{"id":57784,"date":"2025-03-27T22:00:01","date_gmt":"2025-03-27T22:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/?p=57784"},"modified":"2025-03-27T19:40:10","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T19:40:10","slug":"restoration-of-manchester-173-underway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/?p=57784","title":{"rendered":"Restoration of Manchester 173 underway"},"content":{"rendered":"

Exciting news from the Heaton Park Tramway where it has been confirmed that restoration work is underway on returning double-deck open topper Manchester 173<\/strong> to service. When the work is completed \u2013 over the next few years \u2013 it will mark the first use in service of the tram in almost a century and, obviously, its first ever use in preservation.<\/p>\n

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173<\/strong> has recently been moved into the workshops of the tramway. This comes after the completion of the overhaul on Blackpool 619<\/strong> and the temporary closure of the tramway to allow the complete upgrade of the substation (this happened last September and works are underway with the hope that it won\u2019t be too long before the tramway is operational again). Although previously cosmetically restored (with a period on display at the Manchester Museum of Transport following), the work will see further renovation of the bodywork alongside a full reassessment of the chassis, with alternative suitable motors having recently being sourced from Lisbon 711<\/strong> (which is being converted to hauled stock at the Crowle Peatland Railway in Lincolnshire<\/p>\n

173<\/strong> was one of 81 trams built by Brush of Loughborough in 1901 and is the only survivor of this class, and indeed just one of three Manchester Corporation Tramways vehicles which survive (the other two horse car L53<\/strong> and 765<\/strong> are also both owned by the Manchester Transport Museum Society). The other two have been restored and used at Heaton Park (although L53<\/strong> is currently a static exhibit at the Manchester Museum of Transport) and its hoped that 173<\/strong> will complete the hattrick in the future.<\/p>\n

Originally an open topper, 173<\/strong> received a top deck in around 1907 and would carry on serving the people of Manchester until 1931. The following story is familiar as the lower deck was sold on for use as a shed and would remain in use for this purpose until the 1970s when it was found and rescued by members of the MTMS. That was when it was cosmetically restored, which is how it has remained \u2013 until now!<\/p>\n

It is planned to restore the tram to as close to its original condition as possible, including open top deck and flip-over seating. When the restoration is completed \u2013 hoped to be in the next few years \u2013 it will be used regularly at the Heaton Park Tramway and may also have the opportunity to visit other heritage tramways in the UK.<\/p>\n