TRAMTALK

Just a few more hours to the cutting of formalised engagement of the UK with the European Union. It has been an arduous and fraught three years since the British public cast their votes on whether this country should remain a Member State within the EU, or whether it should leave. By a small but clear margin the majority voted to Leave. The consequence was an upheaval in domestic politics at Westminster and consternation elsewhere in Brussels, Paris, Berlin and indeed throughout Europe. England voted definitively to leave the EU whilst Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland saw majorities voting to Remain - with consequent disquiet and resentment in these constituent parts of the UK.

The announcement today by Grant Shapps that the franchise of Britain's largest commuter railway operation - covering the north and northwest is to be nationalised has to bring joy to households and travellers across Britain. Whilst pocketing dividends and all manner of earnings the two successive owner operators of this franchise have done the UK rail industry great harm overall - whilst making the lives of millions of travellers a daily misery for the most part. Smart new trains arriving now are a deal too late, as is the incessant rebranding paint and vinyl jobs somehow masking the debilitating service provision over a wide swathe of the north of England. That this Government has abrupt

The Government announcement today of funding immediate studies on the restoration of rail service to towns and communities abitrarily cut off from the national railway network during the 1960s has singled out Fleetwood to Poulton and Ashington - Blyth - Tyne line in the northeast as two initial railway links in the north of England. Concerted efforts of diverse organisations and individuals influenced the Government's attention on the Fylde coast and in particular the case of Fleetwood being given initial study funding from today. Poulton & Wyre Railway's sustained work in preserving track, right of way and in particular maintaining Thornton's Railway Station platforms and precinct as well

The town of Fleetwood at the most northerly point on the Fylde's coastline facing on to the Irish Sea and Morecambe Bay is one of many English coastal communities struggling to recover from economic decline over several decades. It is far from alone in seeking to reinvent previous era of positive growth and development. Unlike many seaside towns Fleetwood's earlier success was very much attuned to external forces brought about and heavily influenced with arrival of the railway. Seagoing trawler fleets extended further and further towards Iceland and into the North Atlantic brought increased landings of white fish for which the town became famous : cod, haddock and hake in particular.

A long time ago in a far off time - the burntout shell of Works Car 753 - formerly Standard Car 143 was saved from dismantling by the efforts of a handful of dedicated Blackpool enthusiasts and their supporters under the aegis of the Lancastrian Transport Trust. The bodywork of the tram was carefully transferred from Rigby Road to the care of the LTT at their premises on Brinwell Road near Mereside. Here it remained for some years before the Trust took upon itself to return the tram to a rendition of its original as built appearance in the 1920s. Number 143 was one of several 'new' Standards built in the workshops at Rigby Road as part of a renewal programme instigated by then then Manage

Blackpool is the setting for a long overdue conference on light rail and its implications for the Fylde coast to be held on the 18th February at the Imperial Hotel venue from 0900. Organised and hosted by the LRTA - the Conference coordinator is Sam Flynn whose role and efforts have been focussed on the south Fylde railway and extending Blackpool's light rail service beyond its truncated terminus next to the sand hills at Starr Gate. Paris and the first of the new generation of tram routes (T1) which are intended to encircle the city entirely, linking outer suburbs and the Paris Metro and regional rail lines running into the centre. This strategy which began thirty years ago is nearing co

Whilst Blackpool's almost unique policy of building up a bus and tram fleet entirely with centre entrance bodywork from 1933 onwards may have seemed strange to British eyes, it was very much in evidence in several European capitals. Berlin, Paris and Copenhagen were among major tram operators adopting centre entrance trams on the continent of Europe. Other systems such as Rotterdam (see earlier blog this month), Leipzig, Danzig and Zurich similarly acquired centre entrance trams to very different styling as further examples. Possibly Berlin being the foremost proponent of centre entrance bodywork with over 500 examples built during the 1920s and early 1930s creating the largest class of

By way of illustrating the level of skilled work involved in bringing an old tram back to life in its original condition - the National Tramway Museum are close to completing several years of dedicated effort (and expense) in finalising the return of London County Council Number 1 to service at Crich. Sometime in the coming months the tram will be formally 'launched' in its striking original dark blue and white colours - as the prototype of a new series planned for the LCC tramway network in 1931. These brave plans were thwarted by Governmental edicts requiring London's tramway operations to be combined into 'London Transport' - thus eliminating the quirks and idiosyncracies of diverse mu

