Heaton Park Tramway



The Heaton Park Tramway is a heritage tramway running old trams as a visitor attaction in Heaton Park, Manchester.

History
Shortly after Heaton Park was bought by Manchester Corporation the tramway was extended into the park and the first tram arrived on 31 May 1903, bringing visitors from Manchester. By 1934 buses were taking over from trams and the tramway was disconnected from the main system and covered in tarmac for use by buses.

The Manchester Transport Museum Society (MTMS) was founded in 1961 with the aim of creating a museum in which to exhibit the society's collection for public display. It was decided that Heaton Park would be a suitable site for the museum and proposals were made to the Parks Department of Manchester City Council.

The tramway was closed for a week following the theft of overhead cables on 17 October 2011.

The route
The initial idea, to construct a tramway from Grand Lodge to Heaton Hall, was considered too expensive, as it would require remedial works to carry it across the railway tunnel. A new scheme was proposed to open up the old Manchester Corporation Tramways spur from Middleton Road to the old tram shelter 300 yards (270 m) inside the park. The original track was buried under a layer of tarmac which was cleared and the tram shelter restored to form the centre of the society's operations. Work was completed in 1979 and the Heaton Park Tramway was officially opened on 28 March 1980.

The operation based upon the original siding has been extended using track salvaged from elsewhere, largely on a right of way to a new terminus by the boating lake. Plans exist for a further extension as far as the hall. Major restoration of the depot and museum complex was completed in 2007.

Trams
The tramway currently has an operating fleet of three electric trams. A Manchester 765 single deck combination car dating from 1914, a Stockport open top tram number 5 which arrived on 25 August 2011 and as of 22 January single deck Blackpool Brush car 623. Replica Blackpool Vanguard number 7 is currently on site but not in the operating fleet.

The tramcars
The operating fleet includes the following:
 * Manchester Tram number 765: a 1914 Manchester 'California' type tram
 * Stockport Tram 5: an open top double deck tram dating from 1901 (arrived 25 August 2011)
 * Heaton Park 7: fictitious livery, formerly Replica Vanguard 619 (Out of service and boarded up due to no room inside depot building).
 * Blackpool 623 (286): A 1937 Brush car (In service as of 22 January 2012)
 * Leeds 6 (Formally Hull 96) : A 1901 Hull come Leeds tram, full of history, recently returned from loan at Beamish. It will undergo refurbishment before entering passenger service once again.

A number of cars in store include:
 * Blackpool 752: A 1920s Blackpool works car which left the tramway on 26 August 2011 and was put into open air storage at the East Lancashire Railway
 * Manchester 173: A 1901 double deck Manchester tram (Currently under restoration at Manchester Museum of Transport)
 * Rawtenstall 23: A 1912 Rawtenstall tram (In "kit" form awaiting restoration)
 * Blackpool 680 (280): A 1935 Railcoach, rebuilt in 1961
 * Blackpool 702 (239): A 1934 'Balloon'
 * Blackpool 708 (248): A 1934 'Balloon'

Trams that have visited the line include:
 * Blackpool & Fleetwood 40: A 1914 Fleetwood tram
 * Blackpool 225: A 1934 Blackpool tram
 * Oporto 196: A 1935 Oporto tram, on loan from Beamish
 * Marton Box 31: A 1901 Blackpool Open Top Double Decker From Beamish (The First Decker to run at the park since 1925
 * Blackpool 706: A 1934 Balloon, on loan for 4 days

Trams on loan
 * Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company L53: The only Eades Reversible Horse Tram left is on loan to Bury Transport Museum

Projects
The main project is fund raising for a new depot building to provide storage for all of the current collection of trams, planning permission for this has now been granted. Other projects are the restoration of Manchester Corporation Tramways open top tram 173 built in 1901. Now that the refurbishment of Stockport 5 is complete a similar program of work will commence with Manchester 765.