Blackpool running day at Crich - The Cavalcade

Blackpool & Fleetwood crossbench car 2 heads a line-up of trams at Stephenson Place during the Blackpool event

The National Tramway Museum at Crich organised a special event on Sunday 12th October to commemorate the 80th birthday of Blackpool Balloon 711, which had been on loan to the museum for the 2014 season. The event took the form of a Blackpool running day, with all the serviceable Blackpool trams being pressed into passenger service. The day started out with a cavalcade of trams which formed at the museum entrance near to the bandstand, consisting of Balloon 711, Rack 2, Toastrack 166, Pantograph 167, Box 40, Boat 236, Brush 630, Standard 40 and Jubilee 762. There was widespread fog across the country during the morning, and Crich was no exception with bright sunshine and blue skies near the bandstand, yet only a few yards away near the depot the tramway was shrouded in mist!

Boat 236, Brush Car 630, Standard 40 and Jubilee 762 at the tail end of the procession near to the bandstand

Blackpool Toastrack 166 at the bandstand, heading off towards Town End in full glorious sunshine

The line of trams ran one at a time to Stephenson Place, with Box 40 seen emerging from the mist near the depot

Balloon 711 heads up the procession at Stephenson Place, as the line of nine trams trails away into the mist

The mist begins to clear at Stephenson Place as Balloon 711 heads up the procession of nine Blackpool trams