As my posts on this project have been a bit few and far between I think a quick catch up is in order - 7mm scale Dudley trams running on 24.5mm track and starting on the rolling stock first. Although I am quite prepared to hand build the real track I really needed something a bit quicker and simpler for to test out the tram chassis design. At the end of the day if we can't get the trams running properly we will not proceed with the project. Set track would be ideal but unfortunately Hornby don't do 24.5mm gauge - or do they?

A few years ago I put down some track that had belonged to my late Father in Law so we could play trains with his stuff just as he had enjoyed doing. This board was still hanging around and then I had a brain wave! I took up the double track and re-laid it with the gap between the two circuits being 24.5mm. The scale 3ft6in stock can then run on the outside edge of the inside circuit and the inside edge of the outer circuit. I 3d printed some very simple track gauges to keep everything in place with the only other inconvenience being having to cut a couple of pieces of track to make everything join up properly.

It is running on DC at the moment with my trusty old Clipper but once happy with the design everything will go DCC. I put both the test chassis through their passes which has been most useful and various changes are to be made for the forthcoming models. I will devote a blog to the delights of these chassis soon.