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Blackpool Balloons

Page 3: Balloon Double-Deckers


This page is under construction!
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This is one of a series of pages on Blackpool trams under construction. This page shows the Blackpool double-deck Balloons, including later re-bodied versions.



 

Sections on this Page
   Balloons (1933)
   Rebuilt 761 762
   Ice Cream Tram (1972)
   Dates refer to class introduction dates

 

Associated Pages

References
   Blackpool Transport website  www.blackpooltransport.com

Blackpool Transport Maps



Blackpool Balloons
Balloon Double-Deck Cars


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Balloons 237-249, 250-263 (later 700-726)

The first English Electric trams in the streamlined fleet were the standard enclosed single deck trams known as Railcoaches delivered from 1993. These were followed by the twelve open Boat single-deckers in 1934. 1934 also saw the delivery of the first double-decker English Electric Balloons. The first batch 237-249 were delivered as open-top trams. They were enclosed in 1941-42. The second batch of fully enclosed Balloons 250-263 followed in 1934-35. The whole class was renumbered 700-726 in 1968.

The Balloons formed the backbone of the Blackpool fleet until the tramway's conversion to a modern light rail network in 2012. Following the network's re-opening, a number of Balloons were converted to meet the disability regulations to serve as a supplement to the modern Flexity 2 vehicles. (Ref: Wikipedia)




Balloon Car No.237/700

The prototype open-topped Balloon was numbered 226 on delivery. It soon became 237 and was renumbered 700 in 1968. This tram had a more vertical front than later trams which were more streamlined.

Open-topped balloon when new as 226
Plain-backed postcard photo
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Balloon 700 in Lytham Road between Manchester Square and the depot
Photos: ©1976 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.701

Balloon 701at Fleetwood Ferry in the rain in 1980
Photo: ©I971 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 701at Fleetwood Ferry with modified upper deck window in 1995
Photo: ©I995 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.702

Balloon 702 at on the Promenade in 1975
Photo: ©I975 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.703

Balloon 703 at Fleetwood Ferry in 1976
Photo: ©I976 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 703 in 1983
Photo: ©I983 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 703 at Bispham in 1995 with 'wartime' livery
Photo: ©I995 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 703 at 1998 with 'wartime' livery
Photo: ©I998 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.704

Balloon 704 at Bispham in 1976
Photo: ©I976 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 704 on the Promenade in 1976
Photo: ©I976 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 704 in Fleetwood in 1995
Photo: ©I976 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.705

Balloon 705 on the Promenade in 1976
Photo: ©I976 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.706

Balloon 706 near the Tower in 1971
Photo: ©I971 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 706 on the Promenade in 1976
Photo: ©I971 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.707

Balloon 707 at the Pleasure Beach and Bispham 1974
Photo: ©I971 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 726 on the Promenade in 1974 with 707 behind
Photo: ©I974 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 726 on the Promenade in 1974 with 707 behind
Photo: ©I974 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 707 as originally rebuilt with flat ends and no corner windows upstairs
Photo: ©I998 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.709

Balloon 709 at Fleetwood Ferry in 1974
Photo: ©I974 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 709 and 718 in the depot in 1974
Photo: ©I974 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 709 on the Promenade in 1995 with Pontin's advertising livery
Photo: ©I995 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.710

Balloon 710 passing Robert's Oyster Rooms in 1971
Photo: ©I971 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 710 in 1979
Photo: ©I979 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 710 on the Promenade
Photos: ©I995 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 710 at Fleetwood Ferry
Photos: ©I995 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 710 at Fleetwood
Photos: ©I995 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 710 at Fleetwood Ash Street
Photos: ©I995 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.711

Balloon 711 in 1979
Photo: ©I979 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.712

Balloon 712  in 1980
Photo: ©I980 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 712 in Fleetwood in 1983
Photo: ©I983 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.713

Balloon 713 on the Promenade
Photo: ©I979 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 713 on the promenade in 1986 with revised livery
Photo: ©I986 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 713 on the promenade in 1995 in yet another livery variation
Photos: ©I995 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.715

Balloon 715 at Fleetwood Ferry in 1971
Photo: ©I971 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 715 at Pleasure Beach in 1971
Photo: ©I971 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 715 1980
Photo: ©I980 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.716

Balloon 716 at Rigby Road in 1975
Photo: ©I975 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 716 near the Tower in 1975
Photo: ©I975 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 716 on the Promenade in 1976
Photo: ©I976 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.717

Balloon 717 passing Lewis's (since demolished) by the Tower
Photo: ©I971 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 717 at Fleetwood Ferry
Photo: ©I978 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 717 at Fleetwood Ferry
Photos: ©I997 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.718

Balloon 718 at Fleetwood Ferry in 1974
Photo: ©I974 Ian Boyle

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Balloons 718 and 709 at Rigby Road in 1974
Photo: ©I974 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 718 at Fleetwood Ferry in 1994 with MacDonald's advertising livery
Photo: ©I994 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 718 on the Promenade in 1995
Photo: ©I995 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.719

Balloon 719 passing Lewis's (since demolished) by the Tower
Photo: ©I971 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 719 at Pleasure Beach
Photo: ©I974 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 719 in 1976
Photo: ©I976 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 719 in 1979
Photo: ©I979 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 719 in 1983 with North Pier/Russ Abbot advert
Photo: ©I983 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 719 in 1997 as the Ice Cream Tram
Photo: ©I997 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 719 in 2015 rebuilt with wider platforms for the B-Fleet
Photos: © Ian Boyle, 27th September 2015

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Balloon Car No.720

Balloon 720 passing Robert's Oyster Rooms
Photo: ©I971 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.721

Balloon 721 at Starr Gate in 1974
Photo: ©I974 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 721 in 1996
Photo: ©I996 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.722

Balloon 722 at Fleetwood Ferry 1984
Photo: ©I984 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.723

Balloon 723 at North Pier in 1971
Photo: ©I971 Ian Boyle

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Balloon 723 and 715 at Fleetwood Ferry 1971
Photo: ©I971 Ian Boyle

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Balloon Car No.726

Balloon 726 on the Promenade in 1976
Photo: ©I976 Ian Boyle

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Jubilee Cars
(761 & 762)

  (Ref: Wikipedia)


Jubilee Car No.761

Jubilee Car 761 at Fleetwood Ferry, looking smart without adverts
Photo: ©1980 Ian Boyle

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Jubilee Car 761 in 1983
Photo: ©1983 Ian Boyle

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Jubilee Car No.762

Jubilee Car 762in 1983
Photo: ©1983 Ian Boyle

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