Category Archives: Blackpool Tramway

Blackpool North Station extension given go-ahead

Posted on Thursday 30 November 2017 by Gareth Prior

The final hoop has been jumped through, the extension of the Blackpool Tramway to Blackpool North railway station has been given approval by the Secretary of State for Transport. Which is probably just as well considering preparatory works started earlier … Continue reading →

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 708

Posted on Thursday 30 November 2017 by Gareth Prior

For our final instalment of Picture in Time for 2017 we are heading back to Blackpool for a typical 1980s image of a tram running along Lord Street.

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In Pictures: A Brush car bonanza!

Posted on Monday 27 November 2017 by Andrew Waddington

The last major event of the year celebrating the 80th anniversary of Blackpool’s Brush cars took place on the final ‘Gold’ operating day of 2017 for the heritage trams, with all operational members of the class participating in a short … Continue reading →

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Disruptions to trams and buses in Blackpool

Posted on Thursday 23 November 2017 by Andrew Waddington

With the off-peak winter season now in full swing on the Blackpool tramway, some signs of disruption have started to appear. This has also extended to road traffic, as preparations for the much-anticipated extension of the tramway up Talbot Road … Continue reading →

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In Pictures: Blackpool Brush 625

Posted on Thursday 23 November 2017 by Gareth Prior

With the 80th anniversary year of the Blackpool Brush Railcoach starting to come to an end we take a look at another of the surviving class members in our latest delve into the archives. This time around we land in … Continue reading →

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Blackpool’s Brush cars on parade!

Posted on Monday 20 November 2017 by Andrew Waddington

Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours have announced an unexpected but very welcome late addition to this year’s events celebrating 80 years of the Brush Railcoach class – a parade featuring all of the serviceable members of the type! This will start … Continue reading →

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Picture in Time: Blackpool & Fleetwood Rack 2 (and friends!)

Posted on Thursday 16 November 2017 by Gareth Prior

A truly fascinating image is featured in this instalment of Picture in Time. We have often taken a look inside Rigby Road Depot in this series but very rarely have we seen such a eclectic mix of trams with Blackpool … Continue reading →

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Operating seasons end across the British Isles

Posted on Saturday 11 November 2017 by Gareth Prior

As has become traditional the first weekend in November usually brings an end to heritage tramway operating seasons and 2017 has been no different. We have already seen what happened at the end of the season at both Crich and … Continue reading →

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Picture in Time: Blackpool OMO 5

Posted on Thursday 9 November 2017 by Gareth Prior

The year is 1987 for today’s edition of Picture in Time as we feature a photo of a tram from the class of trams which arguably saved the Blackpool Tramway in the 1970s. The tram in question is OMO 5.

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Funding appeal success in Blackpool

Posted on Sunday 5 November 2017 by Gareth Prior

Its always pleasing to be able to report some good news and there is double good news from Blackpool where not one but two recent funding appeals have reached their targets meaning work can start in earnest on a restoration … Continue reading →

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 706

Posted on Thursday 2 November 2017 by Gareth Prior

One of the most popular trams in Blackpool when operational is Princess Alice, or Open Top Balloon 706 if you want to include its number. And that is the very tram which features in today’s Picture in Time although it … Continue reading →

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In Pictures: Speed restrictions in Blackpool

Posted on Sunday 29 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

Coming less than a week after the previous storm, Brian made its presence felt over the weekend of 21st/22nd October although the damage caused and disruption to tramways was nowhere as near severe as that caused by Ophelia. In Blackpool … Continue reading →

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Brush 623

Posted on Thursday 26 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

In their 80th anniversary year we are featuring another of Blackpool’s Brush Railcoaches in Picture in Time today. This time around the tram in question is 623 – which has been enjoying a holiday back home in 2017 but we … Continue reading →

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In Pictures: Enhanced heritage service on 22nd October

Posted on Wednesday 25 October 2017 by Andrew Waddington

Blackpool’s heritage trams have been kept even busier than usual, with an increased vehicle output to coincide with the school half-term holidays. A daily heritage promenade service has been operating in afternoons, with extra trams being used at weekends – … Continue reading →

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More Blackpool trams receive ‘heritage’ destination blinds

Posted on Wednesday 25 October 2017 by Andrew Waddington

Peter Watts has been busy again, providing a set of brand new, traditional-styled destination blinds for two further trams in Blackpool’s operational heritage fleet. The latest beneficiaries of his blinds are Fleetwood Box 40 and Balloon 717.

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Preparation work for Blackpool North extension will start in 2017

Posted on Friday 20 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

It has now been confirmed that works on the Blackpool Tramway extension up Talbot Road to Blackpool North railway station will start in 2017 although little progress will be tangible this year with the works only set to be preparation … Continue reading →

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloons

Posted on Thursday 19 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

Having gone 30 years into the past last week, this week we go even further back in time as we have an image taken 50 years ago in the summer of 1967.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Centenary 643

Posted on Thursday 12 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

In today’s edition of Picture in Time we take our regular peek into the past of the Blackpool Tramway with this image of Centenary 643 dating from 30 years ago in 1987.

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Sisk awarded Blackpool tramway extension contract

Posted on Thursday 12 October 2017 by Andrew Waddington

John Sisk has been awarded the lucrative contract to construct the greatly anticipated extension of the Blackpool tramway up Talbot Road to serve North Station. This is the latest positive news to suggest that this development is very much a … Continue reading →

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North Station extension works to commence this year?

Posted on Wednesday 11 October 2017 by Andrew Waddington

Very little has been heard about the planned extension of the Blackpool tramway off the promenade to North Station up Talbot Road of late – but it appears that this may be about to change. An announcement made by Blackpool … Continue reading →

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