Manchester 200 Years of the Bus (1824 to 1940 Event)

Manchester Carriage & Tramways Company 1890 horse bus L2 and horse tram L53

200 years ago in 1824, Salford toll keeper John Greenwood began running a horse bus service between Pendleton and Manchester. The Manchester Museum of Transport are celebrating 200 years of bus services in Britain by holding several events throughout the year. The first event, celebrating the years 1824 to 1940, took place over the weekend of the 20th & 21st of April. The bus museum in Boyle Street had been rearranged to display a collection of buses that pre-dated 1940, with some visiting vehicles also in attendance. A heritage bus service operated between the museum and Salford on both days, where a couple of Salford City Transport buses were on display. A shuttle bus service was also in operation between the museum and Shudehill Interchange in the centre of Manchester.

Manchester Corporation 28, a 1930 Leyland Tiger TS2 with Vulcan (Southport) bodywork

Manchester Corporation 2150, a 1949 Crossley DD42/8S with Crossley bodywork

Manchester Carriage & Tramways Company horse tram L53 with an Eades Patent reversible truck, built in the 1880s

Lancashire United 202, a 1930 Leyland Lion LT1 with Roe bodywork, on loan from a Lincolnshire museum

Ribble Motor Services 295, a 1927 Leyland Lion PLSC1 with a replica Leyland body built in 1982

Ashton Corporation 8, a 1928 Karrier WL6 with English Electric bodywork

North Western Road Car Co 432, a 1939 Bristol K5G with 1952 Willowbrook lowbridge bodywork

Salford Corporation 235, a 1939 AEC Regent with Park Royal bodywork

North Western 270, a 1946 Bristol L5G with 1952 Willowbrook bodywork

Salford 254, a 1966 Leyland Titan PD2/40 carrying SELNEC fleet numer 3100, heading for display in Salford

Lytham St Annes 24, a 1934 Leyland Lion LT5A built as a demonstrator for Leyland Motors

North Western 224, a 1947 Leyland Titan PD2/1 with Leyland lowbridge bodywork

Bolton Corporation 77, a 1956 Leyland Titan PD2/13 with Metro-Cammell body on the Shudehill shuttle service

Elmer the Tram Elephant

Elmer Tram basking in the sunshine at North Pier on Sunday 14th April

In conjunction with Brian House Children's Hospice, a series of colourful elephant sculpures have been positioned around the town centre and promenade, collectively called Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool. The sculptures are inspired by the character Elmer the Patchwork Elephant from the children's books writted by David McKee. Of particular interest to tramway enthusiasts will be the elephant that has been placed outside North Pier, called "Elmer Tram" sponsored by Blackpool Transport. Elmer Tram is painted in green and cream, reminiscent of a 1930s Balloon car such as heritage tram 717. The elephant sculptures will remain on display from 13th April until 9th June.

Elmer Tram on a quiet Sunday morning on 14th April

A rear three-quarter view of Elmer Tram at North Pier

The description board on the Elmer Tram sculpture

The inspiration for Elmer Tram seen on South Promenade in February 2018

Tramway overhead damaged by wind near Norbreck

Flexity 015 was the last southbound tram to pass before repair work commenced

Strong westerly winds along the Fylde Coast saw part of the tramway closed due to overhead line damage on Tuesday 9th April. Just before 5.30 pm Blackpool Transport posted on their social media pages "Due to damage to the overhead wires in the Norbreck area trams are only running between Starr Gate and Bispham until further notice."  Unimog 939 was despatched to attend the incident, which was located between the Sandhurst Avenue and Norbreck tram stops. The overhead crew waited for southbound service trams to clear the area before they could commence work repairing the damage, which was on the northbound line. A bracket arm support wire had snapped off, causing the bracket arm and overhead to sag downwards. After the broken tensioner wire had been successfully replaced, Blackpool Transport announced that the trams would begin running again from Fleetwood Ferry at 21:15.

The snapped bracket arm tensioner wire wrapped around the traction pole

Unimog 939 in attendance with the overhead line crew effecting repair work

The bracket arm safely fixed with a new tensioner wire

More photos of the Coral Island advert on Flexity 016

Flexity 016 at Fleetwood Ferry on Easter Sunday afternoon

Some more photos of Flexity 016 wearing its new 'yellow brick road' advert for the Coral Island amusement arcade in Blackpool. These photos were all taken in Fleetwood on Easter Sunday.

Flexity 016 heading north past the clock tower at Ash Street in Fleetwood on 31st March

The faint brickwork pattern, just about visible in this view of the centre section of 016

It's All Kicking Off In Fleetwood

Fleetwood Police laying in wait for Balloon 717 on Lord Street on 30th March

Easter Saturday saw two heritage trams in Fleetwood in the morning instead of just the one timetabled Coastal Tour. A trip to Fleetwood to see Balloon 717 on the morning run saw Brush 631 paying a visit to the town at the same time. Brush 631 was on a private hire to Fleetwood and had a long layover at the Ferry loop. During a visit to Blackpool in the afternoon, Brush 631 was noted running on the Mini Prom Tours with Bolton 66 in charge of the Promenade Tours.

Balloon 717 arriving in Fleetwood on the morning Coastal Tour on 29th March

717 on Fleetwood Ferry loop with Brush 631 pulling in behind on a private hire

Balloon 717 heading down Pharos Street on its way back to Blackpool on 30th March

Flexity 018 passing Brush 631 parked up in the loop at Fleetwood Ferry

Brush 631 turning out of Pharos Street into North Albert Street

Bolton 66 heads off on the first Promenade Tour of the afternoon on 30th March

New overall advert for Flexity 016

Flexity 016 at Fleetwood Ferry on 29th March, wearing its new yellow advert for Coral Island

Flexity 016 has received a new overall advert for Coral Island. The tram is basically all-over yellow, with Coral Island logos on the ends and above and below the windows along the sides, with contravision text covering the windows on three sections of the tram. The advert is rather unimaginative and bland compared to previous ambitious advert schemes that have graced the Flexity trams. On much closer inspection, the apparently plain yellow background contains an extremely faint brick wall pattern, this is so subtle as to be almost invislble unless viewed at very close quarters, and seems rather pointless. Flexity 016 previously carried a pink overall advert for the fashion retailer PrettyLittleThing which was applied in 2018.

Flexity 016 heading north at Cleveleys on 29th March

Flexity 016 turning right out of Bold Street in Fleetwood

Flexity 016 at Victoria Square in Cleveleys

The centre section of 016, showing the barely visible brick wall effect on the yellow

Flexity 016 in its previous advert livery at Cleveleys in August 2018

Rainbow Crossings on Dickson Road

ADL Enviro200 MMC 230 crossing the traffic lights at Springfield Road

Several pedestrian crossings on Dickson Road in Blackpool have been given a colourful facelift this week. The rainbow crossings appeared overnight earlier in the week as part of a Blackpool Council ‘Be Who You Want To Be’ Action Plan. The crossings that have been repainted so far are two zebra crossings near the junctions at Cocker Street and Banks Street, and a four-way multicoloured crossing at the Springfield Road traffic light controlled junction.

Mercedes Citaro 559 heading north along Dickson Road at Cocker Street

Mercedes Citaro 555 at the Springfield Road traffic lights

Mercedes Citaro 557 passing the junction with Cocker Street