The Museum has recently been in discussion with Blackpool Transport Services about which vehicles from their fleet can join the National Collection. We are pleased to annouce the following vehicles will be joining the National Collection with some pictures from our Photograph Archive.
'Open Boat' Car No.607. Built in 1934/35.
607 is one of Blackpool's 'luxury toastracks' designed to be a modern, streamlined car for summer use on the promenade. The following two photographs show 'Open Boat' cars at different times.
In this first archive view we see an 'Open Boat' in service on Blackpool Promenade in the early 1960s (in the background is Blackpool and Fleetwood 2, already in the National Collection).
This second view of an 'Open Boat' dates from when the cars were new in the 1930s and shows the car at Talbot Square (North Pier) on special duties.
Also provisionally acquired for the National Collection is:
'Balloon' Car No.712
712 was built in 1934 as the last of the 'Luxury Dreadnaughts'. Originally these were maximum capacity open top, streamlined cars for carrying summer crowds along the promenade. 712 was actually the last standard gauge open top tram built in Britain. During the war the entire fleet were enclosed for all weather use.
In the final archive view we see 712 working a promenade service to the Pleasure Beach during the late 1960s.
