Blackpool Tramway (the end of an era), March 10-October 11.

[Black]

Blackpool tramway opened in 1885,
from Starrgate to Fleetwood.
Length 11 miles
Overhead DC550v (DC600v March 2012)
Guage 4ft 8ins (standard)
Depots Rigby Road
Offices Rigby Road
The infrastructure is owned by Blackpool Council,
the trams are owned by Blackpool Transport Services Ltd. trading as Metro Coastlines.
The 4th November 2011 was the end of 127 Years of Blackpools vintage trams,
2/3 been bought by private owners and 1/3 been scrapped.
11 trams shall remain (with modifications) to work alongside the new flexity 2 trams,
due to start service in march 2012.
this is a tragic end, to one of Blackpools best tourist attractions.

Depots

Offices

Maintenance

600 Duchess of Cornwall

623

700

706 Princess Alice

711

715

717 Phillip R Thorpe

718

724

673-683

674-684

66

147 Michael Airey

736 HMS Blackpool

737 FD241 Cevic

733-734 Train

Logo 1

Logo 2

Pantograph

Towbar

Trucks

[email protected]

 

[krela]

I didn't realise the vintage trams were being taken out of service. That's a tragedy indeed.

 

[leftorium]

are they really scrapping a third of them? please tell me these aren't working examples, Trams aren't my thing but we live a few miles from teh National Tramway Museum and there are people up there who would become apoplectic. I do hate to see vintage machinery destroyed

 

[flyboys90]

That brought back a lot of memories thanks.

 

[TeeJF]

What an absolute p*sser...

 

[torpsta1974]

that sucks, one of the most famous things about blackpool is the trams. thanks for the pics, great.

 

[Derelict-UK]

I doubt they will actually scrap them, more like bus/tram enthusiasts will buy them

 

[Black]

some have been bought by vintage tramways eg ( Crich, Birkenhead, Beamish), alot are owned by the Flyde tramway group.
the remaining cars are to be sold, if no one buys them they are to be scrapped.
the 11 trams to stay at blackpool are mainly Balloon cars and the 4 Millenium cars,
The Illuminated trams will remain for the Illuminations.

 

[Sandgrounder]

None have been scrapped so far, all have been sold to preservation groups or for further use (not preserved). There is no such group as the "Flyde tramway group", but several are owned by the "Lancastrian Transport Trust", which is based on the Fylde, two of their trams have already gone on loan to Beamish museum in County Durham for use on their tramway.

 

[flyboys90]

Do you know if any have gone to The Blackcountry Museum?

 

[dobbo79]

wow great pics - Great memories of legging it across the road when one of these is rattling your way..

Such a shame - Blackpool wont be the same :-(

 

[Black]

There is no such group as the "Flyde tramway group

very sorry, I meant the Flyde Tramway Society.

 

[kevsy21]

An end of a era,good pics.

 

[Flexible]

Had a great laugh on the trams one mad bank holiday weekend once, the Conductor was a top guy too! I hope they can be saved, because as well as getting you from A to B in a fairly environmentally-friendly way, they were also a good tourist attraction. Loved the old adverts on them.

That Unimog in pic 5 with the retractable track wheels is some piece of engineering.