“Meet the Trams” continues this evening with another tram which has carried passengers at the National Tramway Museum during 2026. That tram is Blackpool 762.
Throughout this series so far (both at Crich and the previous trams we looked at from Beamish) the trams which we have featured have all run in the past couple of years, but it is a different case for our latest feature as Blackpool Jubilee 762 had not run since 2019 before it was recommissioned for service and returned to action in June 2026.
Although Jubilee Car 762’s life as a one-person operated tram didn’t start until 1982 when it became the second (of two) trams to be rebuilt in Blackpool Corporation’s Workshops it can, of course, trace its history back a lot further than that. Built as Balloon Car 251 (latterly 714) in 1934 it would operate up until October 1971 when it would be withdrawn and stored. It was one of only two Balloon Cars (the other being 725 which ended up as the other Jubilee Car) never to carry a pantograph or receive single destination indicators.
The rebuilding of 714 into 762 saw differences from the rebuild of 761 as lessons had been learnt once that tram had started to be used in 1979. The most notable of these were the retention of the centre entrance as an exit (761 just had doors at the end of the tram), but most importantly it was still capable of being used with driver only operation. This was the main aim of the project as it was hoped it would save money in crewing during quieter times.
762 did enjoy a major overhaul during its time in Blackpool and would remain operational up until the end of traditional tramway operation at the end of 2011. It was then transferred to Crich and it retained its final livery carried in Blackpool – an all over advert for the Pleasure Beach’s Nickelodeon Land. In fact that livery (which is a bit marmite with enthusiasts – you either love it or hate it!) is still on the tram today and proves to be popular with younger visitors to the museum.
After attention in Crich’s workshops it entered service at the National Tramway Museum on 13th September 2014 and would enjoy a five year period of operation. Then it suffered a motor fault which saw it withdrawn from service but the catalyst to get it back running again was the impending entry into service of fellow Blackpool car, Centenary 645. With the two trams sharing control equipment it would be ideal to ensure enough drivers were trained for the all important Access Tram II.
After a false start where high temperatures caused the overhead to sag, 762 returned to service on 10th June 2026.
Back in service after seven years out, 762 is seen outside The Red Lion on 22nd June 2026. (Photograph by Steven Hughes, 22nd June 2026)