623 at Pleasure BeachWartime liveried Brush Car 623 pauses on the loop at Pleasure Beach before heading back to Rigby Road 16.7.17 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