It has been announced that the two trams which are to be on display for this year’s Fleetwood Tram Sunday will be Balloon Cars 700 and 717. The two trams will be stabled on next to Pharos Lighthouse during the event which takes place on Sunday 15th July. It will also provide the first chance for the public to see one of the modified Balloons in
the Blackpool Council Purple and White livery as 700 has recently received these new colours.
This will be a rare chance so far this year to see two Balloon Cars together (who would have thought a few years ago we would be saying that!) but although they are from the same class they don’t look that alike anymore. 717 will be no stranger to most people as it has been a regular performer on the heritage service circuit this year and it retains its Original Green and Cream livery. It is this tram that the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust will be using as their base for the day with an information stand next to 717 and a couple of
briefings inside the tram during the afternoon (a £2 donation is required for these briefings).
The other tram which will be on display will be 700 which is one of the Balloon Cars which has been modified with widened centre entrances for use on the upgraded tramway. 700 was in use very rarely in 2011 as it was just in a plain white base coat but it has already seen use this year when it was a rather inappropriate choice for the heritage service. For some the decision to modify this tram was sacrilege as it had been restored to
near 1940s condition and was very popular with enthusiasts carrying the wartime green and cream livery. Those enthusiasts who were disappointed by its modification will probably be even more horrified to discover that 700 has become the first “traditional”
tram to receive the Purple and White Blackpool Council livery and it is in these colours that it will be debuting in at Tram Sunday. With the decision to paint 700 in the corporate Blackpool Council livery it may mean that a more positive future for the “B” fleet of modified Balloons is in store later this year than had previously been thought, although there has yet to be any official word from Blackpool Transport whether they will be utilising these trams in 2012.
Unfortunately it is not possible for either tram to run in service to or from Fleetwood but they will travel to the event under their own power before and after Tram Sunday.