I’ve posted elsewhere about the Electric 50 event at Crich, but thought that 114’s visit warranted its own post!  This also enables it to appear on google searches far into the future so is a useful archiving exercise!  Needless to say, both the TMS and ourselves are very pleased with how the loan went and whilst 114 will no doubt be back in service here next week, the memory of the visit will last for some time to come and I hope to be inundated (hint hint!) with photos of the occasion and the north east trams together as shown in the photos below…

Below: Well, this was the photograph we all wanted to see!  Newcastle 114 and 102, the first pairing of trams from the city (in their own colours) since 1949 (some were sold to Gateshead and also for use on the Grimsby & Immingham, so technically worked alongside each other for almost another decade after being withdrawn from Newcastle’s streets).  A significant moment really.  Note the contrast in livery – more or less the same, apart from 102 having the deep plum rocker panel – my theory is these were painted out of the ivory, as displayed on 114, as a means of hiding something of the inevitable road dirt that accumulated, and giving a modern appearance at a minimal cost of painting when such decisions with a large fleet were surely fiscally tested?!

I didn’t make it to see the pairing, so this photo comes courtesy of the Trams Today site: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trams-Today/144002195699684

Below: 114 operated throughout the event at Crich, and is seen here taking part in Saturday’s parade and then in service alongside Blackpool & Fleetwood 2 at Town End.

Below: Andy Bailey very kindly sent over these photographs taken during the photo charter at Crich on the Friday evening, featuring Gateshead 5 and 114 in the depot yard and 114 in the Town Street.

Below: I probably don’t need to explain why this line up is so special to fans of north east trams?!!! Left to right we have Met 331 (later Sunderland 100), Sheffield 74 (spent its later working life in Gateshead after being sold second-hand), our own Newcastle 114, Gateshead 5 (more or less identical to our Gateshead 10 and with a similar post-Gateshead life working for British Railways) and Newcastle 102.  To this line up we could add Sunderland 16, Gateshead 52 and the aforementioned Gateshead 10.  It is really amazing how much equipment survived…

Below: Since this post was originally published, we’ve had some further contributions to this theme.  Andrew Waddington (of British Trams Online) sent these photographs showing 114 meeting new but familiar trams at Crich, including one from Oporto and a Blackpool Boat…