Beamish Museum welcomes Lisbon 730
Tram expected to enter service in its current livery to bolster the operational fleet, following arrival from Birkenhead.
DESPITE travelling through the tail of Storm Isha, Lisbon No. 730 arrived at Beamish Museum in County Durham unscathed, apart from some damage to one of its platform doors.
Having previously visited Beamish in 2013, No. 730 returned on January 22, to take up permanent residence.
Its transfer from the Wirral Transport Museum, where it had been part of the fleet used to run services on the tramway, was agreed late last year with Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society (MTPS).
As part of changes being made by
Big Heritage (BH), which took over the custodianship of the Birkenhead visitor attraction from Wirral Council in November, MTPS had been asked to find a new home for No. 730. BH said it required more space for visitors and that, due to a lack of local significance, No. 730 did not fit within the new museum narrative.
Announcing its arrival, Beamish director of development for transport, industry and design Paul Jarman said: “I’d like to place on record again our thanks to the MTPS for offering 730 to us when they had to find it a new home, and for making the arrangements for it to move to the museum. This was a generous and much appreciated gesture and I hope that their members can enjoy seeing No. 730 at work, at Beamish.”
Livery
Having had its windows refitted by
MTPS before its move to the North East, Beamish Museum expects to put No.
730 into service in its current livery, but plans eventually for it to carry the blue and cream of Darlington Corporation Light Railways. These colours are seen as a nod to the tram’s origins as, although converted to standard gauge following its arrival in the UK, it was built as a 900 millimetre gauge (2ft 11 7/16in) vehicle and the Darlington system was also narrow gauge, albeit 3ft 6 ins. Application of the new colours will, however, be dependent on when arrangements can be made with contractors to do it.
With former Oporto tram No. 196
(used in the guise of a South Shields car) due for overhaul soon, the arrival of No. 730, a similar style of single deck tram, is expected to tie-in well to needs at Beamish. With potential to board and disembark quicker than bigger vehicles, as part of balanced heritage tram and bus operation, smaller cars are seen as useful in reducing headways and waiting times for visitors.
Work continues on the overhaul of Gateshead No. 10, which had been hoped to return to action last year, with attention turning to its interior. Brake ratchets on Newcastle No. 114 are being restored to profile.