Blackpool Toastrack tram 166 (ex. 160), National Tramway Museum, Crich. 1972
Blackpool Toastrack tram 166 (ex. 160), National Tramway Museum, Crich. Sunday 27 August 1972.
Photograph copyright: Ian 10B. Slide No.1788
THE TOASTRACK RENUMBERING MYSTERY
Toastrack 166 is actually Toastrack 160. It was always thought that when the six toastracks were built in 1927 that they were numbered 161 – 166 however this is not the case.
Over the years Blackpool Tramway historians including myself have never understood why 166 had a building completion date of 07 May 1927 two months earlier than sisters 161 – 164 which were completed in mid-July 1927. Following a discovery of a photograph taken at Oxford Square between 07 May and 25 July 1927 of a Toastrack which was numbered 160 we now know that this tram was renumbered 166 when new Standard tram 160 was completed on 09 September 1927.
The outstanding mystery is Toastrack 165 as there is no official record of its completion date other than 1927. My question therefore is was 165 also completed earlier than 160 say within the first nine days of May 1927 and carrying carrying a different fleet number presumably 159 and then renumbered 165 when the new Standard 159 was completed on 09 June 1927 or was Toastrack 165 built carrying that fleet number after 161 – 164 in July 1927? Unfortunately without written or photographic evidence which appears to be non-existent we will probably never know and it will be one of several unsolved mysteries regarding the earlier history of the Blackpool tram fleet.
Thankfully no Standard trams apart from 160 were numbered in the 160’s so we know that the fleet numbers of Toastracks 161 – 164 have never changed.
Below are the BCT completion dates shown in date order (except 165) for the Standard trams and Toastracks numbered in the 150’s and 160’s built during 1927.
165 ? 1927 Toastrack
166 07 May 1927 Toastrack Originally numbered 160
156 12 May 1927 Standard
157 02 June 1927 Standard
158 08 June 1927 Standard
159 09 June 1927 Standard
161 12 July 1927 Toastrack
162 14 July 1927 Toastrack
163 15 July 1927 Toastrack
164 19 July 1927 Toastrack
160 09 Sept. 1927 Standard
So Crich time to renumber 166 to 160
Blackpool Toastrack tram 166 (ex. 160), National Tramway Museum, Crich. 1972
Blackpool Toastrack tram 166 (ex. 160), National Tramway Museum, Crich. Sunday 27 August 1972.
Photograph copyright: Ian 10B. Slide No.1788
THE TOASTRACK RENUMBERING MYSTERY
Toastrack 166 is actually Toastrack 160. It was always thought that when the six toastracks were built in 1927 that they were numbered 161 – 166 however this is not the case.
Over the years Blackpool Tramway historians including myself have never understood why 166 had a building completion date of 07 May 1927 two months earlier than sisters 161 – 164 which were completed in mid-July 1927. Following a discovery of a photograph taken at Oxford Square between 07 May and 25 July 1927 of a Toastrack which was numbered 160 we now know that this tram was renumbered 166 when new Standard tram 160 was completed on 09 September 1927.
The outstanding mystery is Toastrack 165 as there is no official record of its completion date other than 1927. My question therefore is was 165 also completed earlier than 160 say within the first nine days of May 1927 and carrying carrying a different fleet number presumably 159 and then renumbered 165 when the new Standard 159 was completed on 09 June 1927 or was Toastrack 165 built carrying that fleet number after 161 – 164 in July 1927? Unfortunately without written or photographic evidence which appears to be non-existent we will probably never know and it will be one of several unsolved mysteries regarding the earlier history of the Blackpool tram fleet.
Thankfully no Standard trams apart from 160 were numbered in the 160’s so we know that the fleet numbers of Toastracks 161 – 164 have never changed.
Below are the BCT completion dates shown in date order (except 165) for the Standard trams and Toastracks numbered in the 150’s and 160’s built during 1927.
165 ? 1927 Toastrack
166 07 May 1927 Toastrack Originally numbered 160
156 12 May 1927 Standard
157 02 June 1927 Standard
158 08 June 1927 Standard
159 09 June 1927 Standard
161 12 July 1927 Toastrack
162 14 July 1927 Toastrack
163 15 July 1927 Toastrack
164 19 July 1927 Toastrack
160 09 Sept. 1927 Standard
So Crich time to renumber 166 to 160