Blackpool tram 762 - 4 Oct 1992

Sunday 4 October 1992 - Blackpool Transport began tramway operation in 1885. The tramway today is an 11 mile long line stretching from Starr Gate in South Blackpool via Central Blackpool on to Bispham, Cleveleys and Fleetwood.

Until the late 1960s the trams had traditionally been centre entrance/exit with a door on either side but in the 1970s a number of rebuilds were carried out making them suitable for driver only operation. Tram 761 was rebuilt in that style featuring a front entrance positioned by the driving cab plus a centre exit. It had a driving cab at each end and so each side looked the same resembling a two door bus. I believe the bodywork was assembled in the Blackpool Transport workshops using body kit materials supplied by Metal Sections Limited (Metsec), a company that supplied a lot of bus body kits to Hong Kong etc. Some of the mechanical components originated in 1930s trams.

In this view tram 761 was seen near Leyburn Avenue, Bispham heading away from the camera towards Cleveleys.

Blackpool’s trams had originally used the single pole method of electric collection but the pantograph style method of collection was introduced in later years. As a result the pantograph was mounted on a tower structure on single deck trams.

On the reserved track sections of track the lines were protected with concrete fencing with pedestrian crossing gates provided every so often. Note the tram shelter on the right.