English Electric Balloon tram

English Electric Balloon car[1]

Modified Balloon tram 720 showing the widened doors.
Manufacturer English Electric
Assembly Preston, Lancashire
Constructed 1934–1935
2011–2012 (refurbished)
Number built 27
Specifications
Width EE 4 ft 9 in (1.45 m) wheelbase
Passenger capacity seats 78–94
Maximum speed 43 mph (69 km/h)
Engine power 2 × EE 305 type,
57 hp (43 kW)
Current collection method Pantograph
Gauge

4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

Controller 2 × EE Z6

The English Electric Balloon is a type of double-decker tram that is operated on the Blackpool tramway. Initially brought into service in 1934, the Balloon 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 also converted to meet the disability regulations to serve as a supplement to the modern Flexity 2 vehicles.

History

Commissioned in 1933 by Walter Luff, the controller of the network, in a bid to modernise the tramway's fleet, they were intended to replace the Dreadnought cars and Standard cars that had been in service since the early years of the tramway. They were built by English Electric during 1934 and 1935, the first being presented to Blackpool on 10 December 1934. 27 were delivered, of which the first thirteen were open-topped. Numbered 237–263 and used on both summer and winter services. The first one, 237, was initially numbered 226, but with the arrival of the production Boat cars, it would have been out of sequence, so it was renumbered 237.

They had central doors and stairs, with a capacity of 84–94 passengers. Half-drop windows provided ventilation and art deco curved glass lights provided electric lighting. The enclosed-top trams had sliding roof windows and thermostatically-controlled radiators.

The closed top cars originally worked on the Squires Gate service, and it was during this time that they became known as Balloon cars because of their rounded streamlined appearance. During World War II the need for the open-top cars fell significantly and cars 237–249 had their tops enclosed to look almost like 250–263. Also during this period the fleet was painted in a dark green and cream livery to conserve paint and time, as well as to reduce the chances of them being spotted from the air.

After the war years the Balloons were neglected slightly in place of the new Coronation Cars, as they were considered old fashioned and too slow to load. Blackpool Corporation soon changed its mind after experiencing the temperamental nature of the Coronations and the Balloons began to make a comeback in the late 1950s. In 1958 check rail was installed through to Fleetwood and the Balloons increasingly began to appear on market-day specials, as they were useful for moving the large crowds travelling north. The Balloons continued to run their normal Squires Gate service until its closure in 1961, and following this the entire class solely worked on the promenade service.

In 1968 they were re-numbered to 700–726. Between 1979 and 1982, Balloon cars 725 and 714 were totally rebuilt into two new Jubilee cars, 761 and 762.[2] The reconstruction of 725 included moving the stairs to the end, removing the central doors to increase capacity and extending its body length. However, 762 retained the central doors to improve passenger flow at stops. During 1980, an accident at the Pleasure Beach loop caused 705 and 706 to be withdrawn. 705 was scrapped and 706 was rebuilt as an open-topper, later named "Princess Alice". During the early 1990s a number of Balloons that had been retired from service were heavily modernised, with four of them re-emerging with flat ends and modern interiors known as Millennium cars.

From the 17th of October 2002, the Balloons (and all other double decker trams) were banned north of Thornton Gate due to the poor condition of the track. Following heavy repair work the Balloons were allowed back from Easter 2004.

With the arrival of the Flexity 2 trams, some Balloon cars were fitted with widened doors and other modifications to enable them to run alongside the new fleet (see below). Some others were preserved: the first to leave, number 249/ 712, is preserved static (but with the lower deck interior open to the public as it was when withdrawn) in pre-war livery at the National Tramway Museum at Crich. Another example, number 703, is remaining in operational condition at Beamish Open Air Museum, but as Sunderland 101 in a red and cream livery. The remaining Balloon cars were retained as part of the heritage fleet (see below).

Until 2009, only one of the cars (705) had been scrapped, however on 15 October, number 722 made a move into the body shop to begin the scrapping stage, and, as of May 2010, has been fully scrapped. More cars were expected to follow over the winter closure period,[3] however, this did not occur, as all the stored trams were sold.

Millennium cars

These are double deck cars which were rebuilt from Balloon cars between 1998 and 2004 to an in-house design. They have a much more rectangular shape which gives the upper decks increased capacity. The trams retain the numbers they carried in the Balloon series, the numbers being 707, 709, 718 and 724.[2]

Jubilee cars

Jubilee tram 762 at the Sand Castle, Blackpool

In the late 1970s, Blackpool Corporation decided that the tramway fleet needed modernising after the closure of the inland routes during the 1960s. Attention was drawn to two Balloon Cars, 714 and 725, which had been mothballed as they were in dire need of an overhaul. It was felt that these would be useful on the promenade during the summer due to their high seating capacity and reliability. So, with funds left over from their One-Man Operated (OMO) programme the corporation set about rebuilding these old Balloons into "Jubilee Cars".[2] The first to be rebuilt, 725, was stripped down to its shell and had its under-frame and body lengthened, controller changed, doors and stairs relocated to the front and iconic pointed ends replaced with square ones. The bogies were replaced with fabricated ones able to accommodate "Metalastik" rubber/ metal bonded suspension in the manner of the "OMO" vehicles and the tram officially entered service in 1979 after testing as Jubilee 761. Balloon 714 was later rebuilt in a similar fashion, except it retained its original central doors as well as the front ones to improve passenger flow at stops. 714 re-entered service in 1982 as Jubilee 762. Both cars were withdrawn in 2011 and entered preservation.

Modernised cars

During 2011, a number of Balloon and Millennium class trams were modernised so that they could operate in ordinary revenue service after the £100 million refurbishment of the whole tramway. New widened doorways have been fitted, with driver operated doors which fit to the new platforms which have been built at tram stops for the new Flexity 2 trams. This means they also now have level access for disabled passengers. Fixed seats and a new passenger information display have also been fitted to match the new trams. Speedometers have also been retrofitted to the driving console.[4]

Due to the success of the new Flexity 2 trams, these trams aren't used as regularly, but in February 2015, Blackpool transport announced that three of the fleet would operate in passenger service. The three chosen trams were 700, 711 and 719 which are the only balloons to have the purple and white flexity livery.[5]

Fleet details

Class Operator Number Year built Cars per set Unit nos. Notes
Modified Balloon Blackpool Transport Services 9 1934
2011 (refurbished)		 1 700, 707, 709, 711, 713, 718, 719, 720, 724 Refurbished to meet RVAR;
supplement Flexity 2 fleet
Balloon 6 1934 701, 704, 706, 715, 717, 723 Part of Heritage Fleet

References

  1. ↑ "Blackpool and Fleetwood Tramway Fleet List" (MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT). British Trams Online. 12 October 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "The trams". thetrams.co.uk. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
  3. ↑ "Balloon 722 scrapped". Tramways Monthly. 15 October 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  4. ↑ Tramways Monthly Issue 27
  5. ↑ http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/blackpoolfleet.html