Crich Tramway Village, which is a branded name for the National Tramway Museum, has acquired Blackpool 645 tramcar after it was kindly donated by Blackpool Transport Services.
The tramcar will see combined usage at the well-loved Derbyshire-based museum, including “Access Tram” and “Once Person Operation” tram.
The museum already owns one Access Tram which supports wheelchair users and passengers with mobility difficulties by using a special hydraulic lift, however, it has to be booked ahead by a week in order to be used.
Peter and Susan Whitely, who are regular volunteers at the National Tramway Museum, have made a substantial donation in order to see the tram restored to working order, which also covered the costs of moving the tram to the museum.
The tram will see work get underway shortly following a comprehensive evaluation and costing for the 645's refurbishment, including the reinstatement of traction electrics.
Peter's volunteer work sees him heavily involved with restorations at the tramway workshop said:
“I realised that the tram would possibly make a good “Access 2” tramcar as it has a flat saloon floor, is 8ft wide and has offset centre doors, which makes the body very strong and maximises space in the saloon.”
“It is a large single-decker, so would retain a significant number of seats, allowing it to be used as an Access tram at the same time as a service tram. It is One-Person operated, so will enable a 3-car service when we have crew shortages. It also represents the last 1st Gen UK built/operated tramcar. It ticks a lot of boxes.”
Dr Mike Galer, General Manager at the Museum said:
“We are looking into the possibility of having a 2nd tram which is accessible to wheelchair users, and we are very grateful to Blackpool Transport Services and Peter and Sue Whiteley to give us the opportunity of exploring this option with this tram.”
Several trams from the National Tramway Museum’s collection have been in off – site storage for many years while others which in my view have more merit than 645 haven’t turned a wheel in 40 years. It is a shame that money cannot be raised to get some of them running again.