Comings and Goings

Rigby Road witnessed the arrival this afternoon of yet another emigre from Heaton Park. Returning on the familiar rig of Scotts Heavy Haulage - Brush Car 623 had made the relatively short journey from Heaton Park on what was an atrocious day weather wise. Bryan Lindop is caught on camera coming out to witness yet another Brush car arriving for the 80th Celebratory Events marking the anniversary of this long lived and now classic Blackpool tramcar design. Parked up in the usual spot 623 was soon unloaded to join the growing list of cousins in Rigby Road Depot. Note the former Enlish Electric rail coach folding doors which replaced the original air powered sliding doors on this class (Below).

Meanwhile further north at the open air depot on Wyre Dock a seperate and less scripted operation was about to ensue with the intended removal of Brush Car 625.

Intended to travel south to Rigby Road later in the day, slight technical problems posed difficulties in its extraction. Actually accessing the yard was the first challenge for Scott's team, given the various obstacles now prevalent around the site. Not the least of which is yet another Brush Car (635) stored at an angle (where it was deposited on delivery) in the middle of the property. Some manouvering saw 635 moved from its position, whilst further shunting saw two trailers (T7) and 683 relocated to allow the eventual extraction of Brush Car 625 which had been hemmed in so to speak alongside the property fence line. However all efforts to retrieve 625 came to nought for more or less the same reasons which befell the Trust's Brush Car 290 at its Pleasure Beach display track three years ago.

An interesting jigsaw puzzle of trams thus ensued with the participants calling it a day in the evening and promise to recommence festivities tomorrow. More anon.