Tram Talk

John Woodman The departure of Blackpool's final trams from regular service marked the end of designs unique to the resort's famous seafront operation in 2010. The town's Rigby Road Workshops had managed to sustain its service as the sole tram system in the UK following closure of the final Glasgow tram service (9) in September 1962. Like Glasgow's equally famous Coplawhill tram works, Blackpool's workshops with local skills became responsible for developing successive tra

John Woodman One of the 'fringe benefits' for redundant trams retired to carry out works car duties or similar is the longevity that this confers on already tired veterans. It is perhaps not surprising that many of the 'relics' which now gain the accolade of 'heritage' cars and subsequent restoration for this or that museum - lingered on due to second lives carrying out mundane duties or otherwise held at the back of depots as sentimental 'keepsakes' by sympathetic staff an

John Woodman Where are the trees ? Once upon a time Blackpool's roads were bordered by arboreal corridors which provided seasonal shade and softened an often harsh urban streetscape. Lytham Road and Whitegate Drive in particular were noteworthy for the mature trees that gradually emerged during later decades. Blackpool's town centre now totally lacks trees* having becoming a barren landscape bereft of greenery. Not much can be said for other Fylde coast communities

John Woodman Its not as if there haven't been attempts to establish a professionally managed transport museum/visitor heritage attraction celebrating Blackpool and the Fylde's rich transport history, The last such initiative was undertaken by the Lancastrian Transport Trust (now the Fylde TT). The Trust commissioned designs for a tram museum using the Council owned permanent way site at Thornton Gate. This would have allowed vintage trams to access the running line for s

John Woodman Amid continuing daily coverage of the pandemic with engrossed talking heads pontificating on data and trends impacting the general population, a singular beam of positivity appeared in Blackpool's local media today. Council sources confirm plans to develop new offices for an as yet unnamed government department - taking up property already acquired immediately to the south of the former 'Talbot Road Bus Station' structure. Capital investment of £50 Million and

John Woodman In 1898 the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramroad Company commenced its new direct electric tram service between the centre of Fleetwood and Blackpool's Talbot Road Railway Station. This eight mile long service endured through the takeover by Blackpool Corporation Tramways in 1920 up until the route's closure and replacement by Corporation bus service in October 1963. The very last service tram from the North Station terminus (as it became known) was Brush car 290.

John Woodman A noticeable feature in post Brexit Britain is the proliferation of the nation's flag on product packaging. While we continue to soldier on through what may well be an extended battle to overcome, if not erase, the deprivations of the Covid 19 virus nationwide - the impact and consequence of the UK's removal from oversight of EU regulations and its top heavy bureacracy is becoming clearer. We have no friends in Europe, or at least in that part of the continent

John Woodman Supposedly a quiet uneventful midweek caught work crews busy on the tramroad between Anchorsholme and Norbreck today. The contract to renew track and infrastructure on this and other sections saw hazmat clad crews cutting up sections of tramrail and replacing them with new sections around Melton Place and Little Bispham loop. This is part of a more extensive track renewal contract underway commissioned by Blackpool Council. Replacement of the pedestrian cr

John Woodman Blackpool was the first English town to demonstrate faith in the future role of electric power when it commissioned a Halifax entrepreneur to install the country's very first street running tramway powered by electricity - in 1885. The remarkable demonstration of tramcars rumbling along the resort's promenade without horses or steam tram locomotives providing the motive power in September of that year underlined Blackpool's leaders determination in making the to

John Woodman The push to 'go electric' by Blackpool's publicly owned transport operator - Blackpool Transport Services Ltd. has interesting ancestry outside of course of the electric tram service which has origins from 1885 (and 1898 in the case of the original Fleetwood - Blackpool service). Interest in bringing trolleybuses to Blackpool has surfaced from time to time most notably whenever the debate over relaying the street running Marton tram service 'surfaced' in Counci