Telford

Looks like the only way, apart from settling for wider radius curves. Thanks fellas.

Sorry Gordon, I'm not good with technology ! However, If you take a look at the 'Model Trams and Tramway' site under 'Motorising die-cast trams', there are such photos of the underneath. What I'm after can be seen from 16:40 on the You Tube video 'Sheffield the Last Trams', where the Robert's car is seen turning at c 90 degrees into the Tinsley sheds. Thanks for replying.

I'm thinking of adding a tramway to a proposed layout. The trams are mainly motorised Corgi Felthams which are bogie cars. No way will these go around prototypical sharp curves, e.g. 90 degree into a side street. Track can be modified by cutting some webbing, but there seems to be no way to make the bogie wheels have the required flexibility. One idea was to have each axle independently sprung horizontally, but that is impossible on these small bogies (The Felthams are motorised with Bachmann PCC chasis, the older motors in circular casing ). One way may be to leave out one axle + its wheels. ( The old 'Tri-ang' Woodhead electric had a dummy, 'flat-tyre' wheel in the centre of its Co-Co bogie, but I'm talking Bo-Bo here ). I haven't tried this yet for fear of breaking something, and I think it would result in the bogie wobbling and tipping onto the track at the no-axle end anyway, plus I think the bogie then may need to be fixed solid for this to work. Non of the model tramway layouts on YT videos show the tightness of curve I require, so I think this is a no-no, unless someone has any, not too difficult, modification ideas ? Thanks. P.S. I have filed out the plastic under frame according to the 'Motorising' method on 'Model Trams and Tramway's' website, but this only allows the bogies a slight increase in swing before the bogie motor inside hits the body sides.

Forgot I'd already posted an account here of the shop in 2017; a 'senior moment'........I'm at the " Was it you who died last week, or your brother ?" stage !

Only just spotted this Billy. The model shop in Higher Openshaw, Manchester, was called 'Manchester Model Railway Exchange'.I used to help out there in the 80's. It opened in 1978, closing in 1992. Mike was the owner and his relation, Geoff, bought and sold A1 condition LP's and CD's under the name of the 'Manchester Record Mart'. One of the double windows was for displaying model railways and the other, the LP's ( usually with one of their cats asleep there ! ). Mike was always concerned that anyone he'd bought railways from would not see them sold for much more than he'd paid for them and reckoned his profit margin was only around 18%. He could stand this as their main income was derived from the second-hand furniture which the main area of the shop floor was for. He often remarked that it would take days for the railway side to match the sale of just one item of furniture, but he loved the hobby and the chat with the regulars. Amongst the customers were many railway men, mainly off the Woodhead electrics. Mike actually considered buying the cut-off cab of a class 76 from the scrap yard in Rotherham to have in the shop as a feature, they quoted him £40, but it was too ambitious and would have involved knocking a hole in the back wall to get it in ! Bernard Manning called occasionally, once remarking "Gorton Tank's shrunk a bit !", a reference to the famous loco building area around Openshaw known as 'Gorton Tank'. Another prominent customer was Geoffrey Hilditch, the transport manager and PSV author. Norman Hatton ( of Hatton's ) used to call, looking for bits and pieces, mainly Hornby 3-rail track as I remember. The incredibly dynamic Dave Boyle also called offering us one of the first outlets for his Dapol products, the 'Pug' being the first. We took up his offer, but Mike wouldn't get into any other new items, only this, as we were second-hand specialists. Mike actually owned the freehold premises and lived in the flat above. The move to the large, old coach-house at the rear in 1989 was due to declining trade, with many customers buying from us at very fair prices and then selling at stalls of their own at swap-meets etc.. Due to the heavy lifting with the furniture, he was also wanting a change and closed the business, eventually moving abroad in 1998. One of the problems we had at the height of the business was the great number of people coming in to sell railways on a Saturday morning. As each loco had to be tested etc. the queue built up and customers began selling the stock they'd brought in to other customers whilst waiting ! We once received an unexpected box of Piko models from an enthusiast in Soviet Russia who wanted Hornby models in exchange. Piko were difficult to sell, but we sent him what he had requested and gained some kudos for having a customer from so far away. Thing was, after around 6 months, the box and contents was returned with official stampings all over it and never reached the man. We think it may have been to do with having included some Railway magazines, one of which had the Royal train on the front cover ! You may remember the picture below which hung in the shop, it was a large, framed one, ex-Piccadilly Station, Manchester. Now it's all 'on-line' trading which, like supermarkets, is convenient, but there was something about good, friendly fair traders who were a magnet for special interests like model railways ( and customers who stayed gossiping for hours !).

Re. the former Model shop on Ashton Old Road, Higher Openshaw ( called Manchester Model Railway Exchange.) which I knew very well. It was created in 1979 by Mike and Geoff, with assistant Steve. Mike is now in his 70's and long since retired, but I know him well.Their main business was new and used furniture and white goods, to which was added the model section run by Mike, and a second-hand LP and CD section run by Geoff. The models had developed in 1979 from them using a motorised tram running around a loop track in one of the windows on which was a card advertising for house clearances etc.. This led to people thinking it was a model shop and calling in with items to sell, and so it was encouraged and grew into a major centre for modellers from far and wide, including abroad ( one postal customer being in Russia who lived on the amusingly named 'Samshina Street' in Leningrad ! ) Bernard Manning and the late transport General Manager and writer, Geoffrey Hilditch OBE were regular callers, plus the old owner of Hatton's of Liverpool ( Derek Hatton ?) surprised them by often calling in for 3-rail track and other bits. Always fairly priced, Mike being mindful that sellers would later look to see the mark up, everything model railway was dealt in. It was something of a social club with ex-railway men telling their stories etc., tea and coffee always on the boil ! They lived in the flat above the double fronted shop, with Mike having installed a bell to ring for Geoff or Steve to come down if he was busy and they were skiving ! The test track, fitted on the customer side of one of the wood and glass display cases, often saw one of their cats swipe at a loco knocking it over.Dinky's and other models were also dealt in, including once the large miniature railway loco formerly at Belle Vue used for pulling the ride-on carriages there. Saturday's were a mad house, with Mike having to test all the stock brought in by the queuing customers who often, to his annoyance, did deals amongst themselves while waiting for their turn. The Woodhead electrics were Mike's main interest,the real ones, not just the Tri-ang and Trix models. He had a large picture of the Woodhead line fixed on the wall, formerly from a station waiting room, and many callers had worked the route. At the end of the Woodhead system, I accompanied Mike to the Rotherham yard where the 76's were being scrapped with a view to him buying a cut off cab unit for a feature in the shop. This proved unworkable due to the weight and the need to have knocked a hole in the back wall to get it in ! In the late 90's, due to declining trade ( many former customers having seen the potential and taking stalls on the then just proliferating swap-meets ),the decision was taken to rent the shop to the Ritz video company with it being sealed off from the rest of the property. The hard work of lifting heavy furniture etc. was ended and just the railways were transferred to their large back street garage. This became non viable, and the whole enterprise was ended in 1992. In the large back yard, customers would often catch a glimpse of the two 1950's Austin Sheerline ambulances Mike had a passion for which he rallied. Happy day indeed. Long since demolished, the site is now part of a large supermarket complex with the back lane ( Old lane) having been concreted over. The exact position the shop occupied is where the large feature of an industrial press now stands, representing the former industrial and railway building companies of that once thriving area.