This is the second of a three-book series. It contains a collection of evocative and beautifully restored images of Blackpool's trams from the years 1968 to 1985.
Limited to 1,000 copies, each book will be certified, numbered and personally signed by the author. Printed on coated super-glossy thick art paper, hardback and thread sewn with 280 pages and 487 images - most of which are previously unseen and previously unpublished.
Working its way through 17-years of history, the book starts with a class-by-class look at the trams. Presented in numerical order from the 1968 renumbering, we start with the Boat cars and surviving Railcoaches; then the Brush cars, Coronation cars and Twin cars. All 27 Balloons are next, followed by the Illuminated cars and Works cars.
By 1968 the tramway had moved on from the route closures of early-1960s and driver-only operation was on the agenda with the 638 experiment in 1969, thirteen rebuilt Railcoaches from 1972; Jubilee car 761 in 1979 and the brand new Centenary car 641 of 1984.
Other significant tram events from this period which have a dedicated chapter include the first all-over advert cars in 1975 (every advert livery is shown); the 705 v 706 crash from 1980; the snow of 1981 and of course the wonderful Centenary year of 1985 - with the visiting cars and the 21-car procession.
Other chapters feature Blundell Street and Rigby Road depots; the fascinating winter period in 1972/73 with OMOs, Brush cars, Railcoaches and Coronations on the Fleetwood service; trams in trouble; rare moves; maps; timetables; track diagrams; fleet lists plus interviews with a former motorman and enthusiasts who were there in 1970s and 1980s.
More than 4,000 black and white and colour images have been sourced. The best 400+ will be used in the book. Every tram that operated in this period is pictured.
Features:
• Author - Nick Meskell
• Limited edition, certified, numbered and signed by the author
• Hardback (thread sewn)
• 280 pages
• 487 B&W and colour photographs
• 100,000 words
• Publication - April 2022 (See website and Facebook for updates)
• Printed in the UK. Supporting the UK print industry.
(Please note due to the size and weight of this book, there are additional charges for delivery to Europe and the rest of the world).
