***EVENT CANCELED*** EVENING PHOTOGRAPHY – BESIDE THE SEASIDE

***Event Canceled**

We are disappointed to advise you that our Evening Photography event has been cancelled.

This is due to an extremely low number of bookings – unfortunately, we only had a total of 7 people book for an event that requires a minimum of 20 people for the tramway to just break even on the hire of lighting equipment, preparing refreshments, fuel for the vintage bus etc. I hope you can appreciate that, as a tramway entirely operated by volunteers, we cannot afford the expenditure in the current financial climate.

This wasn’t what we expected after an event that sold out last year, and we can only apologise that this has happened and for any inconvenience this could cause for you.

Any tickets already purchased have now been refunded via paypal.

However – all is not lost. We will still be operating a tram service in line with the free Twilight Running event being operated by the Museum of Transport at Boyle St, Cheetham Hill, with their vintage buses, with the trams operating from 12:00 until 19:15 overall alongside this.

We would like to offer you free travel on the day and evening service on the trams as a way of apology for cancelling the event, alongside access to Lakeside Depot to photograph Blackpool 752 lit up, which we had prepared as the highlight of our evening event. Simply print your event confirmation/cancellation email (or have it digitally on your phone), show it to our conductor and they will issue a complimentary ticket for the day’s travel – and simply ask if one of them will take you into Lakeside whenever you wish. There is also likely to be ‘impromptu’ photo opportunities with the buses as they travel into the park to reverse.

If you aren’t travelling to the park via the vintage bus, simply arrive at the gates – during the day, the tram will collect you as normal. During the evening, our volunteer on the gate will admit you and advise the tramcar via radio to collect you from Middleton Road Gates terminus.

For more information on the bus service, please see the link below.

https://motgm.uk/events-themed.html#octthemed

Once again, please accept my apologies on behalf of the Tramway, and I hope you’ll still join us for the day and evening services.

If you have any questions, please email me and I’ll be back in touch as soon as possible.

Blackpool 619 Launch and First Day of the Season 2023

Blackpool 619 sat on depot road outside Middleton Road Depot during the 2022 Lightopia event.

Join us on 26th March to formally welcome our latest restoration project, Blackpool 619, back into traffic and celebrate the start of our 2023 season!
This day will feature a two car service, with 619 operating alongside a compatriot from her days at the seaside also living out her retirement at Heaton Park, Blackpool 623.
The precise details of the event, for example, photographic runs, will be released soon.
Thanks to our friends at the Fylde Transport Trust, a vintage Blackpool bus will also be joining us for the event – in addition, this vehicle will be operating in service from Blackpool so enthusiasts can ride and travel in style to our event! Please see their Facebook page soon for more information.
The picture below is of 619 on test in wintery conditions in December 2022 – final finishing touches are being made ready for this event, including advert boards and lining out.

Updates from the workshop – August 2022

Hi All,

Apologies for no recent updates, its been a very busy year for everyone at the tramway.

With several of our younger working members studying up for exams to others who are progressing well with careers.

Here is a quick update on what has been going on in the workshop over the last few months.

First of all, our workshop has undergone a huge clean up and reorganize.

Its astounding the difference that this has made to the workshop staff, apart from now being unable to find anything 🙂

A high view of the workshop at the beginning of the sort out.
Clive and Geoff building part of the new “OPS area”
New steps being test fitted for easy access to the OPs area and benches.

The workshop floor receiving its first ever coat of paint 🙂
Stockport 5 looking at home with the new floor paint.
No Idea what’s going on here 🙂
Dave M and Geoff continuing to build the new OPs area.
Our museum also had a bit of attention with the floors being repainted and some new images being shown.
The new images shown in their new locations.
The Museum floor after receiving a new coat of paint

A lot of work has also been taking place out and about on the tramway.

New IT systems installed for CCTV and a new Image archiving server and storage.
Early in the year, during high winds, a tree fell and caught our festoon lighting on the way down.
Here we see our overhead team fixing it back up as well as breaking up the tree that had fallen.
In February, heavy rain caused some localized flooding within the park.
Lots of work has been taking place on the track, including fishplace adjustments and replacement.

