Its been a brief and limited season but your last chance to take HMS Blackpool, the Illuminated Frigate, on an Illumination Tour is here with just two more nights of tours to come. The Frigate will set sail on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd January with the last few tickets for these tours now available.
As is the norm now, Blackpool’s famous Illuminations remain alight until the first weekend of January, and the 2025 Illuminations have been no different. And the Frigate has been continuing to run most weekends since the heritage trams first returned to the rails in October, with many of its planned tours having been sell outs.
The last six tours will take place as follows:
- Friday 2nd January at 1730 – SOLD OUT
- Friday 2nd January at 1900 – SOLD OUT
- Friday 2nd January at 2030
- Saturday 3rd January at 1730 – SOLD OUT
- Saturday 3rd January at 1900 – LIMITED REMAINING
- Saturday 3rd January at 2030
Jane Cole, Blackpool Transport Managing Director, said: “The sight of the much-loved HMS Blackpool tram, and occasionally our popular ‘balloon’ double-decker, has brought a smile to the faces of young and old alike over the past couple of months.
“We’re really proud of all the hard work done by the Blackpool Transport team to bring them back into service, and although they will now be taking a short break, we’re already making plans for tours next year.”
Once the final tour runs on Saturday evening, the heritage trams will again be taking a break. But as was originally mentioned when they did return to the rails during Lightpool Festival in October a review of their future operation would only start in the new year once the Illumination Tours had come to an end.
Tickets for all Illumination Tours are available online at https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/blackpoolheritage/items/286168/calendar/2026/01/. They cost £15 for adults and £10 for children and also include unlimited travel on the modern trams for the same day.
Hopefully, with Cole due to retire, Blackpool will get a better manager next time around. In Blackppool a transport manager needs to be not just a manager but also a showman. Someone with a sense of history and also vision for the future. Someone who understands the trams are not just public transport, but also a tourist attraction in themselves.
However, I fear the damage has already been done and will be near-impossible to undo. At least the new encumbent might be able to change a few blown fairy lights though? Something Cole seems woefully incapable of.
Presumably, her award in the New Year’s Honours was not for ‘Services to Heritage?’
Be careful what you wish for. The new manager might be even less interested than Trevor Roberts, who to be fair saw revenue potential in the illuminated fleet. The focus may be entirely on the modern fleet and its performance targets with the heritage fleet confined to Tramtown, which may have to become a separate entity in its own right ideally holding charity status. Don’t forget that the current manager has been president of the local tram society and has shown interest in the heritage fleet but has had to face the constraints of modern safety regulations and was proactive before any restrictions were imposed by the ORR after discovering various issues with the heritage operation.
How many times must it be said that the ORR had nothing to do with the heritage trams being suspended?
A new boss running a high-quality LRT service would be a good start, frankly. I know the heritage trams are very dear to most people on this site, but the tramway is first and foremost a public transport system, and doing that well should always be the top priority. Getting a good quality heritage operation back would of course be wonderful, but considering the mess that its now in I really don’t know how on earth we get back to that, unless someone offers a few million to renovate several trams and the depot?
The original poster never suggested that the ORR were involved in the withdrawal of the heritage trams. What was said was that BTS were proactive in taking action before ORR potentially paid a visit on one of their audits of heritage operations. BTS may have felt that such a visit risked either a Prohibition Notice or an Improvement Notice and took the decision to do something about it.
When & why did the ORR get involved?
ORR were not involved. In a press release on 10 December, 2024, Ms Cole referred to various safety issues, implying but not actually stating that this involved the heritage cars, but changed her tone when, in response to an inquiry from the ‘Blackpool Lead’ ORR stated that ‘ORR has not been involved in Blackpool’s decision.’ That was on 15 December, 2024.
Ms. Cole then changed the reason to ‘complex operational issues.’ More recently it has been ‘cost of maintenance.’
Folks,
Can we please take a step back from predicting the future of the Heritage Operation once Jane Cole has departed and a new boss has been appointed.
Many, including me, would wish to see most of these historic vehicles operational again but it is one hell of a massive task, and will cost millions!
When the old traditional tramway was closed in 2012 and the new LRT system instigated, it was envisaged a ‘new’ Heritage Operation could work side by side with the new system.
Unfortunately, this appeared to be largely aimed at ‘tramaracks’ and efforts were made to re-energise as many of the ‘old guard’ vehicles as possible with repaints and renumbering to reflect the tramway as much as possible over the pre-modernisation period.
However, as time went on over the next 20 years or so, and even with the solid efforts of the volunteers, and the best will in the world, things started to unravel.
Not in chronological order but:
Small electrical fire on 272/T2 saw the few remaining trailer fleet suspended.
602 Wiring needing attention
605 Wiring needing attention
632 Out of service
706 ‘Alice’ withdrawn requiring a new sub frame. (loss of massive revenue earner)
703 back from Beamish requiring attention.
