Could Coronation tram mark new king’s coronation?
VOLUNTEERS at Summerlee Industrial Museum are asking themselves if the Glasgow Coronation tram they are restoring could be completed in time to mark the coronation of King Charles III, which is likely to take place next spring or summer.
Tram No. 1245, dating from 1939, was built as one of 150 luxury trams and launched in 1937, the year of King George VI’s coronation. The class was quickly dubbed ‘The Coronations’ as the prototype carried a special livery to mark the royal occasion, a name that stuck with the trams throughout their working life and into preservation.
No. 1245 is now rapidly nearing completion, with exterior, aluminium panelling fitted to the framework, glazing underway, the bogies overhauled, and control gear ready for fitting.
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Tram squad volunteer leader Charlie McAloon said: "We’re well underway and are really reassembling the tram from all the components we have restored like a giant kit of parts. We will shortly be specifying an inverter, to convert 650v DC traction current down to 240, 24 and 12v AC, to operate the lighting and power circuits, and that is the last major component we need.
“So, who knows, we might well be able to have the tram launched into service to coincide with the new king’s coronation next year. That would be a real link, through the tram and why it got its name, between today’s coronation and the coronation of King Charles’s grandfather.
“Who knows, we might be able to invite the new king to launch the fully-restored Coronation tram into service at Summerlee!”
Work has started on fitting the restored and reupholstered seats, and Charlie has been amazed to find that, when the backs of the seats are turned over, as they would have been by the conductor at the terminus, the seat squab actually tilts slightly upwards to give the passenger the most comfortable sitting position possible. “They really knew what they were doing in 1939,” he said. “This truly was a luxury tram.”
The group’s woodworking specialist, Jim Gilchrist, has been able to replicate the tram’s two sets of folding platform doors by working from the originals. “I’ve made the frames from scratch,” he explained. “I’ve been struck by the level of sheer craftsmanship exhibited by the men at Glasgow
Corporation’s Coplawhill Tram Works who built these trams, and it’s been a challenge to match it. The frames for the doors will now be fitted out with their aluminium panelling, and will be ready for fitting.”
Summerlee museum manager Lu McNair said: “The work on the tram is going on apace and we will review where we are at Christmas to see how much more would need to be done to allow us to meet the coronation deadline.
Looking ahead
“Summerlee is no stranger to royalty, and Princess Anne visited in 2001 to welcome our Lanarkshire tram back to service.
“She enjoyed a turn at the controller, so who knows what may transpire.”
The Coatbridge Museum, home to Scotland’s only working heritage tramway, laid on a small exhibition to mark the 60th anniversary of Glasgow’s Last tram on September 4, 1962.
Hopes that No. 1245 would have been ready to mark the anniversary by returning to service were dashed by the Covid-19 lockdowns, but the prospect of a Coronation for the coronation has given the project new impetus.