trams Archives - Blackpool Social Club

29 Mar

Photo Essay: Blackpool tramway extension

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblackpool trams, light rail, trams

Continuing his series of photo essays, David Simper took his twin lens reflex camera to Talbot Road to photograph the trams using the extension to the Holiday Inn hotel and the railway station. The sun came out for him, though this made handling shadows a bit tricky. I doubt that Blackpool would be Blackpool without its trams. By the end of the '00s, the tram system was down at heel and effectively close to closure. While the vehicles looked lovely, they were well passed their sell by date, a long way below modern standards of comfort and reliability. The concept…

08 May

Video: Coronation heritage tram parade

David Simper0 CommentsHeritageBlackpool, blackpool trams, coronation, coronation parade, heritage trams, trams, vintage trams

Nipping down to video the heritage tram parade was my concession to the Coronation events on Sunday 7th May, which otherwise have rather passed me by. Well anyway, I like trams, so I caught the service 6 bus, so that I could watch some go by. Here's my video, which I hope you enjoy. https://youtu.be/-iwNA4meB0g I disembarked at New Bonny Street and walked south down the Promenade to find a reasonable spot to set up my tripod, which I'd dug out of the loft that morning. There was plenty of time, so I was able to take some framing vids…

15 Sep

Catching the 241 balloon tram

David Simper0 CommentsHeritageballoon tram, Blackpool, blackpool trams, heritage trams, tram restoration, trams

On a recent tour of the heritage trams operation at Rigby Road depot I was lucky enough to catch some of the final pieces of work being carried out on the balloon tram 241. Here we share a brief history of the vehicle and an idea of what it will look like on completion. In January 1933, legendary manager of Blackpool Corporation Transport, Walter Luff, took office and quickly acquired a fleet of streamline trams from the English Electric Company in Preston as part of a five-year tramway modernisation plan. One of these trams was a prototype open-top double-deck bogie…

04 Jun

Jubilee Tram Parade attracts promenade crowds

David Simper0 CommentsHeritage, Local Newsblackpool heritage trams, heritage trams, jubilee tram parade, public transport, trams, vintage trams

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Blackpool has one of the finest heritage tram fleets in the world. These were out in force to help celebrate the Queen's platinum jubilee on the 2nd June 2022, with a Blackpool jubilee tram parade. We have two videos capturing the event. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Starting from Pleasure Beach, a dozen vehicles progressed north along the Promenade towards Little Bispham, before breaking at the Tower Headland for an extended photo call. People thronged the route, showing that the heritage trams, including three of the Illuminated vehicles, have lost none of their allure. At Tower Headland all ages crowded round the vehicles, admiring…

04 Mar

Blackpool’s heritage tram force continues as a resort linchpin

David Simper0 CommentsHeritage, Local NewsBlackpool, blackpool tram depot, blackpool trams, heritage trams, trams, tramtown, vintage trams

[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] One could say that without the trams, the Illuminations and the Pleasure Beach, Blackpool would be finished, the image destroyed (other attractions are available) and the soul removed. Despite the Blackpool Tramway system's top to bottom refurbishment and the marvellous Flexity 2 modern trams’ advent in 2012, the heritage trams (formerly 'the trams') continue to ply the promenade adding to the resort's somewhat retro ambience and providing tours from specially configured tram stops. Following #blackpool on my Instagram, after the Tower over the comedy carpet, the Western Train illuminated tram has to be the most frequently occurring image.…

30 Dec

Just a walk down the prom with my camera

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsartworks, Blackpool, buses, Film, film photography, great promenade show, medium format photography, mirror ball, monochrome photography, photography, public transport, solaris centre, south promenade, they shoot horses don't they, tidal organ, trams

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Just a walk down the prom with my film camera, in the sun taking in the crisp cool air. Here are some of David's favourite black and white, medium format photos from that day. A lovely little trip and break. Come back nice weather and we can do this again. One Saturday I decided to take a trip to Fleetwood Market to buy some things from the art supply store that's opened up there. A good day in itself. I returned with a new sketchbook, which I admit I'm yet to try out, sweeties, a new kitchen knife, a…

17 Nov

State of the art building to bring 3,000 civil servants to Blackpool town centre

David Simper0 CommentsLocal NewsBlackpool, building, built environment, bus, civil service, climate emergency, cycling, energy efficiency, environment, Fylde Coast, job creation, jobs, public realm, regeneration, sustainable building design, sustainable development, sustainable transport, talbot gateway, trains, trams

Sited on King Street in Blackpool Town centre, a new £100m state of the art building will soon take shape to accommodate 3,000 civil servants from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). This will make a major and welcome beneficial change to the Blackpool skyline. As part of a strategic plan to centralise civil service jobs in the heart of Blackpool, workers from the Warbreck House and Ryscar House complexes will occupy the building when it opens in the autumn of 2024. This will provide a welcome boost to and diversify the town centre economy and will be a…

05 Aug

Blackpool residents urged to have their say on decarbonising transport plans

David Simper0 CommentsEnvironment and Nature, Local Newsbuses, climate, cycling, decarbonising, trams, transport, transportforthenorth

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Transport for the North has put together a decarbonising transport strategy in response to the obviously escalating climate emergency situation. As a coastal place Blackpool's likely to be vulnerable to sea level rises due to ice melt thousands of miles away (get your glaciers now). We may need to make quite radical life style changes to fend this threat off, going a lot further than altering our transport habits. It's definitely worth taking a look at this draft strategy; this is the north taking a lead, which has to be a good thing.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]Studying an environmental degree in the…

06 Nov

New benches celebrate Blackpool’s tram heritage

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsLocal NewsBlackpool, public art, street furniture, trams, transport

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Two new benches inspired by Blackpool’s Heritage Trams have been installed in the town centre. Artist Andy Hazell came up with the 'tram-azing' designs for the stainless steel benches after a visit to Blackpool Transport’s Rigby Road depot. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]Taking inspiration from Blackpool’s rich tram heritage, Andy created four unique designs for the new benches. Two of these have now been installed in Talbot Square. Made from stainless steel, the benches depict a Blackpool ‘OMO’ built in the mid-1930s and the ‘Brush’ built originally in 1937. The final two benches will be installed once the new Tram Terminal Interchange has been built…

04 Jul

Ghost Tram brings some classy spook to the Fylde Coast

David Simper0 CommentsHeritage, Literature & Spoken Word, Local NewsBlackpool, ghosts. tour, heritage, trams

Don't get me wrong, I love the new trams (actually six years in service now) and can't wait for them to be meeting the new electric trains at the railway station, but the 'heritage' trams are also great each one being a coach built design classic. Big respect to Jane Cole and her Blackpool Transport Transport team for getting those lovely vehicles out there and integrating them with the Flexity II fleet. Now heritage fleet king pin, Bryan Lindop, has come up with a belting ghost tram wheeze, combining the Fylde's pioneering public transport history with its rich ghost story…