Brush 627 leaves for a new home in East Anglia

Brush Car 627 at the Pleasure Beach in May 2002 carrying an overall advert for Coral Island

Brush Car 627 (original number 290) departed from Blackpool for a new life across the other side of the country in East Anglia on Thursday 28th July. Brush 627 (290) was owned by the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust (FHLT), and had been purchased in 2011, along with several other trams, for a proposed new tram museum in Fleetwood. Since plans for the Fleetwood museum fell through, other uses for the collection of trams stored on Fleetwood Fish Dock have been pursued. Brush Car 290 (as it had been renumbered) was put on display on a short section of track within the Pleasure Beach turning circle for a number of years, until finally being moved to Rigby Road tram depot for dry storage in 2015. The East Anglia Transport Museum, at Carlton Colville near Lowestoft, have purchased 627 (290) to add to their existing collection of operating trams, which include Marton Vambac 11 and Blackpool Standard 159. Late on the morning of 28th July, a low loader of Reid Freight Services arrived in Blundell Street to collect 627 for the long journey to the opposite side of the country. Before 627 could be loaded it had to be turned around, as the towing box on the end of the tram facing the trailer was missing. After 627 had been turned with the aid of the depot fork lift truck, the loading process could begin. Once 627 was safely loaded and chained down, Reid's low loader departed for the long journey to East Anglia around 1425.

Brush Car 627 being towed out of the depot along Hopton Road by the fork lift truck

Brush 627 on Blundell Street (notice the missing towing box)

John Woodman and Colin Macleod of the FHLT bidding farewell to 627 (290) on Blundell Street

Brush 627 being hauled onboard the trailer using the tractor unit's electric winch

627 being winched onto the low loader trailer of Reid Freight Services

Enthusiasts and spectators watching the loading process of Brush 627

A rear view of Brush Car 627 loaded onboard Reid's transporter

Reid Freight Service's low loader ready to depart from Blundell Street

Reid's low loader making the tricky manoeuvre from Blundell Street into Hopton Road

627 on display at the Pleasure Beach in June 2015, with Brush 631 on Heritage Tour service