Strangers in the sunlight
A brief encounter at Rigby Road this week saw feverish? preparations underway for the display of trams (and the occasional bus) being organised at the weekend. The Trust was permitted inspection of Jubilee Car 761 now carefully stored (along with Brush Car 290) on seemingly full depot tracks.
The Wynsor Shoes all over vinyls are by now a little the worse for wear and 761 will definitely benefit from a makeover when the time allows workshop attention. This is not however imminent. Blackpool Transport and the BHT team have a pressing priority to complete the work on Standard 143 which fortuitously was parked on the depot fan alongside Jubilee 761 - to allow an external dousing of cleaning liquid.
Details of the workshop programme in the coming financial year are subject to Board approvals of line specific budgets. But seeing 143 finally emerge from its interregnum between Brinwell Road and Rigby Road's workshop attention is something well worth waiting for.
Two generations of Blackpool trams - some fifty years apart. Where else in the country is this possible on an operating system.
At least the interior is still very much the same - just need the passengers on what is the largest seating capacity tram on the Blackpool system.
Images : FHLT