Transpora open-top Scania on route 26 to Marton

LX58CEV on Bond Street, passing the Nickelodeon Streak roller coaster in the Pleasure Beach

One of Sightseeing Manchester's open-top Scanias was in use on Transpora North West's service 26 to Marton again this weekend. Scania N230UD Omnicity LX58CEV (ex Stagecoach London) has been in all day service on Beach Bus 26, from Marton Mere holiday village to Blackpool, on both Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th August.

LX58CEV passing South Pier on the Promenade

LX58CEV heading inland along Station Road in South Shore

LX58CEV heading into Blackpool with a full load from Marton Mere Holiday Village

LX58CEV passing the Royal Oak at the junction of Waterloo Road and Lytham Road

LX58CEV arriving in New Bonny Street with a full load of holidaymakers from Marton

LX58CEV unloading passengers at the New Bonny Street stop near the Promenade

Overhead problem at Norbeck causes tram service delays

Flexity 011 waiting behind a stop sign just before Little Bisham loop

There was disruption to the tram service in Blackpool on Saturday afternoon caused by overhead wiring problems. An overhead line crew was seen at Norbreck attempting to rectify the problem on a centre pole on the tramway reservation. Both northbound and southbound trams were delayed while the repairs took place. Flexity 011 was noted on the southbound track just before Little Bispham loop at 1315, parked behind a red stop sign that had been positioned between the rails. Stationary southbound trams were also observed at the Anchorsholme Lane and Cleveleys stops, presumably there was a similar backlog on the northbound line.

Overhead crew making repairs to the damaged wiring at Norbreck

A loose wire hanger insulator on the northbound line at Norbreck

New Overall Advert for Flexity 014

Flexity 014 near South Pier heading towards Starr Gate

Flexity 014 is carrying a new black overall advert for Season 2 of the Netflix TV Series "Wednesday". The tram was first spotted near South Pier on the morning of Wednesday 13th August, on its first day in service with the new advert.

Flexity 014 passing the Tower on its way to Fleetwood Ferry

Flexity 014 heading north past the Sandcastle centre

The centre section of Flexity 014 showing off its new Netflix advert

Blackpool Airshow Tram Service & Promenade Barriers

Flexity 004 passing the northern tramway barrier, shortly before through operation was curtailed

The 2025 Blackpool Airshow took place over the weekend of 9th & 10th August. Previous years have seen a split tram service in operation, with trams on the northern section operating between Fleetwood Ferry and North Pier, and the southern section seeing trams turning back using the Foxhall crossover with the service running between Manchester Square and Starr Gate. This year the split service lasted from 1200 until around 1830, with the southern section operating the same as last year, with trams turning using the Foxhall crossover. Unlike last year when trams did not use the Talbot Road line, this year just saw a regular Fleetwood Ferry to North Station tram service. During the 2024 Airshow Blackpool Transport chose to terminate the tram service at North Pier, and not use the already opened North Station extension. This year saw heavy duty crash barriers installed on the central area of the Promenade, to protect the public from any potential terrorist attack, with road and tramway barriers near Victoria Street and Chapel Street, and road barriers on New Bonny Street. Note that all the photos used here were taken on day two of the airshow on Sunday 10th August.

The tramway barrier at Victoria St closed, with 001 marooned in a fenced off area on the North Pier siding

Flexity 013 passing a replica Red Arrow Hawk aircraft on the Tower headland

The heavy duty crash barrier at Victoria Street, with police and marshals in attendance

The heavy duty tramway crash barrier near Central Pier

The Promenade road crash barrier near Central Pier

The road and pavement crash barriers close to Central Pier

The Promenade traffic diversion sign just south of Chapel Street and Central Pier

Flexity 013 at the northern end of the southern split service, near Central Pier

Flexity 004 about to return south using the Foxhall crossover

Flexity 018 at the northern end of the southern split service, near Central Pier

Flexity 004 returning south, passing people walking the wrong side of the tramway barriers

Flexity 006 using the Foxhall crossover to return back south again

Tactical Firearms police enjoying the airshow on Sunday afternoon

The RAF Avro Lancaster bomber finishing its display routine with a flypast of the Tower

New route branding for Transpora North West's Service 24

Transpora Volvo Evora BD74FKE on Meadows Avenue in Thornton on 7th August

Transpora North West are introducing a new livery and route branding for their service 24, in partnership with Lancashire County Council & Blackpool Council. The first bus to carry the new colour scheme is Volvo B8R MCV Evora BD74FKE, which is seen here on 7th August on its first day in service in the new blue livery.

Evora BD74FKE on Westbourne Road in Cleveleys on service 24

Evora BD74FKE in its new blue livery on Bold Street in Fleetwood

Evora BD74FKE at Fleetwood, with BTS Enviro 445 on route 14 and Flexity 008

Electric Dump Trucks in Blackpool

A Fox Brothers Volvo FMX Electric 8x4 Tridem leaving the demolition site on Friday 11th March

No, not a tram but still electric. Spotted in Blackpool today at the demolition site of the old Bonny Street Police Station were some full size 100% battery electric dump trucks, owned by local company Fox Brothers. Fox purchased three of these Volvo FMX Electric 8x4 Tridem tippers last year, they are also equipped with rear axle steering (see photos). It was quite novel seeing a large dump truck whining its way down the road instead or roaring away.

A Volvo FMX Electric 8x4 Tridem turning onto Chapel Street with a load of crushed concrete

A Volvo FMX Electric 8x4 Tridem heading east on Chapel Street

One of the Volvo FMX Electric 8x4 Tridem dump trucks waiting to be loaded

Blackpool Zoo Tram

Flexity 001 rounding the curve from North Albert Street into Lord Street in Fleetwood on 20th June

Flexity 001 has received new advertising vinyls for Blackpool Zoo, replacing the long expired advert for The Sands Venue which was applied way back in 2012. Not only was the old advert time expired, but the Sands Venue was located in the former Palace nightclub building near to the Tower, which itself has been demolished for several years. Unfortunately they've just stuck the new advert on the now extremely faded purple tram, which hardly creates a great backdrop for the colourful new advert.

Flexity 001 heading along North Albert Street towards the Fleetwood terminus in Bold Street

Flexity 001 showing the old Sands Venue advert at North Station in April 2024

Flexity 001 at Cleveleys with its newly applied Sands Venue advert in September 2012

Cleveleys Model Tramway Show

The excellent Rainy City layout, representing Manchester in the 1920s.

The Blackpool Model Tramway Exhibition had a new venue for 2025, the one day show being held at Cleveleys Park Methodist Church, conveniently situated adjacent to the West Drive tram stop on the Blackpool to Fleetwood tramway. The event was well supported by exhibitors, sales stands and visitors, and was a resounding success thanks to the hard work put in by the organisers. All the layouts are to 4mm scale unless identified otherwise. Apologies to exhibitors if the photo captions aren't quite correct.

A large scale operating Lego tramway, featuring a Blackpool Dreadnought and other trams

An Edinburgh tramway street scene

A Scottish micro layout

Yellowthreads Treat a Hong Kong bus and tram layout

An HO German layout featuring trams, buses and trolleybuses

The tiny Upson Down Tram Museum in 3mm scale

An N gauge layout running a Hong Kong and articulated tram

The N gauge Blackpool's Golden Mile with some very nice 3D printed trams

Electric Avenue based on the Sunderland system

The Pavilion layout with a nice steam tram and trailer in 4mm scale

An Austrian Tirol mini layout in HO

Burychester Trams in N scale, sadly with no trams in the photo

The model tram display on the TLRS stand