Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramway: Balloon Car 700 to North Station on Saturday 15th June 2024

Saturday 15th June 2024 was the last day before the full service to Blackpool North Railway Station begins. It was the turn of the heritage trams, in particular English Electric Balloon car 700, the original prototype from 1934 that started a fleet of 26. It was completely rebuilt in original wartime condition with the top cover and painted in wartime green livery before being butchered with the “conservatory doors” and a repaint into the white and purple livery. Thankfully, it has since been repainted into wartime green which in itself, disguises the doors but does allow it to use the LRV platforms.
T1 service was provided by: 001 002 003 008 011 012AD 015 016AD 017
Promenade Specials were: 006 014
Heritage service: 631
Heritage to North Station: 700
The main service began on Sunday 16th June 2024 and heralded in three tram routes:
T1: Starr Gate to Fleetwood via Promenade.
T2: Starr Gate to Blackpool North Railway Station.
T3: Fleetwood to Blackpool North Railway Station.
Trams on service T1 had shown the service number since Wednesday 5th June 2024.
The last time Blackpool's trams displayed route numbers was 1963 when the Fleetwood to North Station via Dickson Road route showed service 1.
Blackpool is currently the only tram network in the United Kingdom to display service numbers.
Each service runs every 30 minutes so that there is a combined headway of every 15 minutes between Starr Gate and North Pier or Talbot Square and between North Pier and Fleetwood but only a 30 minute service for any customer wishing to cross town.
We have since discovered that the combined frequency between Starr Gate and North Pier of every 15 minutes is in one direction only. The southbound journeys are at 20 and 50 (T2) minutes past the hour and 25 and 55 (T1) minutes past the hour leaving a 25 minute gap between trams and then, most likely, two coming together. Not very good!
In the week before the event, we counted the numbers of customers still on board at North Pier in both directions and no tram had less than 20 customers on board when it left North Pier. This will cause frustration at stops such as Norbreck Castle southbound where, on the existing 15 minute frequency, trams do not cope at certain times of the day in shifting people to the Pleasure Beach and Sandcastle. Halving the frequency will cause even more problems unless a dedicated Little Bispham to Pleasure Beach service is introduced.
Similarly on Tuesdays, the current 15 minute frequency bearing copes with numbers from South Shore to Fleetwood Market and that service will be every 30 minutes!
Using T1,T2 and T3 will clarify where the tram is going but halving the frequency cross town will cause serious issues.
The first trams at North Pier/Talbot Square on a Sunday on the new timetable are as follows:
T1 northbound: 07:19, 07:49; 08:19; 08:49 then every 30 minutes until 22:19; 22:49; 23:19
T1 southbound: 08:55; 09:25; 09:55; 10:25 then every 30 minutes until 22:25; 22:55; 23:30; 23:40; 23:55; 00:10; 00:25; 00:40; 00:55
T2 northbound: 07:14; 07:34; 08:04; 08:09; 08:34; 08:39; 09:04; 09:34; 09:39; 10:04; 10:34 then every 30 minutes until 22:04; 22:34: 23:34
T2 southbound: 07:50; 08:20; 08:30 then every 30 minutes until 20:20; 20:50; 21:33; 21:50; 22:03; 22:30; 22:50; 23:25; 23:50
T3 northbound: 07:35; 08:35; 09:05; 09:35; 10:05; 10:35 then every 30 minutes until 22:05; 22:35; 23:05
T3 southbound: 09:10; 09:40; 10:10; 10:40 then every 30 minutes until 22:10; 22:40; 23:10; 23:40
Some T3s (usually the one on non-standard times on service T2, run out to North Station as T2s and run in from North Station as T2s.
We will be covering each day until Monday 17th June 2024.
Many thanks to Tony Armitage for the stills of 700 in the upper part of Talbot Road on the morning journey.
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a Podbaba Transport presentation
Saturday 15th June 2024

[@andycleaver9135]

I was privelaged to be the conductor on this historic day😊

[@podbabatransport7515]

And you had a pretty full tram too!!

[@ET-hm8do]

WOW, I didn't know there would be heritage Trams on the new line

[@podbabatransport7515]

Only today

[@ET-hm8do]

@@podbabatransport7515 Oh. But it would be good if there were heritage trams on other days. I'm also staying at the Holiday Inn near North Station

[@dansrandomvideos2515]

​@@ET-hm8do I've thought before that it would be a good idea to start specifically the heritage coastal tours (to Fleetwood and back via Pleasure Beach) from north station because it makes them openly more obvious than sitting in a siding at north pier or hiding on the loop at Pleasure beach therefore better advertising as they don't seem to advertise the service themselves.

[@bredaquirke7362]

It would be great if they decide to run heritage trams to and from North Station, like they did on Saturday, occasionally. Maybe on Sundays and or Bank Holidays. I was disappointed not to get on the tour especially when there were a lot of empty seats on the afternoon and evening tours. But I am glad to get some good videos of the afternoon and evening tours up and down Talbot Road. Xxx

[@bredaquirke7362]

At last I get to see a video and some photos of the first tour of the heritage tram going up and down Talbot Road on Saturday. Great photos and video. My partner and I managed to film the afternoon tram journey and I filmed the evening tram journey. Hopefully I well be able to post it on here xxx

[@kkrispy2009P]

Great to see the heritage trams. Go up Talbot 🛣️

[@dansrandomvideos2515]

When you cought 700 on the way to north station, was it the one that set off from starr gate at four o'clock? If so, i will have been on it.

[@hav431]

The sound of the heritage trams turning just hurt my ears

[@malcolmgeorge1180]

The balloon trams seems to be faster than the modern fleet🧐😁🤣

[@michaelsandford1015]

Just pictures

[@podbabatransport7515]

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