Today we have another outing for “Picture in Time” and Crich is still the subject.
This time we are looking down on the depot and running line from where the Exhibition Hall is today and as such you would be unable to even attempt to repeat this image.
In the foreground is Vienna 4225, a tram which if you looked at the fleet list today you would think is no longer part of the national collection. But that is not the case as it has now returned to its identity of New York 3rd Avenue Transit 674, a change which occurred in 1979. This tram was built in 1939 and only ran for five years in the USA before it was exported to Vienna as part of the Marshall Plan to get mainland Europe back on its feet after the ravages of World War II. It became Vienna 4225 and would run for a further 20 years until 1969 when a second withdrawal came. It arrived at Crich in 1970 and ran until 1976 as Vienna 4225 with a pantograph (which aids with dating this image). 1979 saw it return as New York 674 and it was operational until 1985.
Just passing on the far side on the depot is Glasgow 1115. This was built in 1929 and would remain in service in Glasgow until 1961. It arrived in Crich in 1962 and would then run in service between 1971 and 1976. It has been a static exhibit ever since, including a period in the trams at night display from 1990 until 2010.
With the dates of operation for 1115, and the period that 4225 carried a pantograph this image is no later than 1976.
Photograph by Peter Gough