More Scenes - from Talbot Square

Thanks to Colin MacLeod we can add to the images on the previous Blog with views of work now ongoing at the former tram terminus for both Layton and Marton services at Talbot Square. Of course the Layton service was replaced with buses in 1936 but the tracks remained in place well after the war years up until the early 1950s, albeit paved over with successive layers of new road surface. The Marton tram route closed in 1962 and the same repaving occurred over the entire line.

At Talbot Square two there were two connecting tram tracks linking these services with the Promenade, the southern side allowing access for trams traversing from the Marton route (and Depot) whilst a further longer connection (single track) curved northward over the Promenade from the Layton track in Talbot Square.

Inevitably as utilities work begins to reset existing water, power and sewer mains (not to mention the substantial former underground toilets built early in the last century directly under the tramway shelter in Talbot Square) - contractors run up against these relics from the first generation tramway infrastructure at this point. In fact Talbot Road will have the entire final tram track layout underneath its surface to be revealed and removed once new track construction begins in earnest towards North Station.

Preliminary evidence of former transport connections is already coming into view as the images below show - taken by an eagle eyed Colin MacLeod inspecting work in progress this past weekend.

A section of the connecting track from the Layton tramway in Talbot Square which once saw trams traversing onto the Promenade from their terminus .

A segment of the Layton route track appears in a new trench cut across Talbot Square with North Pier in the background (and a passing Brush car on tour).

A closer look at Layton tram tracks in Talbot Square - these were to the north side of the Marton trams which entered their terminus from Clifton Street, whilst Layton trams arrived naturally enough down Talbot Road. Junction point sections will no doubt emerge as work on the new trackbed begins next year. All Images : Colin MacLeod