Blackpool tramway



The Blackpool tramway runs from Blackpool to Fleetwood on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire, England and is the only surviving first-generation tramway in the United Kingdom (UK). The tramway dates back to 1885 and is one of the oldest electric tramways in the world. It is run by Blackpool Transport as part of the Metro Coastlines, owned by Blackpool Borough Council. The tramway runs for 11 miles and carries 6,500,000 passngers each year.

History
The first part of the tramway opened on 29 September 1885, a conduit line running from Cocker Street to Dean Street on Blackpool Promenade. It was one of the first practical electric tramways in the world, just six years after Werner von Siemens first demonstrated electric traction. The inauguration was presided over by Holroyd Smith, the inventor of the system, and Alderman Harwood, the Mayor of Manchester.

The line was operated by the Blackpool Electric Tramway Company until 1892 when its lease expired and Blackpool Corporation took over the line. A further line was added in 1895 from Manchester Square along Lytham Road to South Shore. The tracks were extended to South Pier and a line on Station Road connecting Lytham Road to the Promenade in 1897.

In 1899 the conduit system was replaced by overhead wires and in 1900 the line was extended north to Gynn Square where it linked up with the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramroad. In 1901 The Marton loop was opened, connecting Talbot Square and Central Station along Church Street, Devonshire Square, Whitegate Drive, Waterloo Road and Central Drive. A new depot was built on Whitegate Drive in Marton. A line was added from Talbot Square along Talbot Road to Layton in 1902. By 1903 the Promenade line had reached the Pleasure Beach.

In 1920 Blackpool Corporation took over the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramroad Company gaining eight miles of track and three depots, two in Fleetwood and one in Bispham. The small Bold Street Depot in Fleetwood was closed and a loop constructed at Fleetwood Ferry.

The original Blundell Street Depot was replaced by a larger depot on Rigby Road in 1920. Along the line to Fleetwood, between Rossall and Broadwater a more direct line was built in 1925. The final tramway extension was in 1926, along the Promenade to Clifton Drive at Starr Gate where a connection was with Lytham St. Annes tracks.

In 1936 route closures began with the Central Drive and Layton routes. Lytham Road closed in 1961, Marton in 1962, and the Tramroad line on Dickson Road to North Station in 1963. Marton and Copse Road Depots closed in 1963 and Bispham Depot in 1966. This left the track running from Starr Gate to Fleetwood, which still remains. Blackpool Borough Council transferred the operation of the tramway and buses to Blackpool Transport Services Limited in 1986.

The network
The tramway today runs from Starr Gate in Blackpool to the Ferry Terminus in Fleetwood. Most of the route runs along the Fylde Coast sea front, turning inland at Cleveleys for the last few miles before ending at the coast in Fleetwood. The tracks consists of four different types:


 * Street running, open to all traffic - along Lord Street in Fleetwood and a short stretch on the Promenade in Blackpool by the Metropole Hotel.
 * Paved reserved track alongside a road, open to pedestrians but not road traffic - along most of the route between Starr Gate and Gynn Square.
 * Reserved ballasted track, open to trams only - from Gynn Square to Rossall.
 * Interurban style alignment, not following a road and open to trams only - from Rossall to Fleetwood.

There are four loops, at Starr Gate, opposite the Pleasure Beach, Little Bispham and Fleetwood, and links to Rigby Road Depot.

Blackpool tramway today
Blackpool is one of the three surviving non-heritage tramways to use double-deck trams, the others being Hong Kong and Alexandria, Egypt. They are, however, outnumbered by single-deck trams. Blackpool was the only town in the UK that retained its trams: between 1962 and 1991 Blackpool had the only urban tramway in the UK. The last English city to lose its conventional trams was Sheffield in 1960. The last in the UK was Glasgow in 1962. The opening of Manchester Metrolink in 1991 heralded a revival.

The Blackpool tram fleet is diverse. Some of the 1930s trams are still in regular service in virtually unchanged condition. Others have had their bodywork rebuilt. Occasionally historic trams are borrowed from the National Tramway Museum for public service.

Trams run from Starr Gate in the south to Fleetwood in the north. Some services, especially in busy periods such as during Blackpool Illuminations or on Bank Holidays, start or terminate short, at Cleveleys, Red Bank Road in Bispham, or the Pleasure Beach. This is to allow a more intensive service through the centre of Blackpool. During Blackpool Illuminations, specially decorated trams carry passengers along the promenade along the illuminated area. Fleetwood was the only town in England to retain trams running down the main street.

In 1989, Alan Bradley a character in the British soap opera Coronation Street was killed when he fell under the wheels of a Bispham tram outside the Strand Hotel on North Promenade.

