However, we did combine this with a riding visit to the MoD Proof & Experimental Establishment (don't ask, we are not allowed to say) Eskmeals and a minibus tour of British Nuclear Fuels Sellafield (Friday) then rides (two locos simultaneously) at Heysham Nuclear Power Station (Saturday, before Blackpool)!

As well as our latest tram tour (following those in Nov 2016 and Jan 2019) a particular 'must visit' for me in the North West was an exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, due to end in late Feb. So these two events came together neatly, with a two-night stop in Blackpool (to avoid any panics on the Sunday evening about returning to my west London home satisfactorily). On the day before our tour, Euston to Liverpool Lime Street, a decent amount of time at the gallery and Lime Street to Blackpool North were all accomplished as planned. The latter journey - as well as the novelty of a through working - was, in fact, my first Blackpool visit by electric train (what a fast, smooth ride!), complementing my Nov 2017 visit to photograph the semaphores and boxes that were about to be closed with resignalling.

I'd booked myself an hotel near North Pier and on my way to check in it was interesting to note the new Blackpool North tram branch, with its tracks disappearing into a building compound; still plenty of work to do before completion. My hotel location meant that I could take advantage of the 'feeder' tram thoughtfully arranged to take participants (chiefly those arriving by train) direct to the official 'BBII' starting point at Rigby Road Depot. As a bonus, on my way there on the Sunday morning I was able to take some 'now' photos to match the 'then' ones in an Oct 2001 'Steam World' article that I'd kept, describing a remarkable steam on temporary track, three-month operation in 1911 (alongside the tramway), involving several locos at different times and 40 wagons. 250,000 tons of sand was transported from near South Pier in Blackpool to the seaward side of the Metropole Hotel to extend the promenade from North Pier around the hotel to a point just north of it. After building a concrete wall along the beach, the gap between it and the former sea wall was successfully infilled.

With photos duly taken, I headed to the northbound North Pier tram stop and the magnificent sight of Balloon double-decker '700' awaiting its special passengers. Departure was shortly after the booked 10.15 and, after a reversal over the crossover immediately north (the first of many that day!), we headed for Rigby Road depot (arriving at 10.25) not quite knowing what to expect...

Disembarkation was requested and we joined the many others (of the 92 total participants) who'd gone direct to the depot. They had therefore probably gained a better sense of what was to happen at 'Tramtown Blackpool' - as Blackpool Transport's Heritage Tram Tours style it, according to their 'welcome' board near the entrance gate. No fewer than four other vehicles awaited our custom!

Our two parties ('Tram A/Tram B') joined fellow Balloons 715 and 717 (all our trams had been built in 1934/35) - for short journeys with a difference. '715' was attached to double-decker Overhead Line Maintenance Car 754 and '717' to Bus and Tram Recovery (road) Truck 929! This highly unusual arrangement permitted several very 'rare' manoeuvres, involving '715+754' to the end of line at the start of the 'emergency' section that once led to Blundell St and beyond through to the Promenade.

(Who remembers those splendid through trips on 28 Jun 1998? Near the seafront, a short piece of the track is still in place.) '715+754' then took us in and out of the adjacent Fitting Shop (FS). Next was '717+929' on the dewired section round the back of the FS (to near the Canteen door), then without '929' into the deepest reaches of the Electrical Compound (Road 17) of the main depot building, returning to a more conventional depot road. This part of the day ended at 11.35 and, after pausing for breath, the two parties (re)joined '700' and, for the first time, '707' (with bus type, non-reversible seats) for the main tour, with each tram constantly in sight of the other. So, back to the Promenade to continue via Foxhall crossover (between the Manchester Square and Central Pier stops) to Pleasure Beach turning circle (inner loop) and north to the usual arrival stop at Fleetwood Ferry. 50 minutes (12.35-13.25) was allowed there for our lunch break. I adjourned to one of my favourite buildings there, the Grade II-listed North Euston Hotel of 1841, while our vehicles recessed on the loop between the arrival and departure stops. (The hotel is so named as pre-WCML passengers from Euston would catch a train to Fleetwood, stay the night and continue to Ardrossan by boat - or vice versa.)

After lunch each party transferred to the other tram, continuing via Fisherman's Walk crossover, (Victoria Street crossover remains out of use long term) back to Fleetwood; both times there we took the non-passenger loop - then it was south again. After reversing via Cleveleys crossover, we used the Thornton Gate (reverse) and Bispham centre loops, then Cabin crossover, to reach Little Bispham turning circle and so back to North Pier and the crossover just to the south. Via North Pier loop and crossover, we were now heading south yet again, en route to Starr Gate depot.

There we went around the loop, through the Wash Plant to the gate, reversed and entered the Depot. Back through the gate, reversal was at the end of the depot headshunt, returning to a different Depot road, so covering Roads 8 & 9. Not coincidentally they had not been done on our previous tours; also not coincidentally they were clear to their extremities where we just happened to go. Next it was via the trailing crossover, through the arrivals platform and to the single track just past Starr Gate tram stop. A short disembarkation for 'Personal Needs' purposes at the adjacent WCs followed, then it was back on board and through the departure platform. At Foxhall we reversed via the crossover to make for Pleasure Beach turning circle again (outer loop this time, of course), then back to Tower crossover and reversal. There was a set down for those passengers requiring trains from Blackpool North station. Finally, it was back to a different road inside Rigby Road Depot, where we ended at around 16.45.

The final memorable scene was of our two trams side-by-side, with personal 'thank-you's' from the participants to the staff who'd achieved so much on our behalf. In his very informative notes (which greatly enhanced the tour experience), David Palmer cited in particular Gary Conn of Blackpool Heritage Trams; so many others assisted him, of course, and the event raised £4,200 - including £700 alone from the inevitable raffle - to assist with supporting the BHT operation.

Next morning I began my trip back to Euston, taking the chance to revisit lines I'd not travelled over for quite some time. From Liverpool it was round to Chester via Frodsham, then a look at Northwich station and via Altrincham through to Stockport (many thanks, Dave [Leeming], for your magnificent 'BLN' series of signal box reminiscences!). Then back to Altrincham (with its ingenious incorporation of the original west-side station building in the bus interchange) and Metrolink to Piccadilly for London.

I ended my 'less familiar' lines exploration when passing Cornbrook - and this neatly ties in with our Blackpool tour. I'd never heard of Michael Holroyd Smith until reading David's notes, but I now know of his significance in that he had recognised the potential of electric traction for tramways and arranged a demonstration of a standard gauge tramway using an underground conduit system at his Manchester works and then at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. It's an appropriate coincidence that, along the way, he became a partner in a telephone/phonograph company in Cornbrook.

My thanks go to all our Society personnel, led by Kev Adlam, involved with this, well-organised, well- executed and comprehensive tour of the 11-mile system. Not least, thanks to those who prepared the invaluable stocklist and track plan (as always, it was so useful to have these in advance) and also the special ticket: 'From Rigby Road to Fleetwood, Route: Unusual' - yes, indeed! PS: It was good to be able to purchase from the on-tram-staff BHT's fine Blackpool Heritage Trams! booklet on the day (see: https://heritagetramtours.square.site/ excellent value at £5, and a significant exclamation mark).