“Meet the Trams” continues with a review of those tramcars which have run in passenger service during 2026 at the National Tramway Museum. And this time around we take a look at Blackpool & Fleetwood 40.
Blackpool & Fleetwood Box Car 40 was built in 1914 to a design which can trace it origins to the turn of the century and has more than a passing resemblance to many of the trams which ran on the Manx Electric Railway over on the Isle of Man. It was introduced into service by the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramroad and spent much of its time based at Bispham Depot.
1920 saw the Tramroad taken over by Blackpool Corporation Tramways and 40 became 114 in the newly enlarged fleet and would remain operational until the end of 1936 – by which time it had lost its familiar teak livery to be replaced by the new green and cream colours. After withdrawal as a passenger tram, 114 was transferred to the Permanent Way department – the last Box Car to survive – when it was renumbered as no. 5.
Its survival as a Works Car meant that it was able to be preserved and it was one of the trams which was restored to passenger service in time for the 75th anniversary of the Blackpool Tramway in 1960. It was then donated to the Tramway Museum Society and moved to Crich in 1963.
It was one of the early trams to be used at Crich once the overhead was energised but it was withdrawn in 1965 and then put into store in 1970. It would be transferred to the Heaton Park Tramway in Manchester where it received an overhaul before entering service in the early years of that preserved tramway.
From 1988 it was on loan in Blackpool for three years (where it underwent another overhaul thanks to sponsorship from Fisherman’s Friend) before it returned to Crich, although was not an operational tram, and then 1996 saw it start another lengthy loan spell back in Blackpool.
2014 saw it enjoy another overhaul ahead of a brief return to Crich to appear at the Electric 50 event in the September. Back to Blackpool after this spell in Derbyshire it would continue to run as part of the heritage fleet until 2019 when it firstly went on loan to Beamish for six months before it was once again back at Crich, and this time that is where it has remained. 40 has spent some time out of use since its return but was back running again in the latter part of the 2025 season and is again in service this year.
Blackpool & Fleetwood 40 stands at Town End during the 2025 season. (Photograph by Gareth Prior, 13th September 2025)