Morecambe Vintage Bus Running Day

A 1934 Lytham Leyland Lion and 1953 Brighton, Hove & District Bristol KSW6G at the football stadium

The Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust held their annual Vintage Bus Running Day at Morecambe on Sunday 19th May. The event comprised of static vehicle displays, sales stalls and free rides on a wide variety of preserved buses, including several open toppers, which proved very popular under the wall to wall sunshine that greeted visiting enthusiasts. The RVPT operated free bus services from Carnforth railway station, Happy Mount Park and Heysham Village to the Morecambe Football Club and Promenade every 10 to 15 minutes throughout the event. There was also a Bare Circular that operated a frequent service from outside the Winter Gardens on the Promenade, stopping at Happy Mount Park and Bare.

Stagecoach ADL Enviro400 MMC 11146 on service 6A with a 1950 Morecambe & Heysham AEC Regent III

1962 Ribble Leyland PD3/5 1775 leaving the Mazuma stadium on the free bus service to Carnforth

1972 Ribble open top Bristol VR 1995 returning to the football stadium

1956 Ribble Leyland PD2/12 1467 loading up for the Bare Circular at the football stadium

1948 Lytham St Annes Leyland PD2/1 10 operating a free bus service

Economic Coaches of Whitburn 1948 Albion Valiant CX39N

1959 Crosville Bristol Lodekka LD6B DLB978 operating on the free bus service

1950 Todmorden Corporation Leyland PD2/1 18 with a Leyland lowbridge body

Barrow Transport Group partial open top Volvo B10M 928 with Ribble 1467 passing

1954 London Transport AEC Regent III RT4548

1958 Fishwick Leyland PD2/40 with a Weymann lowbridge body

1967 Blackpool PD3 512 and former Stagecoach open top Dennis Trident 17012

Morecambe 1951 Weymann bodied 73 and 1950 Park Royal bodied 72, both AEC Regent IIIs

1987 Blackpool open top Leyland Olympian 857

1970 Fylde Borough Transport Leyland Atlantean 77 with Nottingham style bodywork

The Northern Lights over the Fylde Coast

The northern lights shimmering over Mary's Shell on Cleveleys beach at midnight on 10th May

Not a tram or a bus in sight but something MUCH rarer, illuminations, no not the man-made sort, but one of the wonders of the natural world. I thought that the rarity of this unusual local occurence warranted posting the photos on here (they're best viewed in lower light conditions). Due to a recent period of intense solar activity on the sun, a series of unusually strong coronal mass ejections (eruptions of plasma and magnetic energy) were directed towards the Earth, and arrived in our atmosphere on the evening of 10th/11th May. The charged particles emitted from the sun collide with gases in the upper Earth's atmosphere, typically oxygen and nitrogen, generating geomagnetic storms which create vibrant displays of colour in the sky. These dazzling light displays are known as the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights, and are usually only visible from higher latitudes, such as Iceland, Norway and Scotland. The colours are caused by the solar wind colliding with gas particles high in the atmosphere, with oxygen generating green light and nitrogen blue or purple light, all this takes place 50 to 200 miles up in the atmosphere. The recent sun spot plasma eruptions generated an S5 solar radiation storm, which is the maximum on the S1 to S5 scale for measuring solar storms, creating the best display of the northern lights seen in over 20 years. This unusually strong solar activity meant that the Aurora Borealis was visibile in many parts of the world where it would normally not be seen, usually being restricted to northern latitudes. These photos were taken from Fleetwood and Cleveleys beaches between 11pm and midnight on 10th May (the colours can best be seen away from bright daylight).

The aurora over Fleetwood radar station and the lower lighthouse which was built in 1840

The aurora from Fleetwood beach looking over the River Wyre towards Knott End

The view from Fleetwood beach looking towards the former radar training station, built 1961

The northern lights over the lower lighthouse viewed from Fleetwood beach

The aurora borealis in the western sky looking towards the Marine Hall at Fleetwood

The colour displays of the aurora dancing across the moon over Cleveleys sea front

Transpora South buses in Blackpool

 Transpora South Coast Enviro400 LF59XDZ on route 21 to Fleetwood on 24th April

A couple of Transpora Group buses from their southern operating areas were noted in Blackpool recently. Transpora South Coast ADL Enviro400 LF59XDZ was running on the Transpora North West route 21 between Fleetwood and North Pier last week. LF59XDZ was formerly with Abellio London, and is currently in the Transpora southern region livery of white with blue flashes. Transpora Bristol Scania Omnicity LX58CEV was spotted parked in Bispham, still in full Stagecoach London red livery, complete with LT roundels (minus the Stagecoach fleet names). The Omnicity appeared to have last been used on a rail replacement service, according to the destination blind.

Transpora Scania Omnicity LX58CEV complete with London roundels, parked up in Bispham on 24th April

A rear view of Transpora South Coast Enviro400 LF59XDZ at the North Pier stop

Days 2 and 3 of Talbot Road testing using Flexity 001

Flexity 001 using the scissors crossing as it approaches the North Station terminus

Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th April saw only one tram being used on the North Station tramway extension route testing. Flexity 001 commenced its runs up and down Talbot Road around 1630 on both days, with testing continuing into the evening.

