August Bank Holiday Heritage

First out of the depot was Brush Car 631, passing the fire engines at work on Tyldesley Road

The 2022 August Bank Holiday weekend saw three days of intensive heritage tram operation in Blackpool, with six trams rostered to operate the service on each of the three days. There was a delayed start to operations on the Saturday morning, due to a derelict building fire on Tyldesley Road which had started in the early hours. Lytham Road and Tyldesley Road were closed to all traffic for several hours, while Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service brought the fire under control, using several fire engines and two aerial ladder platforms. The heritage trams were eventually allowed to gain access to the Promenade via the still closed Lytham Road, shortly after 11:00 am. All six heritage trams were required to run together in convoy, these being Brush 631, Boats 600 & 227, then the Frigate followed by Balloons 700 & 715. A selection of photos of the daytime heritage service over the three days of the bank holiday weekend are shown here.

Heritage trams 715, 700, 736, 227, 600 & 631 travelling down Lytham Road to the Promenade

Boat 600 passing the Alice in Wonderland illuminations tableau near Lowther Avenue

Balloon 715 passing the four seasons illuminations tableau near Lowther Avenue

The frigate passing through Cleveleys, returning from a trip to Fleetwood

Balloon 700 passing St Peter's Church on Lord Street in Fleetwood

The Western Train at Anchorsholme road crossing on its return journey from Fleetwood on 28th Aug

Boat 227 at Little Bispham returning from a heritage tour to Cleveleys

Balloon 723 at Little Bispham, substituting for Railcoach 680 on Saturday 28th

Balloon 717 passing Little Bispham on its way to Fleetwood Ferry

Brush Car 621 at Thornton Gate on a run to Cleveleys on Sunday 29th August

Centenary Car 648 passing Cafe Marina on North Albert Street in Fleetwood

Balloon 707 passing Anchorsholme Park on a trip to Thornton Gate in Cleveleys

Blackpool Airshow 2022 - The Trams

Northbound Flexity 016 pauses at the Tower tram stop, while 001 and 006 head south

The 2022 Blackpool Airshow took place over the weekend of 13th and 14th August under glorious blue skies and blessed with warm weather, maybe a bit too warm for some! This was the first time that the airshow had been held for three years, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However this post isn't about the aircraft, but the trams that were operating on the Promenade under extremely difficult operating conditions, mainly due to the large crowds that surrounded and spilled over onto the tram tracks between Central and North Piers. Due to the density of the crowds, each tram had to be preceded by a guide walking along in front of the tram, on the busiest section of the central Promenade. Note, all the photos shown here were taken on Saturday 13th August.

Flexity 002 and Bolton 66 slowly making their way through the crowds near North Pier

An unidentified Flexity heading north from the Tower tram stop

"I'm sure there's a tram track around here somewhere!"  Flexity 011 heading north

Pedestrians walking in front of Flexity 008 at the Tower, while 001 heads north

Balloon 700 heading north on a Coastal Tour near the Tower

Boat 227, seen through the crowds, on a northbound Promenade Tour

Bolton 66 following one of the walking guides at the Tower

Flexity 009 and passing cyclists near the Tower tram stop

The Avro Lancaster of the BBMF banking around over North Pier during its display routine

Wrightbus battery-electric demonstrator on loan to Blackpool

The Wright Electroliner heading north on service 1 in Cleveleys

Blackpool Transport currently have a Wright StreetDeck Electroliner dual-door battery-electric demonstrator bus on loan. The Wright Electroliner (LY71 GJE) has been noted in use on Promenade service 1 over the last couple of days, complete with a roving conductor, and was shadowing BTS ADL Enviro 445 on the morning of Tuesday 9th August. The demonstrator is finished in a rather attractive shade of blue, standing out from the rest of the grey buses in use along the Fylde Coast.

Electric bus and tram (Flexity 002) alongside each other in Bold Street, Fleetwood 

The Wright demonstrator on The Esplanade in Fleetwood

The Electroliner leaving the Affinity shopping outlet at Fleetwood

A rear view of the demonstrator as it turns right onto Dock Street in Fleetwood