April 3rd saw our first day of service for 2022 and also our 42nd birthday.

Team briefing before the start of service.
765 Sitting at the gates at Middleton Road
Staff taxi on the way back to depot for a well earned brew.

Infrastructure Painting

Our resident paint slinger, Chloe has been busy bringing our outside infrastructure back up to an outstanding standard.
Our Chief Engineer starting the unenviable task of painting the traction poles after chipping

Corporate volunteers play a key role in the tramway by providing large groups of volunteers to help tackle some of the larger jobs.

Some corporate volunteers helping us clear the bottom of the traction poles ready for chipping and painting.
Some corporate volunteers helping us clear the bottom of the traction poles ready for chipping and painting.

In June, 619 finally re-entered the workshop to continue the work that started many years ago.

New floor slatting has been installed on to the platforms to help drivers feet and for extra adhesion.
Who is that hippy pretending he knows what he’s doing 🙂
The edges being trimmed to sit flush with the steps.
619’s Breaker covers receiving a fresh coat of black paint.
619’s Breaker covers lettering.
Chloe prepping for touching up the body work.

Throughout June, July and August we have continued to operate weekend services, maintain our fleet and work on an additional tram.
This is not an easy task.

The above just highlights some of the different tasks undertaken at the tramway.

Its not all about “Ding, Ding and away”

There are hundreds of different tasks undertaken at the tramway.

If you would like to get involved with the tramway, be it guarding, driving, helping in our shop, track work, overhead work or anything of your choosing- Please get in touch.

info@hptramway.co.uk

All Models Great & Small 2022

SATURDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 2022 AT 11:00

We are happy to announce All Models Great & Small 2022 featuring many model tramways and railways.
Split across 2 sites within Heaton Park Tramway we host a variety of layouts depicting locations from all over the UK.

Our very own “Wooton Trams” will be on display at Lakeside Depot.

A 3 tram service will be in operation from 11:00 until 17:00

Further details will be posted once confirmed.

Sunday 3rd April 2022 – 40th (+ 2) Birthday Running Day

The first day of service for 2022 and also Heaton Park Tramway’s 42nd birthday.

Blackpool 623 Manchester 765 basking in the
sun whilst work has been taking place within the depot.


This event was due to take place in April 2020, but due to the pandemic was delayed until now.

We will start the day at 11:00 with 96 and 765 running in parallel from Middleton Road Depot towards the gates, followed by a 3 car service operating throughout the day.

Our museum will be open to visitors for the first time in over 2 years after an extensive refurbishment.

Our shop will be open, and a pop up book stall will be located outside of the main door.

Lakeside depot will also be open to the public for the first time, As well as static tramcars being displayed outside Middleton Road depot and Lakeside depot.

A temporary workshop viewing area will also be open at Middleton Road depot.

The Manchester Transport Museum Society (Heaton Park Tramway) receives The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

The Manchester Transport Museum Society (Heaton Park Tramway) receives The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, The Manchester Transport Museum Society, a group of volunteers based in Heaton Park, Manchester have been honored with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. The Manchester Transport Museum Society is one of 241 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of nominations remains high year on year, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognize outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Recipients are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse. They include volunteer groups from across the UK, including an inclusive tennis club in Lincolnshire; a children’s bereavement charity in London; a support group those living with dementia and their carers in North Yorkshire; a volunteer minibus service in Cumbria; a group supporting young people in Belfast; a community radio station in Inverness and a mountain rescue team in Powys .Representatives of The Manchester Transport Museum Society will receive the award crystal and certificate from Sir Warren Smith, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester later this summer. Furthermore two volunteers from the Society will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2022 (depending on restrictions at the time), along with other recipients of this year’s Award Philip Heywood, MTMS Chairman, said “The Society is delighted that our contribution to the life of Heaton Park and to the preservation of Manchester’s ongoing tramway heritage has been recognized, and wishes to pay tribute to the hard work and commitment of our volunteers in contributing to the life of our Manchester community. The award is great recognition for a team that although it always works hard, has worked harder than ever over these last 12 months.”