The Final Day - Sunday 6th November 2011

A finale of its own began ‘the Final Day', the first service to Little Bispham just before 0930 becoming the last tram ever to use the tram stop on Lytham Road, and thus the very last time a traditional British tram car would pick up passengers from a traditional road side tram stop without a platform. Because of this fact a large number of passengers boarded there, 645 on route 3 doing the honours.
Route 3 in 2011 was the only route of the day which ran north beyond Foxhall crossover when leaving depot.
The tramway day actually began a little earlier than that however at 0920 with 642 and 648 being the first trams to leave depot on routes 1 and 2, both of them turning at Foxhall as sheduled to run to Pleasure Beach.
The other routes, 4 to 8, were provided in order by 647, 644, 632, 646 and 631.
Both operational twin cars were booked to appear on enthusiast private hires on this final day, with 672+682 appearing mid morning running empty to Pleasure Beach to commence the first tour of the day.
It was a return to service on this day for both twin cars (675+685 would operate later in the day) as the last day in service for both sets before this had been at the end of the half term week one week earlier on 30th October 2011.

Sadly on only its third journey 645 finished its Blackpool career with a failure on the 1025 Pleasure Beach to Little Bispham at Bispham station. 642 following behind on route 1 was delayed, but continued to Little Bispham once Unimog 939 had shunted the failed Centenary on to Bispham's centre track before towing it to depot. 644 on route 2 terminated at Cabin in the mean time and 647 on route 4 set off from Pleasure Beach with Cabin on the blind too on the 1110 from Pleasure Beach. 672+682 had to also turn at Cabin on their first north bound trip rather than going as far as Little Bispham as intended.
The final Brush car trip beyond Bispham occurred because of the above incident when 632's 1218 Pleasure Beach to North Pier trip extended through to Little Bispham to cover for the lack of route 3 whilst a replacement tram was sourced to cover for 645. 632 returned north to Bispham later on though, its final run of 2011 was the 1722 from Beach to Cabin which extended to Bispham to coincide with the lights switch on, so rather than running back to Pleasure Beach before running to Foxhall and depot it ran instead directly in from Bispham.
The only other Brush car in use during the final week was 631, the last run of which was at 1755 from Cabin to Manchester Square after working on North Pier shuttles all day. 630 had finished one week earlier to allow repaint preparation taking place and with 632 already in depot that left 631 to become the last Brush car used in service.
With few other options, 643 made a surprise last minute return to service having last operated when it failed in service on 29/10/11 to cover for the failed 645 - first seen heading north on the 1255 Pleasure Beach-Little Bispham at North Pier.
As it was the final day ever for the use of Centenary cars in Blackpool it was good to see all (except long term unavailable 641) used on their final day.

All trams from depot in order on final day, first workings listed
642 - r1 0911 Rigby Road to Pleasure Beach
648 - r2 0926 Rigby Road to Pleasure Beach
645 - r3 0920 Lytham Road to Little Bispham
632 - r6 0930 Rigby Road to Pleasure Beach
647 - r4 0941 Rigby Road to Pleasure Beach
646 - r7 0945 Rigby Road to Pleasure Beach
644 - r5 0956 Rigby Road to Pleasure Beach
631 - r8 1000 Rigby Road to Pleasure Beach
682+672 - at 10xx for tour, empty to Foxhall, 672 then leading to Pleasure Beach
643 - replacement for 645, ran to Little Bispham
685+675 - at 1430 for tour, empty to North Pier
715 - at 1430 for tour, empty to North Pier
718 - r11 1524 Rigby Road to Pleasure Beach
719 – special from depot at 1530 to Bispham
761 – special from depot to Foxhall where it reversed at 1535 to Pleasure Beach
720 - special 1600 through NP to Little Bispham from depot
724 - special 1610 through NP to Bispham, from Pleasure Beach? Out before 720 if so.
711 - r15 1609 Rigby Road to Pleasure Beach
713 - r13 1624 Rigby Road to Pleasure Beach
709 - r12 1654 Rigby Road to Pleasure Beach
707 - r14 1709 Rigby Road to Pleasure Beach
733+4 - for illuminations tour, empty to North Pier
736 - for illuminations tour, empty to North Pier
737 - for illuminations tour, empty to North Pier
672+682 - at 2110 replacement for 711, empty to Foxhall, 682 then leading to Pleasure Beach


In the afternoon a few Little Bispham trips turned at Cabin because of late running, 642 (r1) turned there on the 1310 from Pleasure Beach having been held up earlier at Bispham by 645, also 647 (r4) reversed at Cabin on the 1455 northbound trip. 646 (r7) ran in to depot early because of there being no relief crew, its last working being the 1511 North Pier to Pleasure Beach to Rigby Road.

