Last week a small delegation from Beamish was made very welcome by the staff at Blackpool Transport Services, at what is for them a busy and perhaps difficult time as the system as has been known for 125 years is wound up and in its place a new system on the footprint of the old is opened up for testing and commissioning in readiness for the 2012 season. Our tour was extremely thorough and much useful information was gleaned and will give Jim, Bob and I a lot to work through as we improve our own systems here at Beamish.

Here is a summary of our day, in photos and some brief words…

Below: A view inside the fitting and mechanical shop showing turned wheelsets and the bogies from Boat car 607 which is owned by the National Tramway Museum and is being restored by BTS before moving to Crich next year.

Below: Inside the body shop we saw the NTM’s Boat and Railcar under repair pending their moves to Crich. The Boat is in amazing condition considering its age, reflecting the much lighter use these cars had in Blackpool.

Below: A view inside the paintshop showing buses being painted the traditional way – by brush rather than sprayed.

Below: Inside the tram depot at Rigby Road is the location and availability board – a piece of history in its own right now.

Below: This is the electrical compound showing access platforms to reach the current collectors (pantograph of pole) as well as the servicing area and pits to the rear with Balloon 717 on the left and 700 to the far right.

Below: Bolton 66 was the first heritage tram to return to Blackpool in (I think) about 1982. It never left and has now worked in the resort for 29 years, which must be a challenge to the length of time it operated in Bolton?

Below: This is the tram lift, which comes up from the floor and enables bodies to be lifted clear of trucks/bogies. It is due to be used one for time before being made redundant by the engineering department move to the new depot at Starr Gate.

Below: A last glimpse across the last traditional tram depot in revenue use. 762 (the purple one) is moving to Crich this week.

Below: Three streamliners from the 1930s. Boat 602 (left) remains on BTS’ books whilst the other two seen here have been sold for preservation.

Below: The LTT’s other working Balloon – 715, seen during shunting operations at Rigby Road.

Below: Another LTT tram is 632, seen heading south along the prom at the Tower. Note the temporary tram stop signs – new platforms have been built for the new trams necessitating the temporary stops as the traditional trams are not compatible with the raised platforms for access.

Below: At Starr Gate we were shown 001, a new Flexity tram, as well as the superb facilities for the new trams.

Below: An interior view showing the low-floor profile right through the tramcar (and not just between the bogies as has been the case in modern trams in the past).

Below: Jim admires the ground wheel lathe…

Below: A view of one of the service pits with lifting jacks to the left – a whole Flexity can be lifted by these in one piece.

In some ways it is a shame that the old tramway has come to an end, but hopefully the new trams will be a success and there will still be heritage trams on the prom in the form of the widened Balloons and pure heritage stock such as 600, 40, 66, 147 etc. Hopefully it will still be possible for heritage trams to visit the tramway in the future – a unique (in the UK) chance to see old and new intermingle freely… We are extremely grateful to BTS and the staff who made us so welcome during our visit to Blackpool.