English: Blackpool 'Standard' 147

Owners: Blackpool Transport

Type: Enclosed bogie double decker Body: Hurst Nelson Trucks: Preston McGuire Controllers: BTH B510 Motors: BTH 265c (2x35hp) Built: 1924 147 is one of seven surviving Blackpool ‘Standard’ trams, and was constructed by Hurst Nelson in 1924. Originally the car had open balconies and vestibules and was painted in the early Blackpool Corpoartion colours of red, cream and teak; this was subsequently replaced by the more familiar green and cream livery in 1933, the same time as when the end vestibules were enclosed. However, the top deck had to wait until 1940 to be fully enclosed. Like the rest of the Standard cars, 147 predominantly worked on the Marton and Layton routes up until the appearance of the Marton VAMBAC cars in the ’50s, and was then retained as a seasonal extra for use on the promenade, where its 78 seats where no doubt appreciated on busy days. After one last appearance on an enthusiast tour to Fleetwood on 29th October 1966, 147 was retired, and in September 1967, it was shipped to America where it was to start a new life as a preserved vehicle at the Gerald E. Brookins Museum of Electric Railways (latterly ‘Trolleyville’) in Cleveland, Ohio. However, when 147 was bought, its new owners had failed to take into consideration the fact that their demonstration line had been built with single-deck vehicles in mind, and therefore when 147 arrived in the USA it was found to be too tall to operate there. After spending some time exposed to the elements, 147 was later moved into one of the tramcar ‘barns’ there, and was largely forgotten about. Indeed, far from being an attractive museum piece, 147′s biggest contribution in its new home was probably as a nice home for various local wildlife. In 2000, an ambitious plan to bring 147 back home and restore it for permanent operation in Blackpool was revealed. The car’s owners agreed to part with it, on the condition that the tram was exchanged for an open ‘Boat’ car, and 606 duly crossed the Atlantic in September of that year. After various people visited the USA to inspect the tram and to prepare it for its journey back to England, which saw the upper deck removed so that it could be transported more easily, the upper deck of 147 arrived back home on 21st October 2000. It was followed by the bottom half of the tram on the 23rd – on the same day the two halves were reunited in the bus yard at Rigby Road, and the forlorn looking tram was pushed to the back of the tram shed. Over the next eighteen months, the car was extensively rebuilt and no expense was spared in returning the tram to its former glory. In line with other recent tram refurbishments, 147 was fitted with low-voltage equipment to power halogen headlights which were tastefully positioned inside the old bulb cases, and air brakes were fitted to improve safety. Otherwise, 147 appears now almost exactly as it would have been in the 1940s. A large amount of new materials had to be used in the restoration, although some of the original panelling was good enough to be retained.

The tram returned to the promenade on 1st March 2002 for its first test running between Starr Gate and Bispham, with the official launch following on 3rd April. Since then, 147 has enjoyed fairly extensive use during the peak season, and has become a popular extra car for use on illumination tour duties at busy weekends. The whole project to return 147 to service was overseen by former BTS workshop manager Michael Airey, whom the tram was named after in 2006. Mr Airey has since died, but one of his last outings was to see his name unveiled on car 147, and it is fitting that this tram will live on as a lasting memorial to him.