1ngram Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 At Warley this past weekend the Bachmann stand was showing four Birkenhead trams - two plain and two in different Birkenhead commemorative liveries. None had any motors in them that I could see and they weren't just the Hong Kong trams in a Birkenhead livery as the fronts seemed different. The knowledgable chap behind the counter (the guy in the beard) suggested that they would appear as fully fledged motorised trams using the Hong Kong motors in early spring next year. Does anyone know any more about these models? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLD Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I presume you are referring to these? [Photos © Alan Kirkman with permission] As far as I can tell from the photos, they are simply reliveries of the Hong Kong model released earlier this year and discussed here to represent Birkenhead Heritage Tramway cars 69 (Blue/Cream) and 70 (Brown/Cream). I can't see any obvious changes made to the body work, in particular they appear to retain the layout of the HK cars for single directional use (layout of doors and staircases both to the same side) and round-cornered windows whereas the prototype 69 & 70 were built for bi-directional use with doors and staircases to diagonally opposite corners and square windows. Only difference I can see is that the glazing inserts look to have been changed to represent the windows all closed (probably a wise move in view of typical Wirral climate...) My assumption is that the plain pair are as received from China, the decorated pair are pre-production livery samples for approval. I wouldn't be sure either way whether the samples in the case had motors or not. - As the photos in the other thread show it is a very low and compact motor unit that doesn't intrude in to the interior... Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1ngram Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 I stand corrected! I think it was the different appearance of the roof that made me think it was a different body shell. Even though, its great to see the range of these excellent trams expanding. If only they would put the same motor in a British shell. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLD Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 If only they would put the same motor in a British shell. Agreed! Allthough the 8'6" wheelbase is a bit long for most British trams. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger DuPuis Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 My assumption is that the plain pair are as received from China, the decorated pair are pre-production livery samples for approval. Well, perhaps. Except that Bachmann's list of 2011 Branchline 00-gauge New Items does include four different trams: CE00607 -- Tram Car Blue (62.10) CE00608 -- Tram Car Red (62.10) CE00609 -- Tram 69 Birkenhead Corporation Tramways (66.55) CE00610 -- Tram 70 Birkenhead Corporation Tramways (66.55) If this is to be believed, Bachmann do intend to offer liveried cars as well as trams in plain base colour for a slightly lower price. Like many of you, I wish they would adapt this mechanism to a classic British body, but this is a positive step. They clearly believe there is some market for ready-to-run trams in the U.K., and we can only hope that 2012 or 2013 will find the firm selling quality, motorised British trams. Granted, this is a classic Bachmann move, as we have seen in the United States: Take one casting and paint it in as many liveries as possible, whether prototypical or not (witness what they have done with their Brill and PCC tram models over the years, as well as the new Peter Witt cars, based on a design which ran only in Baltimore but is painted in the colours of many different cities). In Britain that approach was taken by Corgi for its seemingly endless procession of Dick Kerr trams. Still, the Birkenhead models are a logical follow to the Hong Kong cars, and despite the differences Paul noted I think they appear to be a reasonably good facsimile for many modelers. I guess the best ways to convince Bachmann to produce real British trams would be to buy the Birkenhead and Hong Kong cars, and to write and tell them what you would like to see in a UK model. I intend to to both Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hklad Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 The trams were built in Hong Kong in 92. I don't recall exactly when HK Tram re-did their HK fleet shell to relocate the heat box to the top of the tram and to add the rounded corners on the window as well as replacing all the Wood Window frame with the "frameless" glass windows. Growing up, I always remember HK Tram more like #69 and 70 in the UK. Here is a picture of pre-1982 HK Tram. Notice the similarities? http://www.pbase.com/image/25856290 It's pre-1982 because it had a trailer. I for one am hoping that Bachmann will get the details of #69 and 70 right from the beginning in hopes that they may paint the HK Tram #120 with Chinese Advertisement. At the very least... I sincerely hope they get rid of the Octopus Card reader on the UK Trams! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLD Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Thanks for the link (I've seen very few photos of trailers in use) and welcome to the forum. I for one am hoping that Bachmann will get the details of #69 and 70 right from the beginning in hopes that they may paint the HK Tram #120 with Chinese Advertisement. At the very least... I sincerely hope they get rid of the Octopus Card reader on the UK Trams! Unforutnately, the only change made to the Hong Kong body for these versions as Birkenhead 69 & 70 is to not fit the resistence box on the roof... A true acurate representation of the Birkenhead pair would need a lot of modification to the body shell and a completely different interior... Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taikoo Dockyard Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I must say I'll be adding both of these to my collection of model tramcars, especially as both are based a few minutes away from me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hklad Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Thanks for the link (I've seen very few photos of trailers in use) and welcome to the forum. Unforutnately, the only change made to the Hong Kong body for these versions as Birkenhead 69 & 70 is to not fit the resistence box on the roof... A true acurate representation of the Birkenhead pair would need a lot of modification to the body shell and a completely different interior... Paul Thanks Paul. Yes, the resistence box is the only difference I can see besides the liveries. I also doubt they would add the resistence box to the rear of the lower deck. I just don't think Bachmann will go into that much details for just 2 models. On the contrary, I am certain they will come out with other advertisement in the future since there have been literally thousands of them through the years! Nonetheless, I plan on getting them too. I have all 5 of the HK Trams made by Bachmann so far, and I like them. Bachmann skips CE00606, does that mean there will be another "Limited Edition" model like CE00601? Any thought on that? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLD Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Bachmann skips CE00606, does that mean there will be another "Limited Edition" model like CE00601? Any thought on that?Very wild stab in the dark: has someone commissioned an original livery Birkenhead??? Given that they were trialled in Blackpool before the Birkenhead line was completed and anything with a Blackpool connection seems to be a big seller no matter how basic/simplified/flawed... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1ngram Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 I got a second Hong Kong tram from one of my sons this Xmas so i thought I had better think about a mini-tramway to run them i=on. Lookig for models of chinese buildings to put in the middle of my intended single track oval I came across this site: http://www.3dmodelfree.com/models//26401-0.htm It seems to allow a download of a kit(?) for the model building? Or have I completely misunderstood? If so then even though I followed the instructions I don't end up with anything but gibberish. If no then does anyone know where any kind of kits for chinese buildings can be found? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tetsudofan Posted April 23, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 23, 2012 Collected Birkenhead 69 in blue/cream livery from my local hobby shop last week. Looks nice, pity not dcc-ready. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcroz Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Hi all, Can anyone who has actually bought one confirm what scale this model is? - my understanding is that it is 1:76 scale - which would make sense since virtually all Hong Kong bus models are 1:76, but the most recent issue of Railway Modeller states that it is 1:87 scale. I'm confused! Thanks in advance, David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLD Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Hi all, Can anyone who has actually bought one confirm what scale this model is? - my understanding is that it is 1:76 scale - which would make sense since virtually all Hong Kong bus models are 1:76, but the most recent issue of Railway Modeller states that it is 1:87 scale. I'm confused! Thanks in advance, David Most definitely 1:76 scale - see opening post of the review thread of the original Hong Kong liveried versions for measurements... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcroz Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 That's great, thanks for the confirmation. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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