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Tram Sunday 16th July
I went to Blackpool for the day on Sunday for the annual Fleetwood Transport Festival (Tram Sunday). I arrived in Blackpool at 1pm and went to North Pier for the tram to Fleetwood. There was a 20 minute Heritage service running to Ash Street as well as the regular Flexity service. Trams on the Heritage Service were:
Route A: Brush Car 623 and Ex Towing Railcoach 680
Route B: Millennium Balloon 718
Route C: Bolton 66
Route D: Balloon 717
Route E: Balloon 715
Route F: Balloon 723
I caught Balloon 717 from North Pier to Ash Street and had a wander round the event. Stabled at Pharos Street was Fleetwood Box Car 40, B Fleet Balloon 711 and Illuminated Trawler 737. I headed back to Ash Street to catch the tram to Blackpool and just as I arrived, Brush Car 623 and Ex towing railcoach 680, which were both operating on route A arrived.
623 has recently returned to Blackpool on loan from Heaton Park Tramway in Manchester and will be in Blackpool till the end of the illuminations as part of the 80th Birthday celebrations for the Brush Cars. It required a reduced height trolley tower to allow it to fit into the depot at Heaton Park. When it returned to Blackpool a couple of weeks ago, it required an extension to the trolley tower to allow the pantograph to be able to reach the wire. 623 had last ran in Blackpool in November 2009 on the last day of service to Fleetwood before the line from Ash Street to the Ferry closed for upgrading. It moved to the Museum of Museums in Manchester along with Balloon 702 in 2010, then to Heaton Park in 2011 where it made its debut in 2012. 623 made it's debut back in Blackpool on a tour on 14th July in Wartime Green and Cream livery.
I caught 680, which ran a short distance behind 623 heading back to Pleasure Beach. At Cabin, 623 and 680 were joined by Balloon 717, which had arrived on a short working from Pleasure beach and was returning there. So from Cabin to Pleasure Beach, there was a 3 car heritage convoy made up of 623, 680 and 717, bringing back memories of the pre upgrade tramway where convoys of trams was commonplace.
Once at Pleasure Beach, the 3 trams unloaded and headed back north to the Foxhall, where they would reverse and head back to Rigby Road. Bolton 66 made an unscheduled journey to Pleasure Beach and was soon followed by Balloon 723, the last Pleasure Beach working of the day. After a trip to the Velvet Coaster for Dinner, it was time to head back to Blackpool North for the train home.
More Photos from Tram Sunday can be found at http://scottishtrains.zenfolio.com/p553573863
Blackpool Trams 2.7.17-8.7.17
I spent a week on holiday in Blackpool and had a few journeys on the heritage trams!
The following trams were out on the heritage service during the week:
- Sunday 2nd July: Balloon 715 and Balloon 717
- Monday 3rd July: Balloon 717 and Ex Towing Railcoach 680
- Tuesday 4th July: Balloon 717 and Balloon 723
- Wednesday 5th July: Boat 600 and Balloon 715
- Thursday 6th July: Bolton 66 and Boat 600
- Friday 7th July: Bolton 66 and Balloon 715
- Saturday 8th July: Boat 600 and Balloon 717
6 different trams were used on the service during the week, 66 was out twice, 600 was out 3 times as was 715. 717 was out 4 times and 723 and 680 were out only once during the week.
Balloon 717 also worked a Private Hire from the North Pier heritage siding to the Savoy Hotel near Gynn Square via Little Bispham loop on Friday 7th, while Fleetwood Box Car 40 was out on a tour from Pleasure Beach on Saturday 8th, unfortunately I was already on my way home by this point so didnt manage to get a photograph.
Of interest at Rigby Road, Brush Car 625 and Standard 143 were stabled at the front of the depot as was newly repainted Millennium Balloon 718, while Brush Car 623 was visible in the Electrical Compound.
More photographs from the week can be found at http://scottishtrains.zenfolio.com/p399815755
Carluke 28.6.17
Freightliner's 90049 heads through Carluke with 5C11 Polmadie - Edinburgh Waverley Sleeper ECS working 28.6.17
66061 heads south through Carluke with 4M30 Grangemouth - Daventry intermodal 28.6.17
88002 at Holytown 27.6.17
88002 passes through Holytown with 4M48 Mossend - Daventry Tesco Containers 27.6.17
Shed 47 Railway 18.6.17
I went to the Vintage Transport festival at the Scottish Bus Museum at Lathalmond near Dunfermilne, here they have the Shed 47 railway, a short railway within the site. Based in the original Locomotive Shed at what was Royal Naval Store Depot Lathalmond, Shed47 Railway Restoration Group is actively recreating some of the vast internal railway network that existed on the site until 1971.
They are also in the process of building a narrow gauge railway to transport visitors through the site.
Here are a few photos from the railway:
Another Narrow Gauge Loco
Another Narrow Gauge Loco
recently repainted Hunslet MOD251
MOD 250 in fictitious BR Green livery and numbered D2650
Also in the Bus Museum is Edinburgh Horse Tram 23
Greenfaulds 16.6.17
320413+318258 depart Greenfaulds with 2C38 Milngaive - Cumbernauld
320308 arrives at Greenfaulds with 2V54 Dumbarton Central - Cumbernauld
68007 passes through Greenfaulds with 5G13 Motherwell TMD - Edinburgh Waverley Fife Circle ECS move
318258+320413 departs Greenfaulds with 2F01 Cumbernauld - Dalmuir
60002 passes through Greenfaulds with 6R47 Prestwick Airport - Grangemouth Tanks
334037 arrives at Greenfaulds with 2V56 Dumbarton Central - Cumbernauld
Camelon and Cumbernauld 14.6.17
sightings tonight including an HST on an ECS working and a pair of 37's
43320 top and tailed with 43277 approach Camelon with 5S22 Stirling - Craigentinny ECS move
318253 prepares to depart Cumbernauld with 2V47 Cumbernauld - Dumbarton Central
37421 top and tailed with 37025 at Cumbernauld with 1Q81 Mossend - Carlisle High Wapping Sidings Network Rail test train
Busy spell at Carluke 13.6.17
2 freights in opposite directions in 1 minute at Carluke
Freightliner liveried 90016+90044 passes through Carluke with 4S44 Daventry - Coatbridge containers
88003 passes through Carluke on only the 2nd day of class 88 haulage on 4M48 Mossend - Daventry Tesco containers
Greenfaulds 10.6.17
68002 passes through Holytown with 0Z11 Carlisle Kingmoor - Motherwell TMD light engine move 10.6.17
Carstairs 7.6.17
I spent a couple of hours at Carstairs, here are my sightings:
86604+86607 heads south from Carstairs with 4L81 Coatbridge - London Gateway containers
82230 on the rear of an unidentified class 91 heads north past Carstais with 1S23 London Kings Cross - Glasgow Central
60026 passes through Carstairs with 6M34 Grangemouth - Dalston tanks
92038 passes through Carstairs with 5C11 Polmadie - Edinburgh Waverley Sleeper ECS working
390042 waits at Carstairs with 5S80 Edinburgh - Polmadie ECS move