967 - Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramway in 2008 & 2009

Welcome to Podbaba Transport Video 967 set in Blackpool in the years 2008 & 2009 on the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramway.

In a lot of respects, these were pivotal years as the tramway transitioned from a traditional street tramway (the last in Great Britain!) to a modern light railway over a period of three and half years.
The original English Electric and Brush tramcars of the 1930s still held sway but the winds of change were blowing as new tracks and, indeed, track layouts were introduced in readiness for 2012.

From another point of view, Blackpool was still attracting large numbers of tourists who were staying in the resort's hotels and guesthouses so a high frequency of trams carried many customers along the eleven miles of tramway.
2008 and 2009 were perhaps, the last of the glory days of Blackpool Pleasure Beach and the turning circle accommodated many tram specials during the daytime and evenings in readiness for the outflow after shows and when the park was ready for closing - on many days quite late indeed.

The two years were very "colourful" years for the tramway with many all over adverts carried on the trams as well as a number of cars turned out in variants of the Metro Coastlines livery carried by the bus fleet.
Visiting trams and heritage trams from the Blackpool feet were presented immaculately and, on many days, ran in normal service alongside the other tramcars.
An elderly lady at the Pleasure Beach let several balloon cars go as she wanted to go on the "old tram" which in fact was 147 and only 6 years older than the balloons themselves!

Thank you for watching this 2026 Youtube Podbaba Transport presentation.
We really hope that you will enjoy it and give it a “thumbs up”.
Please subscribe to this channel and consider telling your friends about us and ask them to be subscribe as well.
Subscribers receive the latest updates from our channel and there is ABSOLUTELY no charge for it.
Look out for us at transport events. Come and say hello and, you never know, we may have some “goodies” with us to hand out.

You can also follow us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...

We are also on Instagram @podbaba_transport and @praguetrams.

Thank you.
a Podbaba Transport presentation
13th January 2026