Brush Car 632 out of paint shop

Brush Railcoach 632 has been released from the paint shop looking superb in late 1970s half green and light cream livery that was once so typical of this class. Sponsored by TRAMS magazine, 632 will soon receive roof advertising boxes with adverts for the new North Pier based Tram Shop. 632 will also get black gill sans fleet numbers and Blackpool Corporation crests.

The project is a partnership between Trams magazine, the LTT and Blackpool Transport who will operate the tram on specials this summer. Currently 632 is in the fitting shop being prepared to receive the trucks removed from sister car 622 which is now withdrawn.

Open top 1995 repainted

Ex-Ribble VRT 1995 (OCK995K) has been repainted in Classic Bus North West fleet livery of the Southdown inspired apple green and cream livery. This vehicle is on long-term loan to the trading company from the LTT and recently 1995 passed through the BusWorks for rear panelling and upper deck floor repairs. It was decided to repaint 1995 in advance of the 2010 summer season, its first since 2007 when reverse Ribble livery was applied.

LTT Tram Repaints

The two LTT trams in the paint shop at Blackpool Transport are progressing well. 703, in Sunderland livery, is almost complete whereas Brush Car 632 is now undercoated in green & cream ready for 1980s livery.

Meet Sunderland 101

Balloon car 703 is looking superb in Blackpool Transport's paint shop and in the final stages of its transformation into Sunderland red and cream livery. The tram will assume a new identity as Sunderland 101 - the next fleet number that could have been applied to a bogie car in the Sunderland tramcar fleet. Still to come are "Shop at Binns" advertising and side adverts for co-sponsor, bus operator Go North East.

Brush Car 632 returns to service

Brush Railcoach 632 is to return to passenger service this year in a partnership arrangement between TRAMS magazine, the TRAM SHOP at North Pier, Blackpool Transport and the LTT.

632 last operated in October 2004 but on 30 March it was extracted from long term store and transferred to the paint shop. Here it will be repainted in late 1970s green & cream livery and advert boxes fitted with advertising for the Tram Shop. In this guise 632 will operate until November 2011.

143's top deck arrives!

Although covered more extensively in 143's own restoration blog, this news update records the arrival of 143's new top deck from Gillett's of Wesham. It arrived on Wednesday 24 March and was fully assembled by the following day. Next week it will be trial fitted on the lower deck so the internal bulkhead partitions can be finalised - and then the lower deck can be shipped off to Blackpool Transport whilst the upper deck is painted, varnished and wired up.

Take a last look at 703 in green...

Take a last look at Balloon car 703 in Blackpool green and cream livery - it will soon be wearing Sunderland red and cream. Interestingly, car 703 has worn this 1980s style livery since 1999 but never wore the scheme during the 1982-1987 period when the majority of Balloon cars repainted were given the style. This was because 703 had been amongst the last repaints in the plain 1970s style back in 1981 and it wasn't repainted again until 1989 when Blackpool Transport had reverted to a much plainer livery style but in the post-deregulation shades of green & cream.

Keep viewing this blog for other announcements of the LTT's tram fleet.