The Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society (MTPS) has launched a £12,000 appeal to complete Warrington Corporation Tramways car No. 28, which is currently in the final throes of a restoration at the Wirral Transport Museum in Birkenhead.
The society hopes the G F Milnes-built double-deck car will be finished by the autumn of 2020, having acquired the necessary components and completed the bulk of the structural rebuild.
The wiring is nearly completed, the air pipework is well advanced, and the trolley plank has been installed on the roof. Internal detailing is also going in, which leaves the truck as the main focus of attention.
The main outstanding job is the re-gauging of the wheelsets that came from an ex-Lisbon Brill 21E truck, and therefore need converting from 90cm to 4ft 8½in.
However, this work will cost in excess of £30,000, and having already paid out £14,000 for electrical motor work that was expected to cost £4,000, the MTPS is appealing for donations to help finance this vital work.
Anyone who donates £100 or more will be invited to ride on No. 28’s inaugural passenger run, while those who pledge under £100 will be entitled to travel on the tram during its first day in traffic.
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