It’s back to Blackpool and the year is 1972 as we return to our Picture in Time series for a couple of images of Balloon car 722.
722 was delivered as fully enclosed Balloon car 259 in February 1935 and after a swift commissioning period was in service by the end of that same month. The tram carried a number of different varieties of green and cream livery for the majority of its life although in the end received two all over adverts – one for Pontins in 1998 and then for the Transport and General Workers Union in 2005. It was to be the last of the Balloon cars to receive single destination indicators – in August 1980 – and was first fitted with a pantograph in March 1992 (one of the last two to lose its trolley pole). 722 made the news in July 2001 when it spectacularly derailed on the Prom as it was returning to depot having struck a sand drift on the rails. The tram did not just gently leave the rails but headed towards the adjacent road coming to a rest against an overhead pole – despite some damage 722 was seemingly not too worse for wear as it was back in service a few weeks later. Originally withdrawn in 2004 (as part of the infamous mothballing) 722 was soon resurrected and continued to part of the operation fleet until October 2007 when it was hit from behind by fellow Balloon car 711. The damage to the underframe was considered severe enough for the tram to be immediately withdrawn from use and after a couple of years around the depot being used for spare parts the decision was taken in November 2009 to scrap the tram with this work being undertaken at Rigby Road.
The first photo here shows 722 at South Pier in July 1972.
And in this second image we catch up with 722 at Fleetwood Ferry , again in July 1972.
Both Photographs by Bob Hodges