More Trams to the Fish Docks

Balloon 710 being hauled with chains by Scotts MAN tractor unit, to move it within range of the winch on the trailer

The second day of the Fleetwood tram moves saw Twin Set trailer 683 make the short journey to the Associated British Ports fish dock in the morning. Balloon 710 became reunited with sister car 726 at Fleetwood docks in the afternoon, but not without putting up a struggle first. 710 had been parked on tarmac, and the wheels had sunk in during its two year stay in the hauliers yard. After releasing the sunken wheels, the bogies then needed to be lined up with the rail ramp, this whole process took a lot longer than had been anticipated, and it was late afternoon before 710 finally joined the other trams in the dock complex. As time had now run out due to the difficult extraction of 710, Jubilee car 761 could not be moved on the day, and would have to be left for a future occasion to make the trip to the docks.

Twin Set trailer 683 (still sheeted over) is winched on board the low loader trailer of Scotts Heavy Haulage

Trailer 683 heads up Denham Way towards the docks, with the Lindel Road tram stop in the background

Trailer 683 heads towards the docks, complete with the Western Train's old funnel on the back of the low loader!

With 710 safely loaded on board Scotts trailer, the process of dismantling the rail ramp begins

Balloon 710 leaving the hauliers yard after the very long winded process of getting it loaded onto the trailer

Balloon 710 making the right turn from Copse Road into Denham Way on its way towards the docks

Balloon 710 approaching its new temporary home, with the preserved Fleetwood trawler "Jacinta" in the background 

Scotts low loader with 710 on board entering the new outdoor storage compound adjacent to Fleetwood fish dock

Fleetwood Trams head for the Docks

Balloon 726 about to enter the Associated British Ports dock area on 2nd July in the care of Scotts Heavy Haulage

The collection of trams belonging to Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust are on the move again. The trams are having to vacate the hauliers yard that they are currently stored in, and are moving a short distance away to even more secure (but still open) accommodation. Scotts Heavy Haulage began the moves on the morning of 2nd July, with Railcoach 678 making the short trip to outside storage within the Associated British Ports complex close to the Fish Dock, Balloon 726 followed later, making the same journey in the afternoon.

Railcoach 678 after it had been winched onboard the low loader of Scotts Heavy Haulage

Railcoach 678 departing the hauliers yard in Fleetwood where it had been stored since December 2011

678 heading north along Copse Rd paralleling the tramway, before if turns right and heads towards Fleetwood Docks

Railcoach 678 heading for secure open storage adjacent to the Fleetwood Fish Dock

Dismantling the rail ramp after 726 had been winched onto the low loader of Scotts Heavy Haulage

Balloon 726 departing the hauliers yard in Fleetwood where it had been stored since November 2011

Scotts low loader with Balloon 726 onboard passing through the Associated British Ports security gate

Centenary 646 not scrapped after all?

Centenary 646 near Blackpool Airport on 8th November 2012, shortly before it disappeared from the site

It would appear that the vandalised "Paul Gaunt" Centenary Car 646 may not have been scrapped after all, the body of the tram is allegedly in use as a bar at a festival site in Scotland. More items recovered from 646 are now turning up for sale on the auction site eBay, the seller has included the following text in the description of the items:- "I recently bought and sold Blackpool tram 646. I offered the tram to all the museums but it was sold to a festival site in Scotland. They are using the body for a bar."

Heritage Trams for Totally Transport

Standard 147 leaves North Pier, being paralleled by the ex Hong Kong 12m Metrobus on the Seafront 12 service

Sunday 23rd June saw the annual Totally Transport vehicle rally being held on the South Promenade in Blackpool, as is often the case this year's event was subjected to some pretty atrocious weather again for late June. The skies were leaden grey with heavy cloud for most of the day, but to make matters worse there was a strong westerly wind that increased in force as the day wore on. All the hard work that the entrants had put in cleaning and polishing their exhibits into pristine condition was completely undone by the salt laden gales. By the end of the day every vehicle on the promenade was coated in a sticky film of wind blown salt spray, meaning that all the vehicles would need a thorough wash again after they returned home! As was to be expected, the forecast poor weather meant that the planned Boat cars were a non-starter for the heritage output on the day. The trams chosen for the morning tours were Standard 147 and Balloon 717, being swapped later in the day for 706 Princess Alice and Bolton 66, the open-topper being a strange choice given the extremely strong winds and heavy skies. The Heritage Tours operated as a shuttle service between North Pier and the Pleasure Beach throughout the day.

Balloon 717 was the second car on the morning heritage output, seen here from the top deck of Standard 147

Princess Alice loading on the Pleasure Beach loop, with a few adventurous souls braving the gales on the top deck!

