{"id":61898,"date":"2026-02-16T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/?p=61898"},"modified":"2026-02-16T12:55:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T12:55:09","slug":"in-pictures-behind-the-scenes-at-starr-gate-depot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/?p=61898","title":{"rendered":"In Pictures: Behind the Scenes at Starr Gate Depot"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>One of the big stories on the modern Blackpool Tramway so far in 2026 has been the introduction of a temporary timetable whilst repairs take place to the Flexity2 trams, the first 16 of which are now approaching the 14<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary of their entry into service (let\u2019s not forget that Nottingham Express Transit\u2019s original trams had already gone through the first of their two mid-life refurbishments by this time), ahead of the main summer season. Podbaba Transport was afforded the opportunity to see behind the scenes at the depot whilst this work took place and has been kind enough to provide us with some photos inside the depot.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The full video of the visit to Starr Gate Depot can be viewed at <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/y7X5AP6V8aM?si=DAc4QoOuf61eLXK_\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/y7X5AP6V8aM?si=DAc4QoOuf61eLXK_<\/a>. Whilst there why not subscribe to give you access to all the latest videos from the UK and Prague.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_61899\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1.board-mm.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61899\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-61899\" src=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1.board-mm-550x413.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1.board-mm-550x413.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1.board-mm-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1.board-mm.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-61899\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Always popular is the tram location board. This shows just where all 18 of the Flexity2 trams could be found. As seen here the number of trams under repair at the moment is high with eight down as with engineers.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_61900\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2.004-mm.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61900\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-61900\" src=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2.004-mm-550x413.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2.004-mm-550x413.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2.004-mm-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2.004-mm.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-61900\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">004 out of service undergoing repairs but in the main part of the depot.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_61901\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3.depot-mm.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61901\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-61901\" src=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3.depot-mm-550x413.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3.depot-mm-550x413.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3.depot-mm-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3.depot-mm.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-61901\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A general view of the depot. Note on the right 015 which is receiving a new advert for Central Beach Leisure.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_61902\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4.012-mm.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61902\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-61902\" src=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4.012-mm-550x413.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4.012-mm-550x413.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4.012-mm-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4.012-mm.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-61902\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">012 has recently lost its Pleasure Beach advert and is now identity-less from the outside. This photo also shows how trams often end up after vinyls are ripped off. A decision is to be made on whether it will be repainted or receive a new advert before it returns to service.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_61903\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/5.005-mm.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61903\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-61903\" src=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/5.005-mm-550x413.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/5.005-mm-550x413.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/5.005-mm-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/5.005-mm.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-61903\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">005 has not run since 2022 and remains in the engineering bay.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_61904\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/6.heritage-mm.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61904\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-61904\" src=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/6.heritage-mm-550x413.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/6.heritage-mm-550x413.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/6.heritage-mm-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/6.heritage-mm.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-61904\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">After their use on Illumination Tours in late 2025, both the Frigate and Balloon 717 remain stabled at Starr Gate Depot.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_61905\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/7.017-mm.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61905\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-61905\" src=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/7.017-mm-550x413.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/7.017-mm-550x413.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/7.017-mm-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/7.017-mm.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-61905\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">017 was also out of service undergoing repairs. This is one of two trams which didn\u2019t enter service until 2018.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_61906\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/8.10-mm.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61906\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-61906\" src=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/8.10-mm-550x413.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/8.10-mm-550x413.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/8.10-mm-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/8.10-mm.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-61906\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">010 has been out of use since early 2025 and continues to wait repairs in the engineering bay. (All Photographs by Michael Morton, 10th February 2026)<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the big stories on the modern Blackpool Tramway so far in 2026 has been the introduction of a temporary timetable whilst repairs take place to the Flexity2 trams, the first 16 of which are now approaching the 14th &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/?p=61898\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61898"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=61898"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61898\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61907,"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61898\/revisions\/61907"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=61898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=61898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=61898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}