For the first time the entire length of the tramway was closed in November 2007 for five months of essential repair work, the second phase of a £11,800,000 upgrade, while Blackpool Transport and Blackpool Council currently have a joint bid awaiting Government approval, which could provide up to £77,000,000 for a total upgrade of the trams and the tracks. In January 2007 the City Class 611 prototype "supertram" was being tested on the tramway when it caught fire as it approached Central Pier causing extensive damage. The driver escaped when the electrical console in the cab reportedly blew up. The tram, manufactured by Merseyside based Tram Power, was being tested as part of a bid to replace the current trams. The same tram had derailed on 30 May 2006 at Starr Gate loop during previous trials. A Rail Accident Investigation Board report stated that the derailment was due to wear and tear on the track with a contributory factor being the new type of running gear on the two-car prototype.

The tramcar was rebuilt at a cost of £150,000 but will not be allowed to be re-tested until at least November 2008 as testing is not allowed during the busy summer months and because of the current closure of the tracks for repairs.

Following the Government's pledge to a build 25 new tram networks by 2010, a £1 billion bid for a government grant was launched by Blackpool Council and Lancashire County Council in 2002 to expand the tram network to include St Annes to the south and new housing estates in Fleetwood to the north, with a possible further phase to include links to Poulton-Le-Fylde and Thornton. In 2004 campaigners behind the bid expressed disappointment that nothing had been done to take the plans forward in two years. By November 2007 there was no further development.

On 1 February 2008 it was announced that the Government had agreed to the joint Blackpool Transport and Blackpool Council bid for funding toward the total upgrade of the track. The government will contribute £60.3M of the total £85.3m cost. Blackpool Council and Lancashire County Council will each provide about £12.5M. The Government's decision means that the entire length of the tramway from Starr Gate to Fleetwood will be upgraded and 16 state-of-the-art trams will replace the current fleet.

Fleetwood Transport Festival
Each year the Fleetwood Transport Festival, known locally as Tram Sunday, is held on the third Sunday in July. The festival celebrated its 21st anniversary in 2005. The festival attracts thousands of visitors to the town and takes place on the full length of the main street, Lord Street. There are vintage tram rides from Fishermans Walk to Thornton Gate. In 2007, the festival, despite its popularity, was nearly cancelled due to a lack of support organising the day. A last-minute appeal for help resulted in the festival being saved.

The overhead wiring
The tramcars are powered by 550 V overhead wire with electricity transmitted to the tramcars by pantograph and a few by trolley pole.

The system originally used the conduit system, in which trams took electricity from a conduit situated below and between the tracks. Electrical resistance was greater than anticipated and the voltage in portions of the conduit was far less than that generated at Blundell Street - 230 V dropped to 210 V at the junction with the main line on the Promenade, 185 V at Cocker Street and 168 V at South Pier (then Victoria Pier). In addition there were difficulties during floods. Despite the difficulties, the conduit line was extended to Station Road in 1897. Overhead wiring was installed in 1899, and the conduit removed.

Tram depots
Over the years six depots were built to service the fleet.

Bispham depot
Built in 1898, Bispham depot was extended in 1914 by the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramroad Company to house 36 trams on six tracks. A substation was built to the side of depot. The depot was used to receive pantograph cars in 1928 and Brush cars in 1940. It closed on 27 October 1963 and was used as a store until the mid 1970s. The building was demolished to make way for a Sainsbury's supermarket. The depot's headstone was installed at Crich's National Tramway Museum.

Bold Street depot
Bold Street depot opened in January 1899 and had a capacity of four cars on two tracks. The depot was used only by the last two trams to Fleetwood in the evening and the first two trams in the morning. After Blackpool Corporation took over the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramroad Company in 1920, it was closed. Wires were taken down in 1924 when the Fleetwood loop was built. After World War II the depot was used by Fisherman's Friend and was demolished in 1973 to make way for flats.

Blundell Street depot
Blundell Street depot opened in 1885 to house ten conduit trams. It was extended in 1894 an 1896, and in 1898 when the roof was raised to accommodate overhead wiring. After extension, the depot housed 45 trams on five tracks. The depot became a store in 1935 when the new central depot opened at Rigby Road. The inspection pits were filled in after World War II and after 1956 the building was used as a bus garage. The depot was reopened for trams in March 1963 after the closure of Marton depot. A new entrance was built in July 1964 but capacity was restricted by the presence of an ambulance station in the building. Due to damage to the central roof in a gale, the depot was demolished on 4 November 1982.

