British Trams Online News

For the first time in many years, the Blackpool illumination tours by tram, operated by Blackpool Transport Services Ltd. have undergone some fairly significant changes this year. Having paid a short visit to the resort during September 2012 and sampled the new-look illumination tours, Andrew Waddington provides an overview of what has changed, and offers some helpful hints for anyone planning to visit in the weeks ahead.

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Blackpool Council have recently revealed ambitious plans for a major redevelopment of the area around Foxhall Square, close to the old tram depot at Rigby Road. The scheme, known as the ‘Foxhall Village’ project, would ultimately provide housing for hundreds of people – but there is a good chance that this may have implications for the oldest surviving section of the Blackpool tramway.

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Several weeks ago, we featured Blackpool Centenary car 643 in its new home at Broadwater Caravan Park in our occasional ‘Lost Trams’ feature. Although at a glance the car remains unchanged, internally some alterations have been made since then and it therefore seems only right to offer this small update on an old friend.

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A pleasing development on the Blackpool tramway has seen the sole remaining Brush Railcoach 631 out and about on the system for driver training purposes. Although crew training on the new Flexity2 class has taken place throughout the season, training on heritage cars has been much less common so this is very welcome indeed, especially as the tramway approaches some of its busiest days of the year.

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Trevor Roberts, the Managing Director of Blackpool Transport Services, has announced that it is planned to use the available modified Balloon cars, often referred to as the ‘B Fleet’, over the busy autumn half-term school holiday period towards the end of the 2012 illuminations. This is traditionally the busiest week of the year for the tramway and so it makes good sense to run more trams, especially as passenger numbers have exceeded all expectations so far this year.

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In a surprise move, Blackpool Balloon car 719 has been moved from Rigby Road to Starr Gate depot following work to bring the tram in line with the other modified Balloons, for continued operation on the upgraded tramway. The tram was moved on or before Friday 21st September and is currently the only traditional tram housed at Starr Gate.

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Due to this website being titled British Trams Online, we very rarely feature trams outside the British Isles – but today we are making an exception due to the appearance of a tram which is destined for a long operating career in the UK being displayed at a transport event overseas. The vehicle in question was Blackpool Flexity2 002, which has already briefly operated on the Fylde Coast before returning to Germany for remedial attention.

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After a huge amount of anticipation from the enthusiast community, the long-awaited return to use of Twin set 672+682 in Blackpool finally occured during the evening of Friday 14th September. This reflected the first use of the duo since the final night of the 2011 season, after which time it was not expected to run in Blackpool again. However, since being rejected by the Tramway Museum Society due to a shortage of space, the car has been repainted in original cream livery and is now one of the star attractions of the tramway’s heritage fleet.

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