Balloon 717 renamed Walter Luff

Head of heritage tram operations Bryan Lindop and Daphne Luff with the newly unveiled Walter Luff plaque on 717

At a ceremony at the Pleasure Beach on Saturday 19th April, Balloon 717 was officially renamed "Walter Luff", after the former General Manager of Blackpool Corporation Transport. Walter Luff introduced a fleet of streamlined electric tramcars in Blackpool as part of a five year modernisation plan in the 1930s, including the English Electric double-deck Luxury Dreadnoughts (Balloons), single-deck open-top Luxury Toastracks (Boats) and enclosed Railcoaches, these modern trams formed the backbone of the fleet for well over 70 years. Daphne Luff, the daughter of Walter Luff, was introduced by Bob Mason (Director of Delivery at Blackpool Transport) before performing a short cermony that unveiled a polished wooden plaque that bore the name of her late father Walter Luff. The assembled dignitaries and passengers then boarded Balloon 717 before undertaking a journey to Bispham and back.

Balloon 717 at the Pleasure Beach shortly before the renaming ceremony with the new name plaque still under wraps

A close up of the new polished wooden plaque on 717 that bears the name of former General Manager Walter Luff

Newly renamed Balloon 717 "Walter Luff" heads off to Bispham with the official dignitaries and passengers onboard

Good Friday Heritage Tours

Balloon 700 arriving at North Pier ready for the morning tour to Fleetwood, with southbound Flexity 008 passing by

Friday 18th April saw the first of three days of heritage tram operations over the Easter Weekend in Blackpool. The day kicked off with the morning tour to Fleetwood which was operated by Balloon 700 and Bolton 66. Boat 230 and open-top Balloon 706 came out later operating as required along the Promenade. Between about 1pm and 3pm, flat fronted Balloons 709, 718, 724 and 707 were displayed alongside the fitting shop in Blundell Street. The late afternoon tour to Fleetwood was courtesy of Boat 600 and Standard 147.

Balloon 700 and Bolton 66 at the heritage tour stop in Bold Street, with overall advert Flexity 016 queuing up behind

Open-top Balloon 706 Princess Alice on the Pleasure Beach loop, as 230 heads north with a full load to Little Bispham

Bolton 66 heading south on a heritage tour at the Tower

Boat 230 heading south at North Pier on the return journey from a trip to Little Bispham

Flat fronted Balloons 709, 718, 724 and 707 displayed alongside the fitting shop in Blundell Street

Standard 147 rounding the curve from Pharos Street into North Albert Street before returning back to Blackpool

A fully loaded 600 on the tramroad at Rossall, heading back to Blackpool after the late afternoon tour to Fleetwood

Heritage cars working from Starr Gate

600 on the depot fan at Starr Gate, waiting for the compound gate to open so that it can enter Heritage Tour service

Due to ongoing roadworks at Manchester Square, and there still being temporary traffic lights in place there, the active heritage fleet has been temporarily based at Starr Gate depot, which is acting as their operating base for the duration of the roadworks near to their usual depot at Rigby Road. A small selection of shots are shown here of heritage trams arriving at and departing from Starr Gate depot on Friday 18th April.

Standard 147 is trolleyed out of Starr Gate depot, passing demic Balloon 706 with the Crab sat on the depot loop line

Balloon 700 passing Flexity 003 as it returns to Starr Gate depot at the end of its Heritage Tour service on Friday 18th

Standard 147 emerging from the depot confines at Starr Gate, about to head north to begin Heritage Tour service

706 needed the assistance of the battery powered Crab to limp back to the depot due to losing its trolley head

New Catch22 livery hits the streets

Oakwood Travel's Volvo B6BLE W601CWX showing off the new orange and turquoise Catch22 livery on 18th April

The first bus wearing the eyecatching new orange and turquoise Catch22 livery entered service on 17th April. Volvo B6BLE W601CWX was the first of Oakwood Travel's reliveried vehicles to debut the new colour scheme, although it is actually the third vehicle in the fleet to receive the new livery. W601CWX previously carried the cherry red and butterscotch livery of its former owners Transdev Harrogate and District, and the new bright colours make a distinctive change from the London Transport style red that the former Classic Bus North West fleet wore. 

