Lytham 43 arrives at Rigby Road

The lower saloon of Lytham Pullman tram 43 being delivered to Rigby Road tram depot

The only surviving tram from the Lytham St Annes Corporation Tramways system arrived at Rigby Road depot on 24th January to join the growing Heritage Tram fleet. The lower saloon of Lytham Pullman car 43 has been in preservation for many years, latterly in kit form, and at one stage it was going to be converted into a railway carriage for use on the narrow gauge West Lancashire Light Railway. Fortunately the tram was secured for preservation by Robert Mortimer, who has spent the last couple of years painstakingly reassembling and restoring the tram body to the stage where it was ready for acceptance by the Heritage Tram Trust on long term loan at Blackpool for eventual restoration into a fully working tramcar again. The Lytham Tramway system closed down in 1937, but prior to this Lytham trams were frequent visitors to the Blackpool system and could be seen operating as far as the Gynn.

A view showing how Lytham tram 43 might look when it is eventually restored to operating condition