‘Bluebird’ on the road to return

ALTHOUGH there is still considerable work to do, restoration is progressing well on London County Council No. 1 at Crich Tramway Village. Nicknamed ‘Bluebird’ because of its blue and white streamlined livery, the tramcar, which saw service between May 1932 and April 1951 in London and from December that year until September 1957 in Leeds, is undergoing attention to return it to original operational condition, a process which began over six years ago. Deconstruction (which included the removal of the roof for specialist reconstruction work off-site) and rebuilding has utilised a vast range of skills and expertise from the workshop team. A major undertaking has been the re-creation of the tram’s airoperated lifting platform steps. The original set is believed to have been removed and lost during its time in Leeds.

MIKE CRABTREE London County Council No. 1 alongside Newcastle No. 102 in the Crich Tramway Village workshops.

MIKE CRABTREE Returned to its original blue and ivory livery, No. 1 receives further attention at Crich.