Beamish and 2010 diary

Press Release 7/1/10


The Manchester Transport Museum Society (MTMS) are pleased to announce the loan of Leeds Works Tram No 6 to the Beamish Museum in County Durham for a working visit. The visit will be its first trip away from Heaton Park since it arrived in 1988 and will show off its restoration to Leeds works tram condition which took place in 2008.

Leeds 6 will travel to the museum in April 2010 to take part in the Beamish Museum’s ‘Power from the Past’ four day working transport event from the15th -18th April. It will star alongside Beamish’s own Blackpool 31 suitably repainted in green as Works Tram number 4 and reunited with the Blackpool Tower Wagon Beamish currently have in store. Leeds 6 will then stay at Beamish until mid August. In return, Beamish Museum have kindly agreed to loan their Oporto Tram, number 196 to Heaton Park. Both Trams will run regularly in service while they are on loan.

Chairman of the MTMS Alex Grey said “This is another opportunity for both museums to enjoy the sites of different trams operating at the museums and to see Leeds 6 in a period setting among the streets and buildings of an authentic Edwardian village and for Beamish’s visitors to see how the unsung works car was a part of the upkeep of the fabric of our towns and cities”.


Paul Jarman, Transport Curator for Beamish museum said “We are delighted that the MTMS have again given us an opportunity to operate one of their trams in our town street and that they have been so supportive throughout the process of arranging to bring it to Beamish. Works trams were used in Newcastle but have almost vanished from living memory so once again, through such cooperation, we are able to bring back to life a historic aspect of the North East’s transport history as well as delight and educate our visitors”.

The 2010 diary is as follows:
HEATON PARK TRAMWAY
EVENTS 2010

28TH MARCH 2010, 30TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
OPEN 10.00 – 19.00

HIGHLGHTS OF THE DAY WILL INCLUDE:
Ø Horse Tram L53 in service, the only time this year and the last time the 2 Manchester Trams will run together for a while.
Ø Both Electric Trams in service.
Ø Works Tram 752 in operation.
Ø View progress on the extension.
Ø Birthday cake.
Ø Model Trams, including David Hooker’s 00 scale model of Heaton Park Tramway.
Ø Official public opening of the remodelled museum.
Ø Display of the history of the Tramway and Trams in the Park.
Ø Visiting vintage buses on display and operating, provided by Keighley Bus Museum.
Ø Illuminated Tram.
Ø Evening Tram rides.
Ø ‘Driver for a fiver’ driving experiences.
Ø And much, much more . . .

APRIL – AUGUST 2010 AND EARLY SUMMER TO ??, TRAMCAR SWAP
Ø It has been agreed that Leeds 6 will visit Beamish for their April event from 15th – 18th April and will then stay until August. It will be exchanged for Beamish Oporto Tram 196, which will operate at Heaton Park for the same period.
Ø As previously advertised, Manchester 765 will visit Blackpool for the 2010 celebrations and Blackpool replica Toastrack 619 will be coming to Heaton Park.
Ø This means that at some point for a while during the summer the 2 passenger Trams in service will be visitors to the Tramway.

5TH SEPTEMBER, MODEL TRAMWAY EXHIBITION
OPEN 10.00 – 17.00
Ø 2 Tram service.
Ø Model Trams on display.
Ø Model Tram layouts operating.
Ø Model Tram shop.
Ø Model Trams workshop offering help and advice on model Trams.

21ST NOVEMBER 2010, A CELEBRATION OF BLACKPOOL’S TRAMS AND TRANSPORT
OPEN 10.00 – 18.00

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DAY WILL INCLUDE:
Ø Blackpool 619 in service, possibly the latest in the year this Tram has ever run in service!
Ø Blackpool works Tram 752 in operation.
Ø Visiting Blackpool Tram in operation FOR ONE DAY ONLY. Full details of the vehicle and where it will come on loan from will be released later.
Ø This will allow us to run the first 3 Tram electric service since 1997.
Ø Illuminated Tram.
Ø Tram rides in the dark.
Ø Blackpool Trams models competition.
Ø Working model Blackpool Trams.
Ø Visiting Blackpool Buses on display and operating, courtesy of the LTT.
Ø Plus much more . . .

In addition we will be open on a number of Saturdays in May and June.

More news as it comes in . . .