The Fylde Tramway Society tour for the final day used the groups own 715, plus a farewell to the Blackpool Tramway for 675+685. The tour started at North Pier after 1430, with set 5 being the first to North Pier and running trailer first for its first trip to Little Bispham, followed by 715.

647 became the last Centenary ever to work a passenger service to Little Bispham, shown on its final journey at Cabin.
The evening double decker output to replace the five Centenaries on routes 1 to 5 emerged as follows; route 11 was 718, 12 - 709, 13 - 713, 14 - 707, 15 - 711. The five trams worked south from Rigby Road in service at 1524, 1654, 1624, 1709, and 1609 respectively. On arrival at Pleasure Beach the five routes were then treated as specials - because of occasional poor time keeping the timetabled service has been abandoned on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings during the illuminations once routes 11 to 15 appear, and also for the final two weeks of the season in their entirety – Thursday 20th October being the last date that all routes ran to timecards all day. This lead to some big gaps in trams at Little Bispham during the middle of the evening, with cars sometimes sent instead to shorter distance destinations by the Pleasure Beach inspector as they saw fit to meet demand. Gaps also appeared when the evening route tram crews were put on break at Pleasure Beach or Bispham rather than being relieved at Manchester Square as is usual on timetabled duties. To meet the finish times required for each allocated tram crew, the last runs of the day to Little Bispham ran as scheduled, though running on a different route number to the one they emerged from depot on. In common with the usual pattern, on this day 718 moved from route 11 to 12, 709 route 12 to 15, 713 moving from 13 to 11, 707 from 14 to 13 and 711 from 15 to 14.

Untimetabled trams to operate on this last day were the private hire tour vehicles; 672+682, 675+685 and 715. Six illuminations tours ran on this final night, with all the illuminated trams performing two round trips each, in fleet number order. The only specials which operated were from mid afternoon onwards and numbered four in total - 719, 720, 724, 761.

Except for the enthusiasts tours, once the Centenaries and Railcoaches had arrived at depot for the last time 761 provided the last main interest in to the evening for those chasing vehicles which were running their last days as (other than vehicles on tours) all the other trams which were in use were ones which were expected to be retained for the modernised tramway, including perhaps 711 and 719.

A tram was rostered to duplicate the 'final' tram of the day in case of expected demand from enthusiasts and the public, though media coverage of the end of the tramway and its historic trams was small. The final ‘timetabled’ tram of the day was to be 707 – a heavily modified tram which is remaining in Blackpool – so the duplicate tram could have been a more interesting car. However 720 was the tram allocated, sadly just as heavily modified but could perhaps be described as (only slightly) more historic by virtue of it still having pointed front ends...

The lack of enthusiast interest was to change though when 711 stopped to pick up a passenger at Cabin at 2047 on a Little Bispham to Pleasure Beach journey (it was me - I'd just been down to the Mace shop to get tea, yes - at nearly 9pm - after getting off 675+685). The pin which holds the sprung loaded entrance door bolt in place broke and help was requested as the door could not be kept closed, other than by using a foot. A changeover tram was offered rather than a fitter to fix it, 711 continuing on to Foxhall to await developments. The only similar replacement vehicle would have been 723 which last ran yesterday, with 762 already being prepared for its departure by low loader. Of course though, 672+682 were already available after working earlier in the day but had been bode farewell at Manchester Square at 1830 after its enthusiast’s tour. An encore was provided though - just before 2110 for one final time traditional light bulbs behind roof windows could be seen as the Line 1 liveried twin car reappeared on the promenade, arriving at Foxhall to take 711s passengers on south. The passengers were picked up on the northbound line, so the twin car used the Foxhall crossing with passengers aboard and left with the trailer leading for Pleasure Beach at 2114. Behind 711 once it headed for depot were 736 (backwards, heading for depot), 737 on a tour, 707, and 734+733 (backwards, heading for depot).
Set 2 should have been covering the 2110 Pleasure Beach-Little Bispham trip of route 14, and left at 2129 for Bispham to regain time.
It became one of only two trams which ran in passenger service on this day which had not received major overhauls in Blackpool during the past 15 or so years, 632 and 672+682. Of course the FTS tour provided a further two for tour passengers with 675+685 and 715.