701 requiring attention
715 Retired
737 (Trawler) LED malfunctions
Coronation VAMBAC and emergency braking trials
plus the many ‘wrecks/scrappers’ filling the depot.
There and countless others, not forgetting projects that the FTT are trying to progress with.
At the end of the day, income is what’s needed. One Balloon and an Illuminated Frigate during the illuminations is not going to bring in the income required to build a successful Heritage Operation.
I am no expert, but to rejuvenate the whole Heritage Operation to make it appeal to the wider public, it is going to need a Humongous amount of capital, repairs to the infrastructure (depot roof etc.) and many experienced professional tradesmen (electrical/mechanical/structural) to get the fleet operational again, plus a fantastic marketing team.
Sadly, I fear, it’s never going to happen.
Perhaps making redundant some, indeed I believe most, of the people who worked on maintaining the heritage cars was not the most positive of steps?
I believe that there is room at Starr Gate for some five heritage cars, which, frankly, would be sufficient to provide the sort of service which operated before suspension. No-one would argue that there are not major problems around Rigby Road, and many of the cars therein, but I respectfully submit that an operational fleet of five cars, such as two Balloons, Bolton 66, a Brush car, and, perhaps, one of the Blackpool ‘Standards,’ all based at Starr Gate, would not involve ‘humongous’ expenditure.
Assuming of course, that BTS & Blackpool Council have the will?
Boats surely for summer!
The five I mentioned were simply for the sake of example, but of course you are right about the boats for summer.
20 years or so? Apologies, typo…..12 years or so!
Just to add/amend including use of correct Heritage fleet numbers.
Small electrical fire on 272/T2 saw the few remaining trailer fleet suspended. Also 2 boats
602 (227 as it is numbered now) Wiring needing attention – this was completed several years ago.
605 Wiring needing attention I think you’ll find this is in service in San Francisco.
230 (ex 604) remains out of service
632 Out of service FTT vehicle
706 ‘Alice’ withdrawn requiring a new sub frame. (loss of massive revenue earner) Underframe not sub frame in correct Tramway terms.
703 back from Beamish requiring attention. FTT vehicle
701 requiring attention
715 Retired FTT vehicle
737 (Trawler) LED malfunctions
Train out of service with alleged brake issues
Coronation VAMBAC and emergency braking trials
Also ‘tramarack’ – grow up for goodness sake. The blue service always appealed to the wider audience and was very lucrative – the enhanced days appealed to enthusiasts and general public.
It all started to unravel after covid when it changed to prebooking and full round trips with no journey breaks.
Firstly, I appreciate the corrections to my ‘list’ of ‘casualties’ in the Heritage fleet. Sorry, but I am so passionate about this subject that I tend to get ‘carried away’ but it has to be said that it had got to the stage that only a handful (literally) of heritage vehicles were keeping the service going until the relatively recent cessation of the operation. Even looking at the current limited offering (now retired until God knows when) 717 was looking shabby, in need of a good clean, and the Frigate was requiring quite a few bulb replacements. That should give a clue as to how little commitment is given to this operation!
This in no way reflects, from reading FB reviews, the apparent success that the Tramtown experience offers and that is a testament to the people running the show. But how will this operation eventually fit in with any possible resumption of any form of ‘live’ Heritage offering?
I’m sorry to say the any resumption of a Heritage Operation is looking more like ‘Pie in the Sky’ as time rolls on, and the longer it does, then those vehicles stored in Rigby Road depot that have potential to return to service will just deteriorate and will eventually become beyond resurrection.
Regarding my ‘Tamarack’ comment, I am one of those! It is a term, commonly used by BTS staff to describe Tram Enthusiasts, just as they use the term ‘Twerlys’ to describe concessionary pass holders who try to use their passes before 0930…. ‘Am I too Early?’ Not being childish at all! lol
I think the sad fact is that ALL of the heritage trams need some serious cash spending on them, and very soon, to stand any chance of operating for much longer. I agree that 717 looks filthy, but I’ve seen close-up images of it and the paint is peeling badly with bare wood/metal showing in places, which can’t be doing the bodywork any good. Its really upsetting to see such a beautifully restored vintage tram in such a state, and I keep hoping that it will be admitted to the works at some point for some TLC.
Realistically, the best chance of a secure future for the heritage operation is probably to focus resources on a small selection of trams that are likely to bring in most revenue. Geoff Hewitt’s comment is a sensible one, although at least one Boat car would be a huge asset, and I suspect that Bolton 66 will need to be retired soon as its been looking very tired of late (its done amazingly well though considering it was restored 45 years ago!).
Tramarack was often (not always) used as a derogatory term by the staff and I know a large number of enthusiasts find it very insulting.
Presumably, this ‘t-word’ is a portmanteau of ‘tram’ and ‘anorak’, so should it not be spelled ‘tramorak’?