Liverpool tramcar No. 245

Tramcar 245 was built by Liverpool Corporation Tramways at their Edge Lane Works. It entered service on 3 July 1938 and remained in service until 14 September 1957 when it took part in the parade to mark the end of Liverpool’s tramway operations. Tramcar 245 is the only surviving Liverpool Baby Grand Tramcar in the UK. The condition of the tramcar had deteriorated over the years and, due to its size, it has been difficult to display meaning visitor access has been severely limited. The tramcar is an important piece of Liverpool history and its preservation is crucial to the heritage of the city. National Museums Liverpool recognised that Birkenhead based Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society had the prefect set of skills, coupled with boundless enthusiasm, to tackle the restoration of this historic tram. To this end National Museums Liverpool (NML) entered into a Partnership Agreement with Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society (MTPS) along with Wirral Borough Council, who own the Taylor Street premises where the tram was stored during the restoration project, to restore the tram to its former glory. The restoration project was awarded a grant of £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2009 and work began. After a huge amount of work the project was completed in 2015 and Tramcar 245 was launched on 12th September. It now runs to an agreed timetable on the Birkenhead Heritage Tramway.