“Meet the Trams” continues this evening as we take a look at another tram which has run in passenger service at the East Anglia Transport Museum in 2026. The tram featured in this edition is Blackpool 11.
As with most trams built as part of the 1930s streamlined tram revolution in Blackpool, 11 was built by English Electric in Preston. But this class of tram was not originally built for comfort as when they arrived in 1939 they were semi open Sun Saloons and also featured wooden seats.
11 entered service on 17th August 1939 and then just a few weeks later war was declared with Germany, and the traffic that the tram had been built for soon disappeared. The class of tram would soon find a second life though and were used to transport the military to Rossall. However, the fact that they were semi-open with wooden seats led to the nickname “cattle trucks”.
This saw the trams fully enclosed in 1942 (11 being completed in the June), although they retained the wooden seats. Upholstered seats followed in March 1948 and 11 continued operating like this for a few more years,
Then came the major upgrade that the class become synonymous with as they were chosen to receive VAMBAC equipment and would move to work on the Marton route. 11 would re-enter service on 4th March 1952 with its new equipment.
But with the closure of the Marton route it would be withdrawn in October 1962. Whereas the rest of the class would end up being cut-up (all but 10 at Marton Depot, which was scrapped at Rigby Road in 1961), 11 would the lucky one and entered preservation.
But its life in preservation did not start smoothly! Leaving Blackpool in September 1965 the tram initially went to Hayling Island in Hampshire for what would end up being an aborted project. Fortunately, the East Anglia Transport Museum came to the rescue and 11 made the move east in January 1969.
11 ran for the first time in preservation in 1978. It hasn’t been a constant ever since in the operating fleet but in more recent years has been a regular performer, and enjoyed some workshop attention over the past winter. It has also enjoyed a short loan period at Beamish in 2011.
11’s first day in service during 2026 was 31st May and that is when we see the tram departing the Chapel Road terminus. (Photograph by Bryan Grint, 31st May 2026)