Hugh Waldron has provided advice on the retention of B2s at Preston:
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Hope this helps answering the “B2” debate at Preston.

My contact tells me that New Preston will retain four “B2” class trams so that drivers will not have to be retrained on “B2” class trams if they are required to do a DOC (Day off cancelled) at another depot or if due to shortage of “E” class additional “B2” class trams are required to be loaned to New Preston.

The rule was in my days to be qualified for a particular type of tram you must drive that type of tram at least once every six months. Therefore by keeping four “B2” class trams all drivers would have the opportunity of driving one every so often.

During my time at Kew if a driver was required from another depot he/she could not drive a “C1” class unless they had previously driven “C1” class trams during the previous six months. (We had a few drivers that had transferred from Kew and were happy to come back for the odd day) Hence if a driver was not trained to drive “C1” class trams this became another reason for an “A” on route 109.  The main reason for the odd “A” class on route 109 was the driver was learning to be an “A” class driver or they were an “A” class driver only due to a medical problem.

A DOC at another depot can only be given providing no drivers from that depot were available for that shift required to be covered.

Regards Hugh