Last Lanarkshire tram marks a quarter of a century in Summerlee preservation service
THE last surviving tram from the former Lanarkshire Tramways Company fleet, is celebrating 25 years in service at Summerlee Industrial Museum this year, having first run on Scotland’s only heritage tramway on April 1, 1995, following a seven-year restoration by enthusiasts at the Coatbridge venue.
Open topper No. 53 was built in Preston by the United Car Company in 1908 and ran until the closure of the Lanarkshire system in 1931.
The body was bought by a farmer in Beith in Ayrshire, and was used as a hay store there until rescued by enthusiasts, and brought to Summerlee in 1988. The body was completely restored and a truck and electrical equipment came from Porto No. 180, the body of which was subsequently scrapped.
A firm favourite with crew and passengers alike on the Summerlee Tramway, No. 53 made its own piece of history in July 2014, when the tram carried the Queen’s Baton on its journey to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The tram is due to run on select dates in 2020, crewed by members of the Summerlee Transport Group, whose volunteers provide drivers and conductors for the museum’s working trams.
Clare Weir, Summerlee collections and exhibitions manager, said: “We are delighted to have had this historic tram in service for a quarter of a century, which is now longer than the tram ran in company service.
“Its survival is a tribute to the foresight of those who rescued No. 53 and their dedication in keeping it in service ever since.”