Flexity 001 heading down Talbot Road over the Dickson Road junction

Flexity 001 and BTS Enviro 568 passing each other at the Abingdon Street traffic lights

Flexity 001 crossing over Dickson Road into Talbot Road

Flexity 001 passing Stagecoach Scania N230UD 15579 on Talbot Road

Flexity 001 waiting at the stop signal at the Abingdon Street traffic lights

Flexity 001 heading down Talbot Road towards the Promenade

Flexity 001 taking a left turn into Talbot Square from the Promenade

Flexity 001 sat at the North Station tram stop terminus

Talbot Road Route Testing

Flexity 010 returning from its first run to the North Station tram stop at 1120

Route testing along Talbot Road to North Station resumed on Tuesday 23rd April after a two year hiatus, the last Flexity testing having taken place in July 2022. Two trams were in use at various times throughout the day, with Flexity 010 arriving at the North Station terminus at 1015 on its first run. After a significant pause due to technical issues, 010 made its way back down to the Promenade at 1120. Flexity 015 joined the proceedings at 1220, from which point the two trams trams continued testing the short extension line until the middle of the afternoon.

Flexity 010 pausing at the Talbot Square tram stop

Flexity 010 crossing to the southbound Promenade line at Talbot Square

Flexity 015 waiting on Talbot Road at the Dickson Road traffic lights

Flexity 010 and 015 at the North Station tram terminus

Flexity 010 and 015 at North Station terminus adjacent to the new Holiday Inn hotel

Flexity 010 leaving the terminus with BTS Enviro 456 heading up Talbot Road on route 14

Flexity 015 crossing the traffic lights at the junction with Abingdon Street

BTS Enviro 572 on route 6 to Peel Park passing Flexity 010 at Talbot Square

Flexity 015 passing 010 which is waiting at Talbot Square

Manchester 200 Years of the Bus (1824 to 1940 Event)

Manchester Carriage & Tramways Company 1890 horse bus L2 and horse tram L53

200 years ago in 1824, Salford toll keeper John Greenwood began running a horse bus service between Pendleton and Manchester. The Manchester Museum of Transport are celebrating 200 years of bus services in Britain by holding several events throughout the year. The first event, celebrating the years 1824 to 1940, took place over the weekend of the 20th & 21st of April. The bus museum in Boyle Street had been rearranged to display a collection of buses that pre-dated 1940, with some visiting vehicles also in attendance. A heritage bus service operated between the museum and Salford on both days, where a couple of Salford City Transport buses were on display. A shuttle bus service was also in operation between the museum and Shudehill Interchange in the centre of Manchester.

Manchester Corporation 28, a 1930 Leyland Tiger TS2 with Vulcan (Southport) bodywork

Manchester Corporation 2150, a 1949 Crossley DD42/8S with Crossley bodywork

Manchester Carriage & Tramways Company horse tram L53 with an Eades Patent reversible truck, built in the 1880s

Lancashire United 202, a 1930 Leyland Lion LT1 with Roe bodywork, on loan from a Lincolnshire museum

Ribble Motor Services 295, a 1927 Leyland Lion PLSC1 with a replica Leyland body built in 1982

Ashton Corporation 8, a 1928 Karrier WL6 with English Electric bodywork

North Western Road Car Co 432, a 1939 Bristol K5G with 1952 Willowbrook lowbridge bodywork

Salford Corporation 235, a 1939 AEC Regent with Park Royal bodywork

North Western 270, a 1946 Bristol L5G with 1952 Willowbrook bodywork

Salford 254, a 1966 Leyland Titan PD2/40 carrying SELNEC fleet numer 3100, heading for display in Salford

Lytham St Annes 24, a 1934 Leyland Lion LT5A built as a demonstrator for Leyland Motors

North Western 224, a 1947 Leyland Titan PD2/1 with Leyland lowbridge bodywork

Bolton Corporation 77, a 1956 Leyland Titan PD2/13 with Metro-Cammell body on the Shudehill shuttle service

Elmer the Tram Elephant

Elmer Tram basking in the sunshine at North Pier on Sunday 14th April

In conjunction with Brian House Children's Hospice, a series of colourful elephant sculpures have been positioned around the town centre and promenade, collectively called Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool. The sculptures are inspired by the character Elmer the Patchwork Elephant from the children's books writted by David McKee. Of particular interest to tramway enthusiasts will be the elephant that has been placed outside North Pier, called "Elmer Tram" sponsored by Blackpool Transport. Elmer Tram is painted in green and cream, reminiscent of a 1930s Balloon car such as heritage tram 717. The elephant sculptures will remain on display from 13th April until 9th June.

Elmer Tram on a quiet Sunday morning on 14th April

A rear three-quarter view of Elmer Tram at North Pier

The description board on the Elmer Tram sculpture

The inspiration for Elmer Tram seen on South Promenade in February 2018