Podbaba Transport Heritage Series Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramway in 1990

Welcome to Podbaba Transport Heritage Series.
Here we take a look at Blackpool Promenade in 1990.
We see Centenary cars in original livery, 1990s livery, 642 and 643 in allover adverts for Embassy Regal cigarettes and, right at the end, 647 as an advert for 42nd Street musical at the Opera House.
We see both Jubilee cars (761 and 762) sometimes together in the 1990s Atlantean bus livery and we see Progress Twincars 671-681 and 673-683 in the new 1990s livery whilst 672-682, 674-684, 676-686 and 677-687 are in half green/half cream livery. 675-685 is in a similar livery in the depot.
Many balloon cars feature as you might expect both in 1980s and 1990s livery but we also see 712 and 719 with pantographs.
Brush cars feature too and the Open Boats are out in various liveries - 602 in HandyBus black and yellow, 604 in Routemaster red and white, 605 in original livery sponsored by Fylde Tramway Society, 606 in Blue and yellow advertising Hitchens and 607 in the standard green and cream.
One man operated trams are seen either in the depot or out on the track.
Box car 40, Dreadnought 59 and Bolton 66 feature with (at 2h9m) Bolton 66 setting off without a signal bell with a young child still trying to get off the tram!
Coronation car 600 is seen in the depot and then out on the tracks.
Vanguard rebuild 619 is filmed too.

Allover advertising was featuring prominently on the trams at this time:
10 Bispham & Cleveleys Kitchens
623 ICI
625 Allover white then Family Choice
626 Mighty White Bread
630 Blackpool Pleasure Beach
631 Pricebusters
632 Blackpool Zoo Park
633 Coral island
636 Wartime green
642 Embassy Regal Cigarettes
643 Embassy Regal Cigarettes
678 Autotrader magazine
679 Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
706 Coral Bingo and Coral Island (with pantograph!)
707 Pontins
718 McDonald's restaurants
732 Whitegates Estate Agency
733-734 Fisherman's Friend
735 Royal Life Estate
736 Primesight! Advertising

Towards the end, we see 642 accident damaged in the depot; 660 turns at Cleveleys; 637 arrives at Cleveleys in the new 1990s livery freshly painted; a failed centenary car changes over at Thornton Gate and 701 is seen in the depot being prepared for its major rebuilt after which it will be turned out in lined red and white livery.

We pan around the depot to reveal more omo cars than the ones in service and we wind the blind on 675 from one end to the other to discover "Squires Gate & Airport", "North Station Blackpool"

Moving away from the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramway, we see various buses operated by Blackpool Transport and Fylde Blue Buses. In Fleetwood, we see a Ribble ECW bodied Atlantean in service and Blackpool Routemaster 521 in a similar livery to Balloon car 707.

Architectural features include Lewis's department store and Copse Road Tram Depot in Fleetwood complete with some of the track fan.

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a Podbaba Transport Heritage Series presentation
9th July 2023