The next set of images in “Picture in Time” again come from the Blackpool Tramway as we head back over 40 years to see what then was just the mundane day-to-day running of the UK’s only remaining public service tramway, but looking back today makes some go all misty-eyed about the “good old days”.
Its 27th September 1983 (very nearly the 98th anniversary of the tramway) when the photographer found himself at Tower to capture this image of OMO 2. The tram is working through to Starr Gate and the route card in the cab window tells us it was on route 5 on this date. It looks like the tram is being used one person operated as a queue is forming to board and the driver seems to be leaning forward to sell a ticket to the person who has just gone through the front entrance.
2 had been in service as an OMO Car for over 10 years by the time this photo was taken with its entry into service coming in October 1972. It was once English Electric Railcoach 283 (and then 620) which was the very last of the second series of single-deck Railcoaches to come out of Preston for the tramway (entering service 1935). In red and white by the time of this photo, 2 would never get a pantograph and would be withdrawn in the second month of 1985. Scrapping followed at Rigby Road in January 1987.
Photograph by Chris Allsop-Buckler, 27th September 1983