Bolton 66 loading passengers at North Pier before reversing and heading south for the Pleasure Beach

From Hong Kong to Blackpool

Former China Motor Bus 12m MCW Metrobus F69 SYE operating on CBNW's Seafront 12 service at Little Bispham

A new monster 102 seat open-top bus has just begun operating in Blackpool on the Seafront 12 service of Classic Bus North West. This impressive vehicle originally started life on the opposite side of the world in Hong Kong. F69 SYE is a 1988 former China Motor Bus 12m MCW Metrobus (original number ML81), the vehicle last saw operational use back in 2009 running sightseeing tours around London for The Big Bus Company. The bus is carrying a vinyl wrap advert for the new Wallace and Gromit themed "Thrill-O-Matic" ride at the Pleasure Beach.

A nearside view of F69 SYE at Little Bispham, displaying the typical Hong Kong style narrow front entrance door

F69 SYE as it enters the Promenade at Little Bispham, showing the full height advert on the rear of the bus

Major Fire causes Town Centre Chaos

Gridlock on the minor side street that is Springfield Road, as all bus routes are diverted due to a major fire

On Wednesday 19th June a major fire broke out at the Walkabout Bar on Queen Street in Blackpool. The fire started at around 5.30 in the morning, and the surrounding streets were all closed off due to numerous fire appliances and ancillary vehicles attending the incident, with fire hoses being run along the streets to several different water hydrants. The resultant road closures played havoc with all the local bus services, this being on top of the existing road closures due to the Talbot Gateway work, and a collapsed sewer at the Dickson Road end of Queen Street. As the morning progressed the situation eased slightly, with the northbound Promenade being opened alongside the Metropole Hotel, and also the section of Abingdon Street alongside the Library being cleared, allowing northbound buses to use this short cut. The upper end of Talbot Road (between Abingdon Street and Topping Street) was completely closed all morning due to fire hoses running down the street, necessitating the traffic flow on the normally one-way northbound Topping Street to be reversed, and the pedestrianised St John's Square in front of the Winter Gardens was opened up to all traffic for the duration of the road closures. Southbound Promenade buses had to turn left onto Springfield Road (at the rear of the Metropole), joining with other bus routes that been diverted along the north end of Abingdon Street, this caused gridlock on Springfield Road, not helped by the temporary traffic lights at its junction with Dickson Road, associated with the major road works in the area.

Optare Solo 287 turns off the Promenade onto Springfield Road due to road closures caused by the major fire

Buses passing a disused bus shelter in the normally pedestrianised St John's Square, due to major road closures

Traffic entering the normally pedestrian only St John's Square in front of the Winter Gardens, due to road closures

Upper Talbot Rd and Abingdon St north were both closed due to the fire, so all routes headed west down Talbot Rd

Bus routes could only use Talbot Road westbound, hence Solo 294 bound for Marton Mere heading the wrong way

Stagecoach Trident 18364 being diverted south along Topping St due to Talbot Road being closed because of a fire

Brush 627 gets graffitied

Inkie's completed urban street art of a blue haired lady now adorns Brush car 627 opposite the Pleasure Beach 

Leading up to this weekend's "Sand, Sea & Spray" event, which is part of the third annual Urban Arts Festival, Brush car 627 was selected to be painted by London based street artist "Inkie", who is a compatriot of the well known urban artist "Banksy". The painting of 627 (290) was one of several events that took place over the weekend as part of the local arts festival. Inkie began to paint 627 on Friday 14th, in spite of occasional heavy rain showers, and completed the painting of one side and both ends of the tram on Saturday. The street art represents a lady with long blue hair flowing along the side of the tram, surrounded by lots of swirls and triangular symbols, there is also a stylised "290" fleet number over the doors, the artwork being signed at the top right hand corner by the artist. The seaward side of the tram is still in the Queens's Diamond Jubilee celebration scheme, although the children's paintings that adorned each window have now been removed. Although the covering of one side of 627 with urban street art appears to have been rather controversial in some circles, it certainly presents a more striking appearance now compared to the comparatively unimaginative Diamond Jubilee colour scheme that the tram previously carried.

"Inkie" takes a short break during his painting of the blue haired lady on Brush car 627 on Saturday 15th June

A close up of the partly finished urban street art of the blue haired lady as seen on the morning of 15th June

Partly painted 627 on 15th June, with a local tram preservation figure propping up the ladder for a photographer

The seaward side of 627 still showing the Queen's Diamond Jubilee scheme, minus the paintings in the windows

The completed artwork on the landward side of 627 as seen on the morning of Sunday 16th June

The north end of 627 which is displaying the rather optimistic destination "Fleetwood Tram Museum 2014"