Blackpool Past & Present
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AUTHOR’S INTRODUCTION In this latest of my many books about the Blackpool Tramway I have decided to concentrate on the tram fleet in the post-war years, and see whether our fleet today is the best we could have had. Depending on your age and experience of our trams, as readers you will form an opinion as I have done. However, I hope that you will also enjoy reading about my experience as a conductor of Coronation cars in 1964, and also about all the tours which have been held since 1939, complete with memorable events. Undoubtedly the Coastal Tramway has provided Blackpool with one of its famous attractions, along with the Tower, Pleasure Beach and Illuminations. I am sure that you – like me – are looking forward to the 125th Anniversary of the Promenade Tramway in 2010. I hope we will see Conduit-car 4 leading a twenty-tram procession again! Don’t Forget – Cars Stop By Request, STEVE PALMER FOREWORD The Blackpool Tramway is, amongst other things, a great survivor – as is demonstrated by its 121 year’s of history. Over the decades there have been many crises and problems, but the tramway and its long line of Managers have risen to these challenges, made difficult decisions, and ensured the continuation of this unique transport system and icon of the north’s, if not the nation’s, socio-economic history. In 2007 the signs for the long-term future of the Tramway are encouraging. In the last five years Blackpool Transport has achieved three record profit years and enjoyed five of its seven most successfull years ever. 2006/2007 will be the Company’s most profitable year to date due to the continued growth of the Metro Coastlines bus network, the new improved concessionary fares arrangements for senior citizens and the elderly, and a reduction in the Tramway’s losses during the out of season and early season periods. These improved profits have enabled Blackpool Transport to provide the Council with over £5 million in dividend and track rental payments in the last few years to fund essential track upgrading and to start to address years of under-investment. On top of this Blackpool Borough Council’s successful bid for £10.7 million of funding from central Government for the renewal of the electrical Sub-Station in Copse Road in the winters of 2006/2007 and 2007/2008, will by the summer of 2008 provide Blackpool’s trams with the best infrastructure that they have had to run on in years. Much more funding and work is still required before the whole of the system is brought up to appropriately modern standards, and Blackpool and Lancashire Councils are still awaiting a green light from Government for the full Tramway Upgrade Scheme and new low-floor trams in particular. The recent rejection of Blackpool Borough Council’s Super Casino bid has also been a blow to the Fylde Coast’s morale. Having said all that, the portents for the future of the tramway look better now than at any time in the last ten years, and we can look forward to 2010 and the 125th Anniversary of the Tramway with great hope. Steve Palmer’s excellent new book on Blackpool Transport’s trams provides a fascinating insight into the wonderful range of vehicles which have served generations of visitors to Blackpool and locals alike. This new book is written with great affection and once again demonstrates Steve Palmer’s considerable knowledge of the Blackpool Tramway and its much- loved trams. I would strongly recommend Blackpool Trams – Past and Present to anyone with an interest in the Blackpool system, its vehicles and transport in general. Steve Burd Managing Director 27th March 2007 BLACKPOOL’S TRAMS Past & Present by Steve Palmer This free edition is provided by MDS Book Sales during the coronavirus lockdown. There’s no charge and it may be distributed as you wish. If you’d like to make a donation to our charity of choice - The Christie, Europe’s largest specialist cancer centre - there’s a link here. 5 © 2007 Venture Publications Ltd ISBN 13 - 9781 905304 22 6 All rights reserved. Except for normal review purposes no part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form by any means, electrical or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of Venture Publications Ltd, Glossop, Derbyshire. Design and Computer Origination: John A Senior Trade Distribution and Sales Enquiries MDS Booksales 128, Pikes Lane Glossop Derbyshire SK13 8EH 01457 861508 www.venturepublications.co.uk email info@venturepublications.co.uk Almost half a century separates these two images of illuminated trams in Blackpool. Below is the famous Progress Car, seen in 1957, and opposite a view in 2005 showing Fisherman’s Friend and HMS Blackpool passing on the Promenade. (JA Senior both) 2 CONTENTS The Tram