Podbaba Transport Heritage Series: Blackpool Trams & Buses between 1993 and 1995

Welcome to Podbaba Transport Heritage Series. We now cover 1993 to mid 1995.
By 1993, all Balloons except 700, 701 and 719 are in 1990s livery (or allover adverts) and 719 is stored pending a major reconstruction. All have pantographs. 723 appears rebuilt with halogen lighting and extra top light in 1990s livery.
Birkenhead 69 and 70 have arrived from Hong Kong and will operate in Blackpool until moving to the tramway at Birkenhead.
All boats have reverted to trolleys because of the issue of pantograph grease dropping onto customers.
642 and 643 have another revision to the Embassy Cigarettes adverts.
645 appears with an advert for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat starring Phillip Schofield in 1993.
647 starts the year advertising Buddy the musical but changes mid-year
648 receives 1990s livery.
Illuminated feature cars 735 and 736 carry adverts for Blackpool Transport Travelcards.
We see 733-734 towed in by a balloon during the illuminations period.
We have a top deck ride on 701 and we go to Fleetwood Tram Sunday and look at Fylde Blue Buses' Roller Coaster Route One in its prime.
By 1994, things are changing rapidly.
All the remaining omo cars are withdrawn and stored. 11 is an experimental car for the TramPower project.
707 is stripped in readiness for the forthcoming Millennium project and 719 is stored before being rebuilt as the Walls IceCream tram.
706 appears in 1990s green & cream as does rebuilt 711 (similar to 723).
709 is the new Pontins advert to replace 707 and 710 receives original 1934 colours.
641 and 621 run into each other and have to return to depot damaged.
645 initially appears in Joseph colours with dates painted out then is repainted as advert for Blackpool Opera House.
621,625, 630, 632 and 678 receive the 1990s green and cream livery.
634 starts at New Lansdowne Hotel but then receives 1990s green and cream.
636 retains wartime colours but gains adverts for the Music Hall Tavern.
626 is rebuilt and fitted with halogen lighting.
633 is an advert for Browsers Market and 627 for Shoemarket.
647 appears as an advert for the Joe Longthorne Show.
679 appears as a Mecca Bingo advert with bears on the roof.
735 carries adverts for North West Lancs Health Authority and 736 for Blackpool Festival '94.
We feature Progress Twincars running into depot after a busy day.
We move into 1995....
and our filming starts with the derailment of 644 at Melton Place. The tram was bouncing from side to side and up and down as it rode the incline to the point where the body over rode the bogie bringing it crashing down in front of the bogie connection pin leaving the tram stranded in the southbound track. A "bang line" operation had to be put into effect between Cleveleys and Little Bispham. Southbound trams ran wrong line to the south of the Little Bispham junction and regained the southbound track by running round the loop. We see the efforts to get the tram freed including attendance on scene by the Director of Engineering, WJB Gibson.
New adverts for 1995 include:
642 Travelcard
643 Welcome Break
645 Mecca Bingo
and 647 regains 1990s green & cream
631 reappears rebuilt and with 24v circuits and halogen lighting
632 is a new advert for Joseph and the amazing technicolour dreamcoat starring Aled Jones
634 is a new advert for 99p a pint venues throughout Blackpool
678 is an advert for Paradise Room starring Little & Large
679 retains its Mecca Bingo advert but without the bears
718 loses its McDonalds advert in favour of 1990s green & cream
Bolton 66 appears with white fenders simulating wartime appearance.
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a Podbaba Transport Heritage Series presentation
29th July 2023