FTS tour to Fleetwood on Balloon 713

Balloon 713 parking up on the loop at Fleetwood Ferry

The first day of the Fylde Tramway Society Convention weekend this year on Friday 28th April included a guided visit around Rigby Road tram depot, followed by a tram tour on modernised Balloon 713. The first leg of the tour saw 713 departing Hopton Road with the FTS party onboard, before heading north for a short stop at Fleetwood Ferry. 713 then travelled all the way to Starr Gate, followed by a run north to Thornton Gate before returning back to the depot. The photos in this report were taken during the first leg of the tour to Fleetwood Ferry.

713 sat at the front of Rigby Road depot in readiness for the FTS tram tour

Balloon 713 at the northbound Heritage Tour stop at Cabin

713 turning right into Pharos Street at Fleetwood to collect the FTS party

The view across to Knott End from BTS Enviro 441 in Bold Street

713 turning into Lord Street from BTS Enviro 441 on route 14 to Blackpool

Balloon 713 at Fisherman's Walk as seen from the top deck of BTS Enviro 441

Reduced Tram Service due to a Hotel Fire

Flexity 016 terminating at the North Pier tram stop before heading south again

A reduced tram service was in operation in Blackpool, commencing on the afternoon of Monday 24th April until Tuesday afternoon. A fire, which broke out at the New Hacketts Hotel on Queen's Promenade on Monday afternoon, resulted in a section of the promenade from Gynn Square northwards being closed, to allow the emergency services unrestricted access in order to be able to fight the fire. A restricted tram service was put into operation, running between Starr Gate and North Pier. To supplement the hourly number 1 bus service, two additional buses were added running on a tram replacement service, these being Enviro 400s numbers 414 & 415. Trams ran as far as the northbound North Pier tram stop, just before the Metropole Hotel, before changing ends and using the crossover to regain the southbound track. Note all the photos used in this report were taken on the morning of Tuesday 25th April.

Enviro 415 at Talbot Square on a tram replacement service

Flexity 006 using the crossover at North Pier to return south on the Tuesday morning

Enviro 414 heading north on a tram replacement service near the Imperial Hotel

Flexity 016 returning back south again via the crossover at North Pier

Queen's Promenade closed at Gynn Square, with the fire service still damping down the fire

Easter Saturday in Blackpool

Bolton 66 on the 1110 Promenade Tour, passing Flexity 018 at North Pier

Sun, Sea and Trams. Easter Saturday saw glorious weather for early April, which brought crowds of visitors to Blackpool. Five heritage trams were in use during the day, with four in service and one on driver training, plus the Western Train also made an appearance during the evening. The trams being used on daytime Heritage Tours were Bolton 66, Balloon 700, Brush 621 and Boat 600, 621 also operated the afternoon "Real Ale Tour". Brush 631 was noted out and about for much of the day on driver training.

Brush 621 turning at Little Bispham while operating the 1400 Real Ale Tour

Brush 631 at Central Pier on driver training duties

Balloon 700 on North Albert Street in Fleetwood during the afternoon Coastal Tour

Bolton 66 southbound at Central Pier during the 1110 Promenade Tour

Boat 600 with a near capacity load at Little Bispham on the 1410 Promenade Tour

Flexity 003 passing Balloon 700 during its layover at Fleetwood Ferry

Transpora North West's ex Blackpool Dennis Trident E20 BTS on service 22 to Blackpool Zoo

BTS ADL Enviro400 No. 459 with its overall advert for Heart radio

National Express Volvo B11RT Caetano Levante 2 BV67 JXM at Central Coach Station

An open-top bus ride to Cleveleys

Sightseeing Manchester Dennis Trident V168 MEV heading towards St. Annes on service 21 in Blackpool

Transpora North West were operating an open-topper on their Coastliner 21 service on Tuesday 4th April due to the sunny weather. The bus in use was V168 MEV, an Alexander bodied Dennis Trident in full Sightseeing Manchester livery, formerly with Golden Tours and Stagecoach London as their 17168. A very pleasant ride was experienced from West Street in Blackpool along the sea front to Cleveleys Bus Station.

Sightseeing Manchester Trident V168 MEV just after arriving at Cleveleys Bus Station

Sightseeing Manchester Dennis Trident V168 MEV with two Flexity trams at North Pier

Trident V168 MEV passing Transpora North West ADL Enviro400 LX57 AXR

Sightseeing Manchester Dennis Trident V168 MEV and Flexity 003 at Bispham

Dennis Trident V168 MEV at Norbreck with Balloon 700 passing by on a Coastal Tour

Trident V168 MEV turning onto Princes Way promenade at Little Bispham

Sightseeing Manchester Dennis Trident V168 MEV at Victoria Square in Cleveleys

Archway Travel's new yellow School Bus

Archway Travel's Volvo B9TL GX09 ZZV heading out of Fleetwood on an afternoon school run

Archway Travel's latest double decker is GX09 ZZV, a Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, which is still running in the colours of its former operator, Yellow Buses of Bournemouth. The livery is the reverse of Archway's normal school bus colour scheme, ie yellow with red lettering and flash, as opposed to their usual red livery with yellow lettering and flash. The vehicle was supplied new to Bus Vannin in the Isle of Man in 2009, as fleet number 162 (JMN48R), and moved to Bournemouth in Dorset in 2020.

Archway Travel's Volvo B9TL GX09 ZZV returning along Denham Way to their Fleetwood depot

A line-up of Archway's school buses at their premises on Copse Road in Fleetwood

Transpora North West Enviro 200s in Cleveleys

YX68 URG turning from Cleveleys Promenade into Thornton Gate on service 24 to Fleetwood

Three Transpora North West ADL Enviro200 MMCs were spotted operating on service 24 in Cleveleys on 28th February. YW68 PDV & YW68 PDX are 10.8m 39-seat Enviro200s, new to Stuarts of Carluke in Lanarkshire in 2019, and still retain that company's blue livery. YX68 URG came from Powell's Bus Company of Rotherham.

Ex-Stuarts Enviro200 YW68 PDV on Cleveleys Promenade on service 24 to Blackpool

Enviro200 YW68 PDX arriving at Cleveleys bus station on service 24 to Poulton

Enviro200s YW68 PDX and BTS 570 with Enviro400 City 419 at Cleveleys bus station

Balloon 713 Pictorial

Balloon 713 in Metro Coastlines livery, northbound at the Tower in April 2008

713 was the last Balloon to be completely rebuilt, prior to 720 which received widened platforms (but has seen little use) and 717 which was a heritage rebuild. The four preceding heavily rebuilt Balloons had all been completed with rather unflattering flat front ends, thus eliminating all vestiges of their streamlining. 713 was like a breath of fresh air when it emerged, comprising a fully rebuilt body that still retained the classic 1930s streamlined appearance. The tram has received several colour schemes over the years, including a few iterations that were mostly white.

713 in normal passenger service at Foxhall Square, on a special to the Cabin on 26th May 2013

713 on driver training at Anchorsholme in April 2006, carrying advertising for Asda

713 wore this very short lived advert during the Conservative Party Conference at Blackpool in autumn 2007

713 stripped of its advertising vinyls, in Heritage Tour service at Fleetwood on 19th February

713 in heritage service at the Tower, with flat fronted rebuild 718 on 26th August 2017

713 on North Albert Street in Fleetwood in heritage service on 19th February

713 on Lord Street in Fleetwood with BTS Enviro 232 on route 74 to Preston on 19th February