Coronation 304 at Beamish

Coronation 304 in the early afternoon sunshine, heading towards Pockerley on the Beamish tramway

Blackpool Coronation 304 is currently on a short term loan to Beamish open air museum courtesy of the Lancastrian Transport Trust. 304 departed Blackpool for Beamish on 11th October, and after an initial commissioning and testing phase entered service at the museum on Saturday 27th October. The plan was for 304 to operate at Beamish for three weekends before returning back to Blackpool for storage. A visit to Beamish on Saturday 3rd November saw variable weather in the morning giving way to mostly sunny conditions in the afternoon, and all the photos shown here were taken during that visit. Coronation 304, Balloon 703 (in the guise of Sunderland 101) and Grimsby and Immingham 26 (aka Gateshead 10) were the trams operating on the Saturday, with 304 and 26 running clockwise, and 703 (101) operating anti-clockwise around the circuit.

Coronation 304 near the tram depot, with the Pit Village bus making its turn around to return to the Colliery

304 returns to the depot for cosmetic work to its earlier accident damage, while Sunderland 101 passes by in service

Sunderland 101 passing Coronation 304 at the town tram stop

Sunderland 101 (aka Blackpool 703) arriving in Beamish town

Coronation 304 leaving the east end of Beamish town, heading for Pockerley

Grimsby and Immingham 26 (Gateshead 10) departing Beamish town

Sunderland 101 arriving at the east end of Beamish town from Pockerley

Grimsby and Immingham 26 between Beamish town and Pockerley, with a horse bus heading for the town

Coronation 304 in the open countryside between Beamish town and Pockerley

Sunderland 101 passing the colourful autumn foliage between Pockeley and Beamish town