The Fylde Transport Trust’s popular Balloon Car 715 is to be withdrawn from service following a mutual decision between Blackpool Transport and the owners of the tram. The tram has not undergone any significant workshop attention for many years and the time has now come for it to be taken out of service and it will become a static exhibit at Tramtown.
715 – as the sole unrefurbished Balloon Car in active service – has continued to see regular use on Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours throughout 2022 but the overall condition of the tram has been a concern for a while. It had originally been thought that 2021 would be its last season but it successfully went through the annual docking process at the start of this year. However, the decision has now been made that it is time to withdraw the tram from operation and it will remain at Rigby Road Depot – aka Tramtown – on static display for the foreseeable future.
It is expected that the tram will make its last public runs during the Anniversary Weekend at the end of September before a special farewell tour for the FTT will take place in October.
In a statement provided to British Trams Online the FTT said: “Although 715 is a popular tram, retaining many of its 1970’s features, we had to look closely at what lies ahead in the future for the tram. This is the right moment to withdraw the tram from active service; its last major overhaul was over 40 years ago and we knew that at some point we need look at a major overhaul to allow the tram to operate for many years to come. After 7 seasons on Heritage operation, 715 deserves a rest, and the other trams in the FTT operational fleet will continue to fly the flag for the Trust”
Again this demonstrates the need to keep renewing the available operating fleet, hence the importance of projects such as 704. Maybe 715 will one day be able to return to active service, but in the meantime trams such as 704 will fill the vacancy as it were. 715 will be retained for display and thus still have a useful role to play and be sheltered from the elements to better preserve it.
I’m intrigued to see which ‘other trams in the FTT operational fleet’ will be running after 715 is withdrawn, seeing as the only other runner at present is 621. I hope that I’m wrong but I get the impression that BTS just don’t want to use the FTT cars and we’re all being taken for a ride, metaphorically of course, including the FTT itself. The real tragedy is that everybody stands to gain from 143, 279 & 304 running – the FTT and its supporters can enjoy the fruits of their labours, BHTT get the financial rewards of having attractive new trams in its running fleet, and enthusiasts get more trams to ride on and photograph. Win win!
As for 715, personally I felt its condition was way below the standards of what should be operating on premium price tours, so I won’t be sorry to see it bow out, along with 701 which seems to have quietly disappeared. With three other serviceable enclosed Balloon cars I hope that attention can turn to other types of trams, to relieve pressure on 66, 227 & 600 and offer more variety and interest to potential customers.
The comment from Andrew above requires an official statement from the Fylde Transport Trust, as he implies certain issues between the FTT and BTS. Unfortunately such comments are made with very little knowledge of the actual situation, and can cause further negativity which actually harms the projects mentioned.
To be fully clear, there is an extremely good communications channel between the FTT and BTS with regular discussions. The situation with 143, 279 and 304 are all currently projects which are moving forward. Maybe not at the planned speed due to various unforeseen issues (especially with 143), but please remember that the FTT has limited resources both in terms of manpower and financial resources which sometimes limits what we can do. BTS are only involved in our projects during final commissioning as they are the operating company responsible for certifying the trams for Heritage operation.
Far from “being taken for a ride”.
If its such an amicable arrangement why is there no progress on anything? 279 is dumped in the depot. 634 is sat with nothing happening and 143 hasn’t moved for months. All we see are posts saying moving forward etc but no actual reports of the the situation etc. What is stalling all these projects? What’s the plan? Where do they fit in the workshop plan?
I agree that certain trams have been under far too much pressure to perform – 66 seems almost to have been run to a standstill, literally. It would be great to see 143 finally take passengers and the launch of 279 is keenly awaited, especially with the 125th Anniversary of the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramroad steadily approaching. Fortunately, on the matter of Balloons, the prospect of 704 and above all 706 becoming available for passenger service is to be relished. Hopefully patience will eventually be well rewarded. We’re not told much about 675/85 these days, but hope it’s in the pipeline, as it’s a very interesting twin car set, with 675 having been the trailer for the 1958 trial prototype and retaining some internal décor from that time.
Before we are critical of any perceived lack of progress, we must remember that we are living in very challenging times. Such projects as mentioned here (279, 143, etc.) are heavily reliant on funding, much of which is in the form of donations. When would-be donors are finding it difficult to meet rising energy bills or even to put food on the table, then unfortunately giving towards the restoration of any vehicle including trams, no matter how worthy, is hardly going to be a priority. This of course means that the work required to see heritage trams return to service is very much limited by lack of funds rather than any shortage of enthusiasm.
I would have to comment that if the Heritage Tram operation could provide only a couple of trams for service, then as things presently stand, I would feel that they would be doing the best they could and that we should be grateful that anything can run. As it happens, they are doing far better than that and still offer a great variety of interesting tramcars including the wonderful illuminated trams. I feel it only fair that we should be reluctant to complain and express gratitude for all efforts made in these troubled times not only by Heritage Trams (including Tramtown) and FTT but by all other organisations that preserve trams and rely upon donations.
All very well and good, but who said anything about funding? If anyone who knows differently wants to comment then please do, but as far as I am aware it is not a lack of funding that is holding these projects back. 143 had to wait two years to be given 147’s motor, for example. Aside from the FTT trams, there is a huge amount of funding available for 663 and 706 yet neither has been touched yet, whilst work on 704 also appears to have stalled following the construction of its new underframe.
I do certainly agree though that we are in tough times, and I think we may all have to adjust our expectations in terms of what can be achieved in the years ahead. Not just actual funding, but volunteers may decline as people are less able to afford to travel as much to support organisations. The big concern tram-wise must be how all of this will affect the work on Rigby Road depot which is so urgently required.