Volvo B6BLE W601CWX on its second day in service wearing the new orange and turquoise Catch22 livery

Oakwood Travel's Volvo B6BLE W601CWX in the new orange and turquoise Catch22 livery at New Bonny Street

A rear view of Oakwood Travel's Volvo B6BLE W601CWX showing off the new orange and turquoise Catch22 livery

Volvo B6BLE W601CWX still in the cherry red and butterscotch livery of Transdev Harrogate and District on 24th Feb

The Crab comes to the rescue of 706

The battery operated Crab recovering Princess Alice into Starr Gate depot, notice the missing trolley head on 706

The first day of the Easter weekend Heritage Tour operations in Blackpool saw open-top Balloon 706 "Princess Alice" lose its trolley head in spectacular fashion close to Starr Gate on Friday 18th April. 706 was returning to the depot at 15:00 in the afternoon, when the trolley pole dewired at the facing points on the approach to Starr Gate depot. This isn't the first time that 706 has dewired here, it happened previously during a ferry move on 7th February. This time instead of 706 stopping, it carried on past two overhead poles with the trolley pole bouncing off the cross arms until it snagged on the overhead at the next set of points, ripping the trolley head clean off the pole, the head and trolley wheel ending up on the ground behind the tram.

The problem now was how to move 706 out of the way, as it was blocking the southbound running line to the Starr Gate terminus. The solution was to use the battery operated "Crab 1500 E" depot shunter, which was driven out of the depot and hooked up to the rear of 706. In the meantime quite a queue of trams had built up behind the stranded Princess Alice, including Flexities 007, 003 and Balloon 700 all sat waiting for the line to clear. The Crab towed 706 across the nearby points and onto the northbound line, permitting the backlog of trams to continue southbound. The little Crab then proceeded to propel the stricken 706 into the depot compound through the entrance gate at the northern end of the depot confines, the whole operation to clear both running lines taking just 30 minutes. Unfortunately this incident meant that 706 could no longer be used on tours for the remainder of the heritage weekend operations.

After 706's trolley pole dewired, it bounced off two traction pole cross-arms before snagging on the overhead wiring

706 spectacularly losing its trolley head in a shower of sparks as it got ripped off when snagging an overhead junction

The battery operated Crab towing 706 towards a set of points in order to cross over onto the northbound track

The battery operated Crab shunter towing 706 off the southbound running line, with Flexities 007 & 003 sat waiting

First Flexity All-Over Advert

Flexity 016 carrying a new all-over advert for Freeport of Fleetwood, seen here in Pharos Street on 18th April

Blackpool's first all-over vinyl advert Flexity tram entered service today. Flexity 016 has just been outshopped with a new blue based all-over advert for Freeport of Fleetwood. The advert includes contravision over all the side windows of the tram but not over the doors.

Flexity 016 at North Pier wearing a new all-over vinyl advert for Freeport of Fleetwood

Flexity 016 showing off its new all-over advert for Freeport of Fleetwood as it departs the Tower tram stop

The interior of Flexity 016, showing the contravision of the overall advert that covers all the side windows

The Tiger moves to Anchorsholme

622 on Luton Road in Cleveleys, close to its final resting place in the playground of a primary school at Anchorsholme

Brush car 622 departed the rails of Blackpool Tramway on the morning of 14th April. The former Tigerrific all-over advert tram had been in Rigby Road depot at Blackpool since November 2013 for temporary storage, prior to being moved to its new home at Anchorsholme Academy where it is to be used as a classroom. 622 made the short journey to Anchorsholme Primary School in the careful hands of Scotts Heavy Haulage, on a shorter trailer than is normally used due to some tights turns along the route. The final resting place of 622 is right in the middle of the marked out netball court in the school playground. The plan is to finish painting the tram in order to recreate the appearance of the original Tigerrific advert.

Brush car 622 being hauled out of Rigby Road depot and onto Hopton Road by Unimog 938

Brush car 622 being pushed up the steep ramp onto the back of Scotts trailer in Blundell Street by Unimog 938

Scotts Heavy Haulage about to turn left from Blundell St into Rigby Rd, before heading north along the Promenade

622 on the back of Scotts trailer heading north through Talbot Square on its way to Anchorsholme in Cleveleys

622 heading west along Eastpines Drive in Cleveleys, approaching the entrance to Anchorsholme Primary School

622 waiting in the car park at Anchorsholme Primary School, prior to being moved to its final unloading position

Brush car 622 sat in its final resting place of the playground at Anchorsholme Primary School in Cleveleys