May 2010 - Bank Holiday Weekend

28.5.10

I arrived in Blackpool at 5.30pm and saw 5 centenaries on service, operating between Pleasure Beach and Cleveleys with the line still closed north of Cleveleys.  There was no specials out at all.   The 5 trams out were 642, 645, 646, 647 and 648.   After 6pm the service reduced to 1/2 hourly using 3 cars.   These were 642, 645 and 647.

29.5.10

Into the Saturday and it rained all day.   It looked like being an all Centenary service again, when 646 and 648 appeared on routes 1 and 2 both with 2 conductors.   Then 761 appeared on route 3 with 761 on route 4 and 717 on route 5.   646 went onto specials and 648 returned to depot with 723 and 724 taking over.   703 made a brief appearance alongside the Fitting Shop wall (however I missed this as I had gone back to the hotel for breakfast!).   Shortly afterwards 709 and 711 appeared on specials making their debuts in their new liveries for Blackpool Zoo and Sea Life Centre respectively.   707, 719 and 675+685 also appeared along with 626, 630, 641, 642, 645 and 647 on specials with the single deckers remaining out quite late with 723, 761 and 717 on service.

30.5.10

On the Sunday there was again an all decker service with 707 on route 1, 723 (2), 719 (3), 711(4) and 717 (5).   As it was dry and sunny, 706 was out on specials along with 604, whilst 709, 761, 762, 724, 675+685, 646, 642, 647,641, 645 and 648 also appearing.   Into the evening and 707, 719 and 711 were all out on the evening service whilst 630 , 641, 642, 645, 646 and 647 remained out into the evening 641 and 642 were out almost as late as the last service cars.

31.5.10

Onto the Monday and it was time to come back home.   Oddly for a Bank Holiday the service was made up of 5 centenaries on one person operation which caused late running, bunching and alot of people left behind.   The service was made up of 646, 642, 647, 641 and 645.   In the electrical compound was 632, 631 and 672+682 whilst 700 and 713 were in the fitting shop.   648 came out at around 10.30am as an OPO special, however the tramway was chaos with chronic late running, bunching and a number of people left behind.