THERE was an unusual sight in the seaside town of Saltburn yesterday as the trams on its Victorian cliff lift were winched off for refurbishment.

The popular attraction, which has transported visitors up and down the steep cliff for over a century, is temporarily waving goodbye to its trams as the next phase of refurbishment gets underway.

It is part of a scheme to give the tramway a makeover before it reopens to visitors for its 2018 season in Spring.

The two carriages have been lifted off their tracks so they can be taken away to an agreed site for general maintenance work.

They will also be painted and will undergo a mechanical overhaul, while major refurbishment works take place on the track itself to keep the attraction shipshape.

Engineers Rapid Consulting brought in a large crane from a subcontractor to carry out the work.

There was some disruption due to the need to bring in the crane, as the popular car park at the bottom of the cliff had to be closed off while the carriages were loaded on to a lorry.

The whole process took about six hours, starting from 8am, as each carriage was removed from its tracks and positioned on to a low loader vehicle.

Cllr Carl Quartermain, Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Communications, said: “The carriages on the tramway will be getting a well-deserved makeover ahead of the attraction opening for the season once again in the spring 2018."

The tramway, which has been operating since 1884 and attracts over 150,000 visitors each year, closed in October for the start of its refurbishment, which is expected to cost over £400,000.

Work includes improving lighting and fencing as well as replacing mechanical parts, at the Redcar & Cleveland Council-operated attraction.

This follows a number of breakdowns in recent years, including one in the summer which saw several tourists – including an elderly woman – and dogs having to be rescued from the trams by firefighters.

Historic England was consulted on the refurbishment plans for the Tramway, some parts of which are Grade II-listed.

In 2010, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council embarked on a £300,000 overhaul of the carriages on what is one of the world’s oldest water-powered cliff lifts.

The carriages were taken away on a low-loader and spent 12 weeks undergoing interior and exterior refurbishment, with new stained glass windows installed.