Fleetwood to Lowestoft

John Woodman

The FHLT have come to agreement with the EATMS tram operating team on transfer of two of the trams from Wyre Dock and Rigby Road to the expanding Lowestoft museum site in 2022. The Trust's Brush car 290 and Motor Unit 678 will shortly be departing south to a more welcoming port location. As most readers will know the Carlton Colville operating museum has been a caring home for several trams and trolleybuses over several decades. Blackpool Standard Car 159 and Marton Vambac 11 being the more famous residents, alongside London Transport HR2 1858 and a veteran Amsterdam two axle car. In addition there is a large collection of trolleybuses drawn from several British systems including Portsmouth. Portsmouth operated Burlingham bodied trolleybuses from the 1950s until closure of the system, and one example has been preserved at Carlton Colville.

The Museum's tram engineering team (seen above last Friday) are now in need of additional capacity for their running line extension being built on land acquired a year previously. This includes a newbuild two track tram depot to house additional cars. The FHLT are donating tram track taken from Blundell Street Depot and delivered to Fleetwood by the contractors. This includes useful pointwork from the Depot's southern end which was adjusted to provide a connecting link across Rigby Road to the single track that ran in front of the Transport Offices and along Blundell Street. So there will be a physical engagement between Blundell Street Depot and the Lowestoft museum depot being built in 2022/3.

Below : nature encroaching on the tram storage site at Wyre Dock. Black 678 on the left will be extracted from the line up. The other cars are also seeking caring homes at this time. Centenary 641 is out of view behind the camera, while Brush Car 290 is inside Rigby Road Depot (for the time being).