Scenes from the Fifties

Now that the Council will formally decide on approving the tramway extension to North Station at their November meeting it is worth recalling the days when trams were very much part of the streetscape in Blackpool. Whilst the Promenade was naturally the principal route funnelling trams from Squires Gate and North Station into a mix of services - the high frequency of trams on Dickson Road, Lytham Road and around Marton were no less prominent. Nearly all services featured English Electric railcoaches - with 45 examples becoming the backbone of the fleet. Below :

we see trackwork ongoing at the terminus of the Lytham Road service. This was undertaken just a year before the trams were replaced by Bus Service 12. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that the Chairman of the Transport Committee lived directly opposite the crossover which at the time featured dropped joints.......

A rare scene at Eaves Street crossover with North Station bound trams being turned back for a few hours due to a circus procession taking up the roadway opposite North Station preventing trams from reversing at their usual terminus. The Duty Inspector is turning the trolleypole with one just passenger boarding - or so it seems.

Station Road with recently laid new tarmac surfacing. Talbot Square bound tram is closing in on the junction with Lytham Road and the short stretch of track which will bring it Royal Oak where it makes a sharp right hand turn on to Waterloo Road.

Abingdon Street stop outbound with an expectant queue of shoppers (all nicely dressed) waiting for their tram to take them home on the ever busy Marton service. Again - another English Electric rail coach supplements the usual turnout of Marton Vambac cars on this high frequency (4 minute) tram service.

This was Blackpool in its prime - with many more images of both buses and trams in the forthcoming title 'Municipal Transport Heyday - Blackpool's trams and buses 1950 - 1959' due to be published next year. All Images Copyright : John Woodman