Blackpool Tram Blog: Liverpool Baby Grand 245 on Display

Liverpool Corporation Baby Grand tram 245 on display outside the Pacific Road building on 5th October

The annual Wirral Bus and Tram Show at Birkenhead on 5th October gave an opportunity for the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society to show the progress that they have made with the restoration of Liverpool Baby Grand tram 245. The tram was built at the Edge Lane Works of Liverpool Corporation Tramways in 1938, and remained in service until the tram system closed down in September 1957. After having been stored at various locations over the intervening years, a decision was made by National Museums Liverpool (NML) to move 245 to the Birkenhead Heritage Tramway where it could be restored to operational condition again by the MTPS. The tram was duly moved to the Taylor Street depot of the MTPS at Birkenhead in 2006, since when the tram has been cosmetically restored to its former glory. Further work still remains to be done on 245 before it can be used in passenger service on the Wirral Tramway. A magnificent line up of former Liverpool Corporation Transport vehicles were assembled together for display in front of the Pacific Road building, comprising of 1946 Guy Vixen tower wagon GKD 317, 1953 Crossley bodied AEC Regent III A36, 1938 Baby Grand 245, 1957 MCW bodied AEC Regent V A267 and 1962 Leyland Atlantean L501. All the vehicles in the line up were contemporary with Baby Grand 245 apart from the Leyland Atlantean, which was delivered five years after the tram system closed.