Opened on 29th September 1885 this standard gauge (1435mm) tramway started life as a conduit line on Blackpool Promenade between Cocker Street (just north of Talbot Square) and Dean Street (near South Pier). The Depot was situated in Blundell Street. The Blackpool Electric Tramway Company operated the line until 1892 when it was taken over by Blackpool Corporation after expiry of the lease. In 1895 an extension was built from Manchester Square along Lytham Road to South Shore Station where it met the Lytham St. Annes system (see below). Another extension from Station Road to Squires Gate was operated by a horse-drawn car. Still in 1895 the tracks to South Pier were extended slightly to Victoria (South Pier) and a line along Station Road connected Lytham Road with the Promenade in 1897. 1899 saw the conduit system being replaced by the conventional overhead wire method. In 1900 the line was extended north to Gynn Square where it met the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramroad (see below). The Marton loop opened in 1901. It connected Talbot Square and Central Station (near the Tower) via Church Street, Devonshire Square, Whitegate Drive, Waterloo Road and Central Drive. A new depot was built on Whitegate Drive, Marton. Layton was reached in 1902 by a line from Talbot Square via Talbot Road and Royal Oak via Middle Lane (Central Drive). The Promenade line was running on a double track paved reservation by 1905 and had reached Pleasure Beach in 1903. Blackpool Corporation took over the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramroad Company in 1920 and the system thus gained another eight route miles of track (with six on private reservation), two depots in Fleetwood and one in Bispham. The small Bold Street Depot in Fleetwood was soon closed and a loop constructed at Fleetwood Ferry (between Rossall and Broadwater a more direct diversion was also later built in 1925). The original Blundell Street Depot eventually became too small and a larger site was developed across the road in Rigby Road from 1920. The final tramway extension came in 1926 when the line was extended along the new South Promenade from Pleasure Beach to Clifton Drive (today known as Starr Gate) where a connection was built to the Lytham St. Annes tracks. The present day depot at Rigby Road was erected in 1935. 1936 saw the first route closures, the Central Drive and Layton routes. More followed: 1961 Lytham Road, 1962 Marton and finally 1963 Dickson Road (old Tramroad line to North Station). Marton and Copse Road (Fleetwood) Depots closed in 1963 and Bispham in 1966. Today only the Starr Gate to Fleetwood service remains. Blackpool Borough Council transferred the operation of the tramway and buses to Blackpool Transport Services Limited in 1986 but still owns and maintains the tramway tracks. The new company has not yet been privatised and at the end of 2000 transfer of the Council's permanent way department to Blackpool Transport Services was under serious discussion. To strengthen the company it purchased competing bus company Fylde Transport (which can trace it's history back to the Blackpool, St. Annes and Lytham Tramways Company - later Lytham St. Annes Corporation) from it's management buy-out team in 1994. The Tram Stops: Starr Gate Abercorn Place Harrow Place Harrowside Burlington Road Star Hotel Pleasure Beach/Sandcastle South Pier Waterloo Road Alexandra Road St Chad's Road Barton Avenue Manchester Square Foxhall Square Central Pier Tower Victoria Street North Pier for Town Centre (Talbot Square) Cocker Street Pleasant Street Imperial Hotel Wilton Parade Warley Road Gynn Square Cliffs Hotel Cabin St Stephens' Avenue Lowther Avenue Miners' Home Cavendish Road Bispham Madison Avenue Leyburn Avenue Norbreck Norbreck North Norkeed Road Little Bispham Melton Place Anchorsholme Lane Lauderdale Avenue Cleveleys West Drive Beach Road Thornton Gate Westmoreland Avenue Rossall Beach Westbourne Road Rossall School Rossall Square Broadwater Southfleet Avenue Heathfield Road Lingfield Road Lindel Road Stanley Road Fisherman's Walk (Ash Street) Preston Street Church Street Victoria Street for Fleetwood Market Pharos Street Fleetwood Ferry Most trams have been converted from trolley pole to pantograph operation but some cars remain using the old method of current collection (including all preserved cars, the Works Cars, the Open Boats and all Illuminated Cars). This is the tramcar fleet in 2004: Single Seckers: 5 Boat Cars 600, 602, 604-5, 607 1 Vanguard Replica (rebuilt from OMO car ex English Electric Railcoach) 9 Brush Cars (not modernised) 621-3, 625, 627, 632, 634, 636-7 3 Brush Cars (modernised) 626, 630-1 2 Centenary Cars (not modernised) 645, 648 6 Centenary Cars (heavily modernised) 641-4, 646-7 (work on 647 is carried out right now) 7+7 Twin Cars 671-7 (coupled to control trailers 681-7; motor cars ex English Electric Railcoaches) 3 English Electric Railcoaches (ex Twin Cars ex Railcoaches) 678-9 Double Deckers: 18 Ballon Cars (not modernised) 700-4, 708, 710-2, 715-7, 719-23, 726 1 Open Top Ballon Car 706 5 Balloon Cars (heavily modernised) 707, 709, 713, 719, 723 (work on 724 is carried out right now, 713 will re-appear with traditional fronts) 2 Jubilee Cars (ex Balloon Cars) Illuminated Cars in service 2 Cars = #613, #736 (736 is currently undergoing modernisation) Illuminated Cars withdrawn from service 3+1 Cars = #732, #733 (with trailer 734), #735 Vintage Trams (d/d = double deck; s/d = single deck) 7 Cars = Stockport d/d #5, Blackpool Tramroad s/d Box #40, Bolton d/d #66, Blackpool d/d Standard #147, Blackpool s/d Coronations #304 & 660, Sheffield d/d #513 Works Cars (m = motor; t = trailer; r/r = road/rail vehicle) 8 vehicles m #259, t #260, t #750, m #752, m #754, r/r #939-41