FLEET DETAILS: 'UEC' Cars No.'s 76-81 and 82-87

No.’s 76-81
These six cars were built for use on the Audley route, where due to lower passenger traffic, the use of high-capacity bogie cars was not merited.

The order for these cars was originally placed with Brush Electrical Co., but as a firm delivery date could not guaranteed, the order went to U.E.C. Co. Limited (formerly Dick, Kerr Limited). They were made to a G.F.Milnes design, at the firms Preston works, and were delivered in July 1907. The body work was distinctive ‘Milnes’ style with arched windows to the saloon, and were officially known as ‘combination’ cars being divided into three compartments, each end saloon was reserved for smokers and had drop-framed windows. Seating in the end sections was originally for 8, plus standing, but an extra seat was added upon delivery at Intack. The centre saloon had longnitudal seating for 22 passengers, over this section a clerestory roof with small drop-back coloured windows was placed. the platforms were open and the bulkheads were off-set, unequal width, an oddity of many ‘Milnes’ design single-deck trams. There was no door from the platforms to the end sections, but a removable bar was fitted at the drivers end to prevent passengers boarding or alighting at the wrong end.

On delivery they had their trolley poles replaced with dwarf mast (3ft. high) and a shorter pole. A roller blind destination indicator box was fitted as new under the roof at each end, and headlamps were also fitted as new.

Bogies were the same as the ‘Siemens’ cars i.e. Brill 22E maximum traction and they were fitted with 2 x 37½h.p. GE 58-4T motors, which made them much slower than the ‘Milnes’ cars, a facet which would eventually be their downfall. Controllers were B.T.H. B18 type. The interiors of the cars were finished in oak and ash, and the roof lining was 3-ply veneer.

Dimensions:

No.’s 82-87
At first glance these cars looked identical to No.’s 76-81, but a closer inspection will show several design changes. Again built at the Strand Road works of U.E.C. Co. Limited at Preston, although originally they were re-drawn with three windows to the central saloon, a very Dick, Kerr trait, but this was changed back to the original 4-window design on the insistance of Blackburn Corporation for the sake of standardisation.

The end smokers section were fitted with fixed windows, and to compensate, for ventilation purposes, small air vents were fitted above each end saloon window. Instead of the single and double seats in the end sections, longnitudal seating was fitted throughout. The bulkheads, though still off-set, were of equal width and a roller shutter was fitted across the door-way, which could be lowered at the drivers end, making these cars less draughty than No.’s 76-81. The same bogies, motors and electrical equipment was fitted as the first batch.

Re-Building
Between May 1914 and January 1918, all the single-deck cars were fitted with windscreens around the platforms giving them much improved appearance, at the same time their brake handles were replaced with a vertical brake wheel. At the time of rebuilding several of the first batch ‘lost’ their drop-framed windows in favour of fixed windows, and those that retained them had them painted ivory instead of the natural varnished wood.

In May 1925 No.86 was rebuilt, as an experiment, with air-compressor operated platform doors, fitted on the opposite side of the platform to the entrance to make the car a front exit-rear entrance one-man-operated car. At the same time the original motors were replaced with 2 x 50h.p. DK31A motors, and new B.T.H. K3 controllers. The experiment was unsuccessful, and the scheme was abandoned after about 18 months, the platforms were rebuilt to their original condition, though the new motors and controllers remained in the car for the rest of it’s existence.

Livery of all the single-deck cars was ivory around the windows and on the rocker panels with olive green on the rest. The roof originally painted white, was later altered to dark grey. This was the only class of tram never to carry the large ‘BLACKBURN CORPORATION TRAMWAYS’ title, a small gold shaded title was at first placed on the sill, or sole bar, and later in the bottom left-hand corner of the rocker panel. Many of this class of tram were used for special occasions and were decorated, such as for ‘Shopping Week’ and for the Coronation of King George V.

After the closure of the Audley route in 1935 they were partly withdrawn from services, being used as tea-time specials on the Cherry Tree route, but once this section closed, in 1939, they were withdrawn completely from service and eventually scrapped at Intack depot.