page_title: Blackpool Heritage Trams
section_title: Balloon cars
hierarchical_section_title: Blackpool Heritage Trams / History by type / Balloon cars
caption_attribution_description: English: Blackpool Transport. English Electric (Preston) Balloon Car built January 1935, No.260. Renumbered No.723 in 1968. 1980s cream and green livery. Refurbished 1992. Seen at BLACKPOOL, Pleasure Beach, Fishermans Walk, 16th July 2017 (Tram Sunday), operating a heritage service between Fleetwood and Blackpool Pleasure Beach. 170716.154256.
context_page_description: Blackpool Heritage Trams are a mixed fleet of restored vehicles that run on the Blackpool Tramway, which runs from Blackpool to Fleetwood on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire, England. The line dates back to 1885 and is one of the oldest electric tramways in the world. It is operated by Blackpool Transport and is the last surviving first-generation tramway in the United Kingdom. Excluding museums, it is one of only a few tramways in the world to still use double-deck trams.
  Most services on the line are now operated by a fleet of modern Bombardier Flexity 2 trams, but a Heritage Tram service using the traditional trams operates on Bank Holidays, select weekdays and weekends from January to December, as well as during the Blackpool Illuminations.
  The Heritage fleet is a large fleet of vehicles that were mainly retained from previous generations of the town's tramway operations, as well as some from other locations. They are now operated by Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours between Pleasure Beach and North Pier as standard and can be caught at the 'Heritage Tram Tours' stops, identifiable by a green circular sign.
context_section_description: The Balloon cars were 27 cars built by English Electric between 1934 and 1935, the first thirteen to an open top design and the last fourteen to an enclosed design. The first Balloon car was numbered 226 but was renumbered 237 to fit the number sequence of the Balloon cars after the Boat cars. They were numbered 237-263 and renumbered 700–726 in 1968. All the open topped cars were enclosed during World War II, but 706 has since been restored to an open topped car. A number of them have since been rebuilt in various conditions to modernise and improve the usefulness of the cars, with 700, 707, 709, 711, 713, 718, 719, 720 and 724 added to the 'B' fleet. Balloon cars 701, 703, 704, 706, 715, 717 and 723 were retained or returned to the tramcar collection for use within the heritage fleet.
caption: English Electric Balloon car No. 723
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