There could be the chance to enjoy rides of single deck open trams this weekend – but you’d probably be hard pressed to enjoy all of them! This weekend (21st and 22nd September) sees the annual Muni Heritage Weekend in San Francisco and there should be two Blackpool Boat cars in operation whilst on Sunday 21st September the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway are hoping to use Toastrack 21 in service.
San Francisco is now home to three Blackpool Boat Cars (one of only two places in the world who have that many, the other, of course, being Blackpool itself) following the acquisition earlier this year of 226 but whilst that tram is not ready for use at the moment the other two are and they will both be used on both days of the weekend – a first for the Heritage Weekend.
228 and 233 will be used on free shuttles starting off at the San Francisco Railway Museum between 1000 and 1600 on both days. One will run to the Castro and the other will run along The Embarcadero.
The weekend will also give visitors the chance to put their opinions forward as to what livery 226 should carry once it is fully overhauled and back into service. All visitors need to do is go along to the Museum to put their thoughts forward.
The Heritage Weekend is not just about the Boat Cars though with various historic trolleys from across the world due to be in operation. And possibly one of the best things about it all is that most of the rides will be free!
Full details of what’s planned in San Francisco can be read about at this link: https://www.streetcar.org/muni-heritage-weekend-sept-21-22-ride-vintage-streetcars-buses-and-cable-cars-mostly-free/
Back to the British Isles and, subject to weather, Toastrack 21 is due to be running timetabled services on the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway. Billed as the oldest tramcar in the world still operating on its original line, 21 dates from 1890 and is due to be running services from 1030 on Sunday 22nd September.