Last trams from PB, all then ran in to depot from destination
11 713 2155 LB
12 718 2210 LB
14 672 2225 @ 2239 LB
15 709 2240 LB
sp 720 2254 LB duplicate/special
13 707 2255 LB
11 713 2310 Foxhall
12 718 2325 Foxhall

Evening of lasts;
An historic day which exudes 'lasts' at every turn. However some of these last times may occur again on the new tramway but any reference to these last occurrences refers to either the 'traditional tramway' which has now ceased forever, or to the 2011 season itself.

632 was the last tram to run in passenger service which did not have the provision of heaters or indicators and was only fitted with bulb headlights. However 715 with the same features operated after this car, but for tour passengers only.
719 was the last car out with doors which were entirely operated by the conductor, it ran in to depot shortly after 10pm - 711 was the penultimate, one hour earlier. 632, 715 and 737 were also in use on the final day with conductor operated doors, the latter two on tours only - plus 736 and 675+685 on tours only with power operated doors opened by the conductor.
672+682 were the last tram(s) to operate with swingover seats, half drop windows, exposed bulb saloon lighting (672 only as 682 has encased bulbs), roof windows and traditional lifeguards. They were the last trams to operate with doors which were operated by the conductor, albeit power operated ones. This twin car was the only tram to enter and leave depot twice on the final day of operation!
720 was the last special of the year, it was also the last tram used in 2011 with a traditional 'pointed' front end, though it was not the last tram to feature traditional style seat covers, as both this and 707 carry that moquette.
761 was the last tram to be used with chopper power control - perhaps a reasonable end as this tram was the first in Blackpool to be fitted with this back in 1979 - and it was also the last to be used with no rheostatic (electric) brake fitted.

Arrivals at Manchester Square to enter depot on this date;
645 - 1215, ex Bispham but towed in from there by Unimog 939 (from r3)
646 - 1520?ish, ex North Pier, from the 1511 NP-PB (from r7)
642 - r1 1555ish, finish Rigby Road 1550, to Foxhall, booked time only
644 - r5 1625, ex Little Bispham (southbound run delayed, did not run via PB as booked)
643 - r3 1655ish, finish Rigby Road 1650, to Foxhall, booked time only
648 - r2 1720ish, finish Rigby Road 1720, to Foxhall, booked time only
647 - r4 1735ish, finish Rigby Road 1735, to Foxhall, booked time only
632 - 1740, ex Bispham (r6)
631 - 1809, ex Cabin (r8)
682+672 - 1833, ex Foxhall (had worked private trips only)
711 - 2120, ex Little Bispham (r14 but replaced early, had come out on r15)
736 - 2120 (had worked illuminations tours only)
734+733 - 2122 (had worked illuminations tours only)
737 - 2150 (had worked illuminations tours only)
715 - 2xxx (had worked private trips only)
685+675 - 2xxx (had worked private trips only)
761 - 2205, ex Bispham
719 - 22xx, ex Foxhall (had been south at Central Pier at 2140 to PB)
724 - 2223, ex Little Bispham
713 - 232x, ex Foxhall – 2310 Pleasure Beach to Foxhall
718 - 233x, ex Foxhall – 2325 Pleasure Beach to Foxhall
672+682 - 2344, ex Little Bispham
709 - 2347, ex Little Bispham
720 - 2353 dep Central Pier, ex Little Bispham
707 - 2355 dep Central Pier, ex Little Bispham

The night finished with 707 entering depot shortly after midnight, the last passenger of the year being picked up as late as 2355 when 707 stopped to pick up an enthusiast on its last journey at Central Pier.
The 'end of the traditional tramway' it may have been, however engineering car 754 (pushing 750) was out on the tramway eight hours later and heading north as part of the continuing redevelopment of the old tramway during the 'closed' period of this winter.