HISTORY hatched out over the Easter Weekend when Old No 20 took to the rails again as a passenger tram on the route taken by the first trams in Europe to Woodside.

It was both a milestone and a moving experience for the drivers and preservation enthusiasts. For the first time since 1937, Old No 20 was carrying fare passengers again in all its glory of Birkenhead Corporation Tramways livery.

When the Birkenhead tramway closed in 1937, the tram was laid to rest in a field as a holday home and then a potting shed in an exposed position on the banks of the Dee.

One day a haulier contacted Merseyside Tramway Preservation Group and the remains of the body, built by Milnes of Birkenhead in 1900, were recovered and restored from 1983 until now.

Friends of Birkenhead 20 found or made parts to rebuild the Edwardian tramcar and it was completed by Merseyside Tramway Enthusiasts in Pacific Road Tramsheds with the help of fund raising, Wirral Council and grants.

Pacific Road is the home of two Hong Kong built trams which regularly run to Woodside and are about to be extended to a depot, near the Old Colonial Pub. Over Easter they took a back seat to Old No 20. Regular tram drivers guided enthusiasts at the controls and the team comprised of Mike Mercer, Peter Caulfield, Noel Marsden, Jeff Martin and Keith Carmichael.

The trams will continue to be a tourist attraction at weekends but the Easter outing of old No 20 was special. Pacific Road houses a tram collection, some under restoration and also boasts an event hall for hire. Contact Wirral leisure and tourism department for further details.

Pictured above, enthusiast Mike Mercer enjoys the air at Woodside and a taste of history, where the first tramway in Europe started in the last century.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.