What’s better than one tram from London back in service at the Crich Tramway Village? Two! The end of August has seen both London Passenger Transport Board 1622 and London United Tramways 159 run in service for the first time in 2022, bringing the total number of passenger trams to have operated this year to 16.
Both trams have been missing from service for several years – for 1622 this was last operational in 2016 whereas for 159 it was 2019 that it last carried passengers. The pair returned to service within days of each other at the end of August, 1622 being used for the first time on Saturday 27th and 159 on Tuesday 30th August.
1622 had undergone an extensive overhaul in the workshops over the past few years and had got as far as testing towards the end of 2021. This has continued throughout this year – although was delayed slightly by the overhead problems in the depot yard – and with this deemed a success it was passed over to the operating team allowing it to return to service. Its obviously been a success as it has operated on four successive days since it returned to action! This included two days of a five tram service on the Sunday and Monday of the Bank Holiday weekend as well as a four tram service on Tuesday 30th August.
And Tuesday 30th August also saw the return to service of fellow London car, London United Tramways 159. This tram had entered the workshops back in September 2021 for an overhaul and much of this work was completed over the winter allowing it to be considered for service this summer. With limited open toppers currently available for service (both London County Council 106 and Blackpool 166 are absent from the operating fleet leaving Blackpool 236 as the sole open car) the return to service for 159 will be a useful boost – even if it is just as the main summer season comes to an end.
1622 and 159 and the fifteenth and sixteenth different passenger trams to run in service at Crich in 2022. The others have been Chesterfield 7, Glasgow 22, Sheffield 74, Blackpool 167, Leeds 180, Blackpool 236, Oporto 273, Metropolitan Electric Tramways 331, Leeds 345, Leeds 399, Sheffield 510, Blackpool 630, Liverpool 869 and Berlin 223 006-4.