Fleet Today 4 Marton Vambacs 8 The Coronation Trams 22 The 75th Anniversary 28 Other Trams Blackpool Could Have Acquired 30 My Final Year Of Conducting The Coronations – In 1964 34 Behind the Scenes – A Major Reorganisation 44 The OMO Cars Help The Tramway To Survive – 1967-1984 63 Jubilee Cars 761 & 762 76 Postscript On The Balloons 84 A New Generation – The Centenary Cars 90 Promenade Tramway Centenary 1985 93 Tram Tours And Their Fans 1939-2006 106 Tramroad Centenary 123 Look Out ! Illuminated Trams 132 3 The Tram Fleet Today Looking back over 50 years of the Blackpool tramway raises questions about the fleet today. Fifty years ago the fleet consisted of 159 trams; now there are 46 trams available for service and 29 stored for optional further use. The post-war tram fleet of 159 trams eventually comprised 116 of the ’thirties streamliners, 8 Standards, 10 Pantograph cars and 25 new Coronations. Undoubtedly Walter Luff’s time, 1933-54, has to be identified as the strongest successful era, clearly because the popular seaside resort required a strong fleet of trams providing a frequent service on four routes. The streamlined fleet of the ’thirties comprised 65 Railcoaches, 12 open Boat cars, 27 double-deckers and 12 sun saloons, replacing previous generations of Promenade open-top cars and crossbench and saloon cars of the Tramroad Company. Walter Luff always stated that the value of the Railcoaches was created in their swift and attractive facilities for the public – with cushioned seats, opening windows, sunshine sliding roofs, electric clocks, and heaters for the cold weather – meeting the challenge of the Standards, until the system was modernised in post-war years. The Balloon saloon cars were primarily used on the Squires Gate route, while the open-toppers and Boat cars were featured on the Promenade, where the thousands of visitors enjoyed riding on them. The Pantograph cars of the ’twenties were exclusively used on the North Station-Fleetwood route in the summer season, while the eight Standards were seen as useful ‘specials’ on the Promenade between Cabin and Harrowside. With 78 seats they were more economical using a driver and conductor rather than the crew of three on Balloon-cars. Top: Representative fleet line-up at North Pier in the ’fifties; notice the Balloon in green livery and the typical centre- entrance Burlingham bus coming out of Talbot Square. Left: The famous Marton route terminus at Royal Oak, with Vambac 21 about to return using the trolley-reverser – hence the passengers facing the other way. Facing page: An interesting trio of trams – Coronation 328, Railcoach 201 and Twin-car 275-T5 at Fleetwood Ferry, of which only the renumbered twin set 675-685 remain in existence today. (John Fozard, all) 4 However, the developments in the post-war years of Walter Luff did feature the modernisation of the Marton route, which he saved by waging a campaign to show its great value, both for residents and holidaymakers who could ride from Talbot Square or South Pier to Stanley Park. As it was relaid in 1948, he intended that modern cars would be used, following the USA example of successful President’s Conference Cars (PCCs) in the ‘thirties. It is known that manufacturers of tramway equipment in Britain acquired a TRC licence to build PCC cars – but in essence Crompton Parkinson created British-made equipment known as ‘VAMBAC’ (Variable Automatic Multi-notch Braking & Acceleration Control). In Britain there was great interest in PCC development during post-war years by Liverpool, Leeds and Glasgow, but owing to the immediate demise of the Liverpool system, only Leeds and Glasgow acquired Vambac demonstrators – numbered 602 and 1005 respectively. Accordingly, 41 Vambac cars were produced, 39 of which were Blackpool cars – 208 and 303 as demonstrators, Sun saloons 10-21 of 1939, and 25 new Coronation cars. The Maley & Taunton bogies used under these Vambac cars were every bit as quiet as PCC cars. Maley & Taunton was licensed by Clark Equipment Company to build trucks from its designs which formed the basis of their HS-44 bogies in Britain. In Blackpool a total of 43 sets of bogies were obtained, 18 for Marton cars and 25 for Promenade cars. Apart from the Coronations, fourteen were used, including Brush car 303 which remained at Bispham depot owing to its trials on Marton highlighting problems of slow sliding doors. The four sets of bogies remained in Blundell Street depot as ‘spares’, although they should have been fitted to Marton Railcoaches. The Coronation cars became Walter Luff’s crowning glory before his retirement in 1954. However, subsequently it was found that they became expensive liabilities, and by 1975 were scrapped with the implication that they had been a disadvantage to the survival of the Tramway.