present that no-one wanted; a bad storm overnight saw a chunk of the trackbed washed away - just before Seaton Tramway was due to open for the February Half Term period. However rather than allow themselves to get down about this problem the Seaton Tramway soon put a plan into action which would allow them to operate a limited service whilst repairs were undertaken. Hiring a lorry two of the tramways fleet were transported to Colyton so that a service could be operated from there to Colyford from Saturday 22nd February. A further opening of track happened at the start of March and then at the end of the month a full reopening was possible - just six weeks after the trackbed had been washed away. It is for this reason that Seaton is included on the shortlist.

Blackpool - Totally Transport
Since the Blackpool Tramway was upgraded the heritage service had been restricted to the section between Pleasure Beach and Fleetwood but on Sunday 22nd June this was all to change at the 10th annual Totally Transport. In glorious sunshine Bolton 66, Standard 147, Boat Cars 230 and 600 and visiting Pantograph 167 operated the service during the day (not all at the same time) which allowed passengers to travel south of Pleasure Beach on a traditional tram for the first time since 2009. And then to cap it all off 167 ran a special tour all the way through to Fleetwood at the end of the day.

Blackpool - August Bank Holiday weekend
11 different trams were used over the last daytime heritage operation of 2014 including three year debuts, one of which had not operated in Blackpool for almost four years. Boat 227 was used in service for the first time in the year after electrical attention whilst Balloon 701 made its debut in the Routemaster Red and White livery. The highlight for many though was the use of Coronation 304 - the first of the "rescued" LTT fleet to carry passengers. Always a popular tram 304 was used on the Monday afternoon carrying full loads wherever it went. The weekend also saw the final use of Pantograph 167 before its return to Crich, including a special evening tour. All in all this was probably the best heritage running weekend in Blackpool in 2014.

Crich Tramway Village - Electric 50
25 electric trams in service - do we need to say anything else?! Celebrating 50 years since the first electric tram operation at the National Tramway Museum the weekend in September saw the debut passenger workings of Blackpool Jubilee 762 (we won't mention what happened at the end of the first journey though!), the loan of Newcastle 114 from Beamish plus two other visitors in Blackpool & Fleetwood Box 40 and Blackpool Balloon 711. But there were 21 other trams which starred across the weekend and the 25 and 27 tram cavalcades on the Saturday and Sunday respectively was a sight to behold (yes its true they took a long time to be set-up but the wait was well worth it!). Everywhere you turned there was a tram and the weekend also saw the final workings of Southampton 45 before withdrawal. There was probably a lot more which we haven't mentioned as well!

Crich Tramway Village - Blackpool 711's 80th Birthday
An extra event added at short notice but one which still saw 11 different trams in use at times during the day. Originally conceived as a way of saying happy 80th birthday to Blackpool Balloon 711 and to say goodbye to Box 40 ahead of its departure back to Blackpool and Rack 2 ahead of withdrawal the day saw all of the operational Blackpool trams in service (as well as Berlin 223 006-4). With Standard 49 also on display this was a day for Blackpool tram fans to enjoy.

Heaton Park Tramway - Manchester 765 100 Not Out
One of two trams on our shortlist to reach their 100th birthdays in 2014 Manchester 765 was the only one to have its own birthday party when on Sunday 6th July the crowds descended on Heaton Park. As well as featuring chances to ride on all the operational trams on the tramway the day also provided plenty of photo opportunities not only featuring the birthday girl (including a stunning line-up with some local buses) but also many of the as yet not in service trams. Blackpool Balloon 702 and the remains of Oldham 43 also featured and there was cake!