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Horse drawn tram returns to Heaton Park.
The Manchester Transport Museum Society (MTMS) are pleased to announce additional operation days of Manchester Eades reversible horse tram L53 at the Heaton Park Tramway.
L53 will be in operation on the tramway on Sunday 3rd May 2009 initially as part of a planned series of dates for the 2009 season. The tram will be available for the public to ride on from 1pm with return trips taking place every 30 minutes. Further dates in the coming weeks when L53 will be running are Sunday 14th of June as part of an event to mark 60 years since the end of Manchester's first generation trams and on Sunday 12th of July L53 will take part in the Transport in Art day at the Heaton Park Tramway. On these dates L53 will be powered by two horses and run from the park's Middleton Road gates along the historic tramway towards the boating lake. An electric tram service using examples of the societies other trams will also be in operation on these dates.
L53 is the only surviving complete horse tram from over 500 designed by John Eades in 1877 and built by the Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company to operate in and around the city until 1903. Built to the Eades patent Reversible type, the tram is unique among all surviving trams in that it uses the horses' own power to turn the body of the tram round on its underframe when reaching the end of the tracks. Rescued from a retirement near Glossop Derbyshire, that included use as a hairdresser's and a fish and chip shop, the tram was restored over a 25 year period by a team of skilled volunteers which included most of the side frames being made by one of the team as part of an ‘A' Level woodwork exam.
Chairman of the MTMS Alex Gray said "After the success of last years launch of L53 it's good to see the tram operating now on ‘full power' using these 2 new horses, provided by Latham Shires Ltd of nearby Atherton so that we can give a longer and more authentic horse tram experience".
Further Information
The Manchester Transport Museum Society Ltd is a registered charity whose aim is the preservation of documents and artifacts relating to public transport in the Manchester region. It began life in the early 1960s as the Manchester Transport Historical Collection, a group of enthusiasts dedicated to restoring Manchester single deck tramcar 765.
The Heaton Park Tramway is the only surviving part of Manchester's first generation of tramways, having been opened in April 1905 to bring passengers into the newly opened park and operated until 1934. Reopened in 1979 the tramway is run as a joint venture between the Society and Manchester City council.
John Eades designer of L53 was Manager of the Manchester Carriage Company's coachbuilding works at Ford Lane Pendleton Salford from 1867 until 1903.
look at the society's website at http://www.mtms.org.uk/