The Blackpool Heritage Trust have provided a welcome update on progress with the work to return Balloon car 715 to active service for use on heritage tours this year. Although work has slipped slightly behind schedule, work is progressing well, but to ensure the best possible finished job it has been decided not to launch the tram at Easter as was previously hoped. Instead, 715‘s return to service is now expected over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend.
Following months of speculation, it has finally been confirmed that 715 has been treated to a full repaint in the 1990s style green and cream livery as worn by the majority of the Balloon cars in the not so distant past. However, apart from a few stored examples, this livery had been completely eradicated from the tramway by 2005 with all remaining operational Balloons painted in heritage, advertising or Metro Coastlines liveries – meaning that its revival on 715 will be the first time it has graced the promenade for a decade. This should bring back many happy memories for enthusiasts of all ages, of a time when the Balloons ruled the tramway every summer.
Besides the repaint itself, work undertaken on 715 has been fairly extensive with the window frames stripped back to bare wood and a number of damaged panels and windows replaced. The car is now being revarnished to protect its immaculate paintwork and also requires a few other finishing touches before it can be released for traffic. Rather than rush the job, it was decided to delay its return until the next Bank Holiday weekend in early May, and it is now expected to make its debut on a tour for the Fylde Tramway Society on Saturday 2nd May. As well as performing a full system tour the tram is due to run through the modern wash plant at Starr Gate with passengers on board – a rare novelty which should add even more interest to this particular tour. A second tour is also due to run that day with Twin set 272+T2 during the evening, and this will complement the normal heritage service to provide what should be a most enjoyable weekend on the tramway.
Looking very nice indeed, Balloon 715 is seen in the Rigby Road Paint Shop in the final stages of being repainted in 1990s fleet livery. (Photo courtesy of Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours Facebook page)
How do we book for the FTS tours on the 2nd of May as I can’t seem to find a booking form on the FTS website.
Brilliant job looks fab. but would look better still with twin destination screens.The front of these cars never look quite right with a single screen.Nevertheless great looking car, well done.
To me its the norm, but then I was born in the ’80s! And of course the single destination screen is more appropriate for the livery that has been chosen for 715 to carry.
And I could also add that some of the Balloons actually carried the single destination screen much longer than the twin destination indicators. As Andrew points out, the single indicator is the “norm” for many enthusiasts, and not everything should be put back to ex-factory condition.
Showing my age now, but when I was a young boy all the balloon cars had twin destination screens and were painted in ‘wartime’ livery!
In this condition they operated mainly on Lytham Road on an intensive service. I think that 259 (722) was the first to receive the new one piece screens, it then received the mainly cream livery style in 1955.
Of course this tram is no more, being withdrawn and scrapped some years ago following a derailment near Central Pier.
You are wrong about the derailment; as bad as it looked, the tram was repaired and returned to use within a fairly short space of time. 722 was actually scrapped following a collision with 711.
I stand corrected, all the same and if we want to be pedantic (if totally accurate) it only operated for a short time after – maybe one or two seasons?
I do remember that its livery changed from a blue/red/yellow scheme into a mainly overall white style for an advert (cannot remember what for) and this was its final livery.
I’m not sure what year the derailment was without checking, think it may have been 2001 – at that point 722 was advertising Pontins. In 2005 it was painted white to promote the Transport & General Workers Union (I assume that’s the livery you refer to) and ran like that until the end of 2007 when it sustained the collision damage which ultimately led to it being broken up.
Derailment July 2001 and crash Oct 2007. I doubt the former had any influence on withdrawal. The bump with 711 twisted the under frame. I recall seeing that the floor traps would no longer fit! Not the worst damage by far but with surplus trams there was no need to repair.
As I recall, 722 retained its twin destination blinds until late in 1979, being one of the last two balloons to do so – the other was 709. The important fact to remember about 715 is that several people (including myself) still hold shares in this car from the time of its previous repaint while in the custody of LTT. I’m sure there are those who would be interested to know how the validity of those shares now stands as some people parted with quite a lot of money!
Assuming the 715 share scheme was on the same terms as for boat 605, sadly it is not worth the paper it is written on…
As people unfortunately found to their cost with 605, their ‘share purchase’ was effectively nothing more than a donation to the LTT. It did not give any form of joint ownership of the tram, and did not give them any say in the disposal of the tram nor any entitlement to any share of the sale proceeds.
LTT transferred ownership of 715 to the new Heritage Trust. If you have any issues with that you need to take it up with the Trustees of the LTT.
Can anyone take part in the FTS tours on the 2nd of May or is it just FTS members only as I still can’t find a booking form on their website.
Understand members were notified with all appropriate information in previous FTN Publication. With tickets been allocated on request. Suspect 715 will fill as its effectively the trip to the AGM at Cleveleys and the car in question. They may well open up the Evening Twin once members have had first refusal.
Might we worth asking the responsible committee member (Chris Rowe) to see whether their is a reserve list for none members
Mark Green Is handling the bookings for the FTS tours, I spoke to him earlier, non members may book tickets if space is available, Marks e mail is green.m@btopenworld.com