Blundell Street Depot

Loading rails onto a dumper, note the underground room in the foreground where the shell casings were discovered

The final visible signs of Blundell Street Depot are now beginning to disappear as the demolition process draws to a close, part of the end wall and a cellar are all the remain of the brickwork still in situ. Today saw many of the old rails being loaded onto dumpers for removal from the site, some of these rails are being given to the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust for use in their projected tram museum project in Fleetwood. During the demolition process an underground room was discovered at the Rigby Road end of the building after a digger fell through the concrete roof, the cellar room contained what appeared to be ammunition. In view of the potential danger a bomb disposal unit was dispatched to the site, and Rigby Road was cordoned off for four hours. It turns out that these were empty First World War shell casings, as part of Blundell Street depot had been used for producing munitions during WWI.

Old rails being removed from the site of Blundell Street Depot on 10th July, note the deep excavations behind

The piles of old rail that were being disposed of by the contractors on the morning of 10th July

Blundell Street Depot on 24th November 1979, with Permanent Way car 624 and a demic Balloon in store