The Fylde Transport Trust’s Blackpool Standard 143 is on the way to the East Anglia Transport Museum in Carlton Colville for the completion of its restoration. The tram was loaded in the bus yard at Rigby Road Depot on Tuesday 24th February for the start of its longest ever single journey, albeit one not on rails!
The restoration of 143 has been a long and winding road, and one which has meet several stumbling blocks over the years, the most notable of which was in 2019 when on its inaugural launch journey it suffered a major motor failure which led to it being sidelined. There have been various false starts since but in 2023 the FTT and Blackpool Transport came up with a snag list following a joint inspection of the tram. For various reasons the work cannot be completed in Blackpool and so the FTT have continued their positive relationship with the East Anglia Transport Museum who will be able to complete the restoration.
Built in 1924, Standard 143 was withdrawn from service in 1957 and the following year saw it return to action as a Works Car. It had been converted to an overhead line car and was initially numbered 3 before 1972 saw it renumbered at 753. It remained in use by the permanent way department until June 1990 when it suffered a fire and was withdrawn from use once again, this time permanently.
It was retained for possible restoration to its passenger condition but after Blackpool Transport repatriated 147 from the USA it was deemed surplus to requirements. This was where the (then) Lancastrian Transport Trust came in and they acquired the tram in February 2002 and then moved it from Rigby Road to Clifton Road on 13th April 2003.
Restoration work – with the decision made to return 143 to its original 1924 condition with open platform and open balcony (with no other Blackpool Standards remaining in this condition) – commenced in 2005 and it was then moved back to Rigby Road in 2010 with the hope the work would be completed by Blackpool Transport. Unfortunately, this wasn’t possible with other work priorities and so the tram remained stored until a fresh impetus towards the restoration came in 2018 which saw work undertaken at Rigby Road. This led to the tram being completed and ready for its launch in September 2019. But unfortunately, that launch led to the motor failure and since then no real progress has been made which would allow the tram to return to service.
But now in a new partnership with the FTT and East Anglia Transport Museum the work identified in the 2023 snag list will be undertaken at Carlton Colville. Once the work is finished the tram will then complete mileage accumulation in service at the EATM.
In a statement the FTT said: “The FTT and various sponsors have spent over £200k so far on the restoration of 143 over quite a prolonged period of time. This latest move will finally see 143 fully completed and we look forward to a successful launch of the tram in due course at the East Anglia Transport Museum. Updates on the progress of the final phase will be regularly posted on both the FTT and EATM social media pages.”
Tuesday 24th February 2026 saw the tram loaded onto a low loader for Reid Freight ready for its long journey east. The height of the tram meant that it had to be lifted from its trucks as without this being done it would have been too high even on the lowest of low loaders to be transported by the most suitable route. The trucks were then transported on a separate lorry.
The FTT and EATM already have a strong relationship, which has included work to complete the restoration and commission Brush Railcoach 634 into service in 2024. This move has been 12 months in the planning and should give a positive future to another of the FTT’s trams in East Anglia.
143 will be the second Blackpool Standard Car at Carlton Colville with the museum’s own 159 a long-term fixture. It also joins other Blackpool trams, Marton VAMBAC 11, Brush Railcoaches 290, 625 and 634, and Balloon Car 726.
143 – with “THE GHOST TRAM” on its destination blind – is lowered onto the low loader in the bus yard at Rigby Road Depot.
Another view across the bus yard. (Both Photographs by Michael Morton, 24th February 2026)