Copse Road depot
Copse Road depot was built in 1897 by the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramroad Company with six tracks, capable of housing 18 trams. It was originally used as a store and service depot. After passing to Blackpool Corporation Tramways it was used to dismantle old trams. Between 1925 and 1949 a line connected the depot with the railway and was used to shunt wagons. The depot is now a car showroom and the substation still feeds the Fleetwood section.

Marton depot
The depot was built in 1901 to accommodate 50 trams. It was used for central routes but declined in use after the closure in 1936 of the Layton and Central Drive sections. The depot closed for tram use between 1939 and 1944 due to the war, and accommodated aircraft of the Vickers Aircraft Company. The depot closed on 11 March 1963, with the last car to leave the depot being Standard car 48. The front half of the depot was demolished with the rear half in commercial use. A petrol station is now on the site.

Rigby Road
Rigby Road depot was built in 1935 and is the only depot still in use. It has a capacity of 108 trams. It was designed to replace the Bispham and Blundell Street depots. The depot has been modernised several times. In 1955 tracks 15 to 18 were enclosed by a partition to be used as an electrical compound and in 1962 a tram washing plant was built, along with the replacement of the roller-blind doors by folding aluminium doors.

Tramcar fleet
Blackpool Tranway has a varied fleet of tramcars. The standard livery is that of the colourful Metro Coastlines, which is also used by the bus fleet. The tramcars use the traditional green and cream livery of Blackpool Transport and carry a number of colourful all-over advertisements. Some former trams are in use and on display at the National Tramway Museum at Crich in Derbyshire.

The tram currently in us on Blackpool Tramway include -

Standard cars
55 cars built between 1923 and 1929 by Blackpool Corporation Transport Department. They are double deck, originally with open balconies and a capacity of 78 passengers, with 32 seats on the lower deck and 46 on the upper deck. The four-window design came from the 1902 Motherwell trams. They were 33ft 10in long, 16ft 7in high and 7ft 2in wide, had Preston McGuire bogies with 4ft 1in wheelbase and 30in diameter wheels, BTH B510 motors and hand and rheostatic brakes.

Pantograph cars
Built in 1928 by English Electric in Preston. These cars were single-deckers and purchased at a cost of £2,000 by Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramroad Company. They were designed for interurban use and of American appearance. They could carry 48 seated passengers. They had a pantograph built by Brecknell, Munro & Rogers, mounted on a tall tower. The first car, (167), was delivered on 30 July 1928 and the last, (176) in 1929. They were 40ft long and 7ft 6in wide, had Dick Kerr bogies, BTH B510 motors and air-brakes, hand and rheostatic brakes.

Balloon cars
Commissioned in 1933 by Walter Luff, the controller of the network, in a bid to modernise the tramway's fleet, and were intended to replace the Dreadnought cars that had been in service since the opening of the tramway. Built by English Electric during 1934 and 1935, the first being presented to Blackpool on 10 December 1934. 26 were delivered, of which 12 were open-topped. Numbered 237-263 and used on both summer and winter services.

They had central doors and stairs, with a capacity of 94 (54 in the upper saloon, 34 in the lower saloon, 6 standing). Half-drop windows provided ventilation and art-deco curved glass lightss provided electric lighting. The enclosed-top trams had sliding roof windows and thermostatic-controlled radiators.

The cars originally worked on the Squires Gate service, and it was during this time that they became known as Balloon Cars because of their bloated streamlined appearance. During World War II the need for the open-top cars fell significantly and cars 137-149 had their tops enclosed (without roof windows). Also during this period the fleet was painted in a green and cream livery in order to conserve paint and time, as well as to reduce the chances of their being spotted from the air. After the war years the Balloons were neglected slightly in place of the new Coronation Cars, as they were considered old fashioned and too slow to load. Blackpool Corporation soon changed its mind after experiencing the temperamental nature of the Coronations and the Balloons began to make a comeback in the late 1950s. In 1958 check rail was installed through to Fleetwood and the Balloons increasingly began to appear on market-day specials, as they were useful for moving the large crowds travelling north. The Balloons continued to run their normal Squires Gate service until its closure in 1961, and following this were sent to work on the Promenade service.

In 1968 they were re-numbered to 700-726. During 1980, an accident at the Pleasure Beach Loop caused 705 and 706 to be withdrawn. 705 was scrapped, the only Balloon to be scrapped, and 706 was rebuilt as an open-topper, later named 'Princess Alice'. During the early 1990s a number of Balloons retired from service were heavily modernised, re-emerging with flat ends and modern interiors similar to cars 714 and 725, which became known as Jubilee Cars.

In 2002 the Balloons were banned north of Thornton Gate due to the poor condition of the track. Following heavy repair work the Balloons were allowed back from 2005.

