Twin Set motor car 674 departs Blackpool

Twin Set motor car 674 shortly before departure time

The first half of Twin Set 674/684 left Blackpool rails this morning. Motor car 674 was loaded onto Scotts low loader in Blundell Street, destined for the same home as Centenary 647 that departed on Tuesday. The North Eastern Electrical Traction Trust, based in the North East of England, has already taken delivery of Balloon 721 and Centenary 647, these two trams will soon be joined by Twin Set 674/684. Scotts low loader finally left Blundell Street with 674 onboard at 1340.

674 being winched onto Scotts low loader in Blundell Street

Loading 674's trolley tower alongside the pantograph tower of Centenary 647

Scotts low loader departing Blundell Street at 1340 with its load of 674 and two towers

Scotts low loader accelerating away down Lytham Road headed for 674's new home in the North East

Open Golf Olympians

Blackpool Olympian 417 in its Open Golf Championship all over advert livery, seen at Rigby Road on 9th July

Ten of Blackpool's old Olympians are receiving vinyl all over sponsor adverts for use on the shuttle bus services associated with next weeks Open Golf Championship in St. Annes, which runs from 15th to 22nd July. Some of these buses have started to appear on schools services, 370 and 417 were noted leaving Rigby Road on school specials on Monday 9th July.

Olympian 417 leaving Rigby Road on a school service on 9th July

The rear of 417 as it heads off on a school service

647 departs for the North East

Centenary 647 being pushed into Blundell Street by Unimog 938

Centenary 647 became the second tram of the week to leave Rigby Road depot for pastures new. Following the departure of the Rocket yesterday, 647 was hauled out of the depot by Unimog 938 and pushed into Blundell Street reading for loading at 0820 this morning. After what must be one of the most protracted loading exercises yet, Centenary 647 finally departed on the back of Scotts low loader at 1525, bound for its new home with the North Eastern Electrical Traction Trust (NEETT). See http://www.neett.co.uk/ for more information about NEETT.

647 being winched up the rail ramp onto the low loader

647 safely loaded onto the back of Scotts low loader

The low loader negotiates the tricky exit from Blundell Street into Hopton Road, note the trailer grounding on the hump

647 leaving Blackpool for its new home in the North East of England

Rocket Tram

Blackpool Rocket 732 loaded and chained to Scotts low loader in Blundell Street

It's been a long, long time since 732 last moved through the streets of Blackpool, but today the LTT owned Rocket was extracted from the depot by a Unimog and pushed into Blundell Street, getting ready to boldly go where no tram has gone before. After spending ten years in storage in Rigby Road depot, the Rocket is going to be cosmetically restored by Blackpool Illuminations Department as a static display tableau for this years illuminations. In order to be able to load the tram and chain down the bogies to the trailer, the lower panels of the Rocket had to be removed first, revealing the old underframe and bogies of Pantograph car 168.

Tramnik One after it had been pushed into Blundell Street by the Unimog, still complete with its side panels

The Rocket slowly being winched onboard Scotts low loader, with the lower side panels removed to aid loading

Scotts low loader heads off down Lytham Road with the Rocket

732 pauses briefly on Amy Johnson Way near Blackpool Airport

Scotts low loader negotiates a junction on the industrial estate near the airport

732 in the Illuminations Department yard next to Blackpool Airport 

The Rocket in its heyday, loading passengers for a tour of the illuminations at Talbot Square in 1981

The Rocket at Talbot Square in 1981

Western Train on Heritage Tour

The Western Train running its first timetabled trip of the day to Little Bispham

The other tram that ran on Sunday's heritage tours was the illuminated Western Train. The train has been used on previous weekends, but suffered both times from defects and had to return to the depot early. The Western Train seemed to be performing more reliably this weekend, managing to stay out all day.

The Western Train returns to the Pleasure Beach after its first round trip of the day

A rear view of the Western Train as it enters the Pleasure Beach loop

The Western Train southbound at Gynn Square

Brush 631 runs on Heritage Tour

Brush 631 on its first round trip of the day on the Heritage Tour, heading south past St Chad's headland

Brush car 631 has become the latest member of the retained heritage fleet in Blackpool to be commissioned for use on the heritage service. Sunday saw 631 running on the Heritage Tour for the first time, alongside the Western Train. 631 still retains its existing all over vinyl advert for Wall's Ice Cream, although at some point in the future this might change.

631 passing South Pier on its second northbound run

New track at Pleasure Beach

New length of track at the Pleasure Beach to display the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Brush car on

A short length of track has been laid in the grass at the Pleasure Beach loop, in order to display Friends of Fleetwood Trams Brush car 627 during the illuminations. 627 is currently being worked on at Kirkham Prison, and it is being painted in a scheme to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The new track is purely to display the tram on, and it has no connection to the rest of the system. For more information on 627, see http://visitfleetwood.co.uk/latest-news, the tram is known by its former number of 290 by the FoFT.