The Wonderful Photos by Colin MacLeod
Colin had the great fortune of living literally right by the Marton tramway on Whitegate Drive during his youth. Like the author he had a particular interest in the trams passing his home every few minutes seven days a week from the mid 1950s up to the very end of the Marton service in October 1962. We both shared in giving Standard car 48 a modest send off on its final run to Royal Oak on the last night of trams on the Marton route.
His interest in recording the trams around Marton extended to securing rooftop 'perches' on buildings along the tramway and taking unique photos which featured the trams from above. Several of these were published in the book published a few years ago - Tribute to Marton Trams by Rigby Road Publishing. Copies are still available online on the Shop page.
This classic view taken by Colin shows a Balloon car turning on to Abingdon Street in front of the GPO.
Below : Looking along Church Street in the direction of the Regent Cinema as an inbound 'Vambac' car passes the Hippodrome (out of camera sight on the lefthand side). Three buses illustrate the busy nature of Church Street. A nice selectrion of parked cars dates the scene.
Below : Another classic scene on Waterloo Road with a rail coach heading towards the 'Oxford' where a Vambac car is just coming into view in the distance and two more of Blackpool's centre entrance buses fill out the image.
All photos copyright : Colin MacLeod