Boat Cars
Commissioned in 1933 by Walter Luff. Originally introduced as a prototype, this revolutionary new tramcar arrived in January 1934, and was one of four other designs that would be chosen to replace the ageing toastrack cars. After its initial trail period it was chosen over its competitors and a further 11 more were ordered, arriving in July and August of the same year.

Built by English Electric, a single deck open-topped model with central doors, 4' wheelbase and trolley pole conductor. They Originally numbered 225-236 and seating for 56 passengers. All cars were identical, except for prototype 225, which has shorter body panels. First worked on the circular and coastal tours and were stationed at both the Rigby road and Marton depots for ease of access. They continued on these services until the war years, when they were stored out of service due to the withdrawal of the circular tour and general lack of demand. This continued until 1946, when they returned to work on the Promenade service.

The full fleet remained until 1963 and the closure of the road routes to North Station. The fleet was reduced to 8 cars, with 229, 231, 232 and 234 being scrapped in 1968. The remaining cars were re-numbered 600-608. In the late 1970s/early 1980s two boat trams were sold to museums in the USA, and they still operate in San Fransisco. 606 was loaned to Glasgow for the Garden Festival in 1988, returning to Blackpool later that year.

In the early 1990s the remaining cars were refurbished and received a number of new liveries, including Routemaster red, blue & yellow and a fictitious wartime livery. The fleet was converted from trolley pole to pantograph conductors, but they were soon converted back as passengers were showered by grease and dirt from the power line when it rained. In 2000 606 was given to the Trolleyville museum in Ohio, USA in exchange for Standard car 147, which has been restored to its original 1924 condition.

Jubilee class cars
The two Jubilee cars, 761 and 762, were rebuilt from Balloon cars 714 and 725 in 1979 and 1982. The reconstruction of 725 included moving the stairs to the end and extending its body length. 762 remained with a central door.

The cars were 46ft long and 7ft 6in wide. They have two English Electric 305 HP 57 motors. They served on the Fleetwood to Starr Gate service year-round with a driver in winter plus a conductor in summer. Since 2003 they have been limited to the Cleveleys to Pleasure Beach service. 761 currently wears a Manx2 livery, whilst 762 wears a Unison advertisement. 761 is awaiting inspection by the Rail Accident Investigation Board after a collision in early November 2006.



Coronation cars
Named because they were introduced in Coronation Year, only three members of this 1953 class of car remain.They were built by Charles Roberts Ltd at their Horbury Junction works, Wakefield. Two were preserved under the private ownership of the Lancastrian Transport Trust (LTT). The sophisticated Variable Automatic Multinotch Braking and Acceleration Control (VAMBAC) control system of these vehicles proved to be their Achilles heel as it proved to be extremely unreliable in service. Thirteen of the class had their VAMBAC systems replaced by conventional controllers during the 1960s, prolonging their comparatively short service life to 1975, when they were withdrawn. The unmodified examples were withdrawn from 1968.

Blackpool Coronation 304 (later 641), the first of the fleet, was bought for preservation and achieved celebrity status in 2002, when it was the subject of an episode of the Channel 4 television programme Salvage Squad. It was returned to working order by Salvage Squad and LTT members. It was unveiled to the public on 6 January 2003 when it was filmed carrying out test runs along Blackpool Promenade.

Brush cars
Built by Brush in in 1947. Single deck cars, numbers 621-637.

Centenary cars
Single deck cars built by the East Lancashire Company in 1984-88. Numbers 641-648.

Progress Twin cars
Single deck power plus trailer cars, rebuilt from English Electric cars in 1958–62. 671–680 (power cars) and 681–687 (trailer cars). They operate in regular pairs (for instance 675 + 685) except for 678–680, which operate singly.

Millennium class cars
Double deck cars. They were rebuilt from Balloon cars in 2002–05. Numbered in the Balloon series.

Illuminated cars
A variety of rebuilt single-deck cars, of different designs, rebuilt as illuminated theme trams. Run along the illuminated part of the Promenade during Blackpool Illuminations. No numbering series. A campaign by the local newspaper, the Blackpool Gazette in 2006 to get one of the Illuminated trams, Western Train, back on track, resulted in a £278,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant to restore the tramcar which first ran in 1962. It was withdrawn from service in 1999 and had stood derelict at the Rigby Road depot. The tramcar is due to return during the Illuminations Switch-On in 2008. In January 2008 it was revealed that another iconic illuminated tram, the Rocket tram, which had been in service between 1961 and 1999 but which had since then stood idle, is also due to be restored with expectation being that it would return to service for the Illuminations in 2009 at a cost of about £150,000 and with the help of a newly created Friends of the Illuminations group.