Whilst constant reference is made to the shoals of vintage era trams held in Rigby Road Depot with ever manipulative 'rebranding' by the Paint Shop - in fact very little real restoration in the fullest sense of the term has taken place thus far at Rigby Road. In part due to the continuing call on available resources in the Works abetted by limitations on funding for individual objectives. Whereas at the National Tram Museum (among other repositories of vintage trams) especial effort and sustained dedication focus on long term projects to realise strategic restoration aims supported by financial contributions. The last important achievement in Blackpool has been the 'near' completion of S

The busiest weekend out of season brought thousands of visitors into Blackpool's centre and the Winter Gardens for the annual pigeon show. Queues outside the Winter Gardens together with long lines of taxis lining up for trade contrasted with the handfuls of tram enthusiasts persuaded to travel to Blackpool for the first 'Gold' weekend of heritage tram service. I am told that the pigeon exhibitions brings breeders with buyers from all over the UK and Ireland, as well as our European neighbours especially in the 'Low Countries' where pigeon racing has a large following. Pigeon lofts used to be a familiar sight especially in the north of England. A leading Coronation character in the orig

Whilst British tram systems were typified by the common use of trolleypoles for current collection elsewhere in many European countries, Germany in particular, pantographs were more or less standard features on most tramway fleets. There were of course exceptions. Hamburg in particular stands out with this large operation retaining trolleypoles on its trams right to the end of the system (the first German city to give up trams in 1978 - West Berlin excepted). Two far smaller and distinctive towns also continued with trolleypoles to the end of their operations (Koblenz and Paderborn). I was fortunate to be stationed near Paderborn in the early 1960s as part of the Army's BAOR establishme

For the benefit of our readers in The Netherlands and following on the story of Aachen 1010 arriving in the Isle of Man in the 1970s - some further memories from Rotterdam when that city's tram system was dominated by centre entrance bogie cars - also built by Talbot. Rotterdam in those now far off days was unusual for its distinctive black and mustard fleet livery - always identifiable with that city. The two black and white snaps were taken by the Author in the 1960s.

The Government of Wales is pressing forward with total overhaul of its urban transport network in Cardiff and the South Wales area. A new Metro system that utilises the existing local and regional railway infrastructure is already approved. This envisages a tramtrain cross city line that runs into and through Cardiff's Central station. This week the Welsh Government with Local Authority involvement is taking these plans a stage further. Traffic into the central area of the city will have penalties attached to reduce both congestion and air pollution. A complete city circular tramtrain operation is now being considered creating an electric rail service on a loop line around Cardiff. N

The latest UK city to move against private car usage in its central district is Birmingham. The city council announced plans to restrict private cars from travel through the centre of the city favouring park and ride from sites on the periphery of the business district and commercial centre. Priority will be given to enhanced public transport modes that of course include the expanding light rail line currently linking Wolverhampton with Birmingham. This single tram service is being extended at both ends currently with further lines now being reviewed. Birmingham, like Liverpool and Leeds, enjoyed extensive reserved track tramways built to serve outer suburbs and which remain as tree lin

A long familiar banking name has occupied the key corner of Abingdon Street and Church Street. Yorkshire Penny Bank as it was set up shop here in the 1920s, if not before. Its premises and branding have of course changed over the decades with the latest incarnation yet to show itself in the form of 'Virgin Money' a financial services and banking business acquired by the Yorkshire Bank and its sister entity - Clydesdale in 2019. The days of penny banks have long gone with the dilution of value in coinage and fiat currency more broadly. Now we speak about money in the broadest sense, knowing that its value in whatever denomination is forever subject to a reducing purchase power. Where on

A reminder of conceptual rail expansion and connectivity for the Fylde in the new decade - a working paper prepared by Wyre Dock Development in 2018. Its origins emerged from the company's outline proposals to Associated British Ports (ABP) and redevelopment of the Wyre Dock properties which afforded reopening of the railway right of way to Wyre Dock from Poulton. Whilst these have had to be reluctantly set aside as a result of ABP's property management restructuring - the overarching need for a new rail link serving the towns of Fleetwood and Thornton with the railway network and its electrified service from Blackpool to Preston is now being given support by the new Government through f

The new decade has started with good news for Fylde's rail transport future. Government departments have signalled approval of funding for detailed examination of integrating the Fylde coast's rail and light rail infrastructure. Linking the Fleetwood Ferry terminus of the tramway to the protected right of way running from Wyre Dock to the junction at Poulton with the mainline railway to Preston (and Blackpool North). Furthermore the extension and strengthening of the railway line from its current dead end single track terminus at Waterloo Road to Kirkham (and Preston). In tandem news of Government intention to terminate the current franchise ownership of Northern Rail from its existin