RMweb Premium 47137 Posted January 23, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 23, 2016 I have just bought one of these. It is half-way between a toy and a model. Marketed by Siku as 1:87 scale, and measures 28 mm wide so easy to fit into the British loading gauge in 1:87 scale. It looks like some of the Bombardier Flexity trams used in mainland Europe. A member of my local model railway club showed me one he had modified with a Sommerfeld pantograph and two BEC motor bogies installed. The original wheels have flanges and are set up for a 13mm-ish gauge, cut these out of the floor for motorising. The pantograph cost more than the tram, but it swings the difference from toy into model. Cost is around £10 plus whatever parts you buy for it. Siku part number 1895. Any thoughts? I think this already has a place on my layout, for occasional static display on the quayside if nothing else. - Richard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thirty2a Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 I have one in bits..the rubber articulated piece is to stiff really. I may get round to finishing it one day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted January 26, 2016 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 26, 2016 I have one in bits..the rubber articulated piece is to stiff really. I may get round to finishing it one day. On the motorised model I saw, the modeller was ignoring the central joint and had fitted two pivoted motor bogies, one at each end. His argument was this was easier to do, no-one saw the wheels and the layout had gentle curves. If I was going to try, I'd like to consider a motor bogie in the middle, in place of the coupling, so the mechanism is hidden by the flexible piece. Perhaps the flexible piece could be a replacement from folded paper or fabric. I am going to resist the temptation to take it to pieces, at least until I decide to get it a better pantograph. - Richard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonhall Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 Might be possible to chop two together for a Croydon unit - a drawing on the much missed Stephen Parascandolo's site http://croydon-tramlink.co.uk/info/trams/index.shtml Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted January 27, 2016 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 27, 2016 Having had Siku products in the past, they make them from metal, not plastic, so cobbling stuff together may not be that easy The Siku model has metal for the base and for the pivot between the two halves. The rest is plastic. It's quite an appealing thing, the flush glazing is better than some scale models. The base castings extend to form the 'noses' of the cabs. So if you discard the bases to fit longer ones, you would have to deal with this. My preference is to make a longer central section with two pivots (like Croydon) not one. If this section did not have windows it might be easier to scratchbuild it rather than chop out of a second model. - Richard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 I bought one of these for my 'Future(2050)' project, thinking I was just going to have some straight track, but now I am planning a double track circle, so will need to make it bend. The flexi connectors are not very flexible. I think I have seen pictures of motorised models. I am less concerned about detail, as it is meant to be a possible future, not historic accuracy. Having a small motor in middle might be my preferred option, using the basic Bachmann unit, and building a dummy middle body section. This middle section would be where batteries were located, as I intend to suggest my model is induction charged. The metal body might make it difficult to cut, but at least it adds some weight. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
joejab95 Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 This is a little project I've been working on repainting the tram in to the older Midland Metro scheme. It still needs touching up in places but overall I'm quite pleased! It still needs some kind of motor and the pantograph position is by no means in a 'final position' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted December 20, 2016 Share Posted December 20, 2016 This is a little project I've been working on repainting the tram in to the older Midland Metro scheme. It still needs touching up in places but overall I'm quite pleased! It still needs some kind of motor and the pantograph position is by no means in a 'final position' IMG_4159.JPG IMG_4160.JPG IMG_4162.JPG I have one which I plan to use, if I can find a more flexible section in middle and then fit a motor, as it is very narrow. For my 'in the future' project I would not have to worry about pantograph or overhead wires, as I plan to make it a battery powered prototype. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
joejab95 Posted December 20, 2016 Share Posted December 20, 2016 I might just get away with the thick rubber section on my layout as I only have a fairly straight end to end tramline section on my layout. That's a good idea with the battery powered system though! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted December 20, 2016 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 20, 2016 I think the easiest way to motorise it is to glue up the joint in the middle and put a motor bogie at one or both ends. The one I saw motorised like this looked good, but the visible parts of the tramway were fairly straight. It would still go round curves, but as a rigid unit without any articulation. I do like your paint job here. - Richard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted December 20, 2016 Share Posted December 20, 2016 I committed myself to the 'in the future' project when I had a letter published in Railway modeller, suggesting there should be more layouts based on a possible future, not always looking backwards. My reasoning being that if I show an idea that could work in reality, someone might actually think it worthwhile, such as my idea of using city tram lnes to deliver freight to city centre businesses over night. I would need the tram to bend in middle though and go round 250mm , possibly 204mm radius curves. My other model(London conduit), uses old style trams(or will when built),and I want the option of running them together. One way I have considered with this Siku model.is to have a short central section, which I could say was needed to store batteries. Overall length of tram is not really a problem, and it might again be a possible answer to problem of where to put batteries in reality. Something a bit like the Greek narrow gauge railcars with its power unit in the middle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart (Isle of Man) Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Where can you buy these from - any UK retailers? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted December 21, 2016 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 21, 2016 Where can you buy these from - any UK retailers? I bought mine from an online toy shop, but I'm afraid I've lost all the correspondence. There is a chain of shops called The Entertainer, and they stock Siku - it might be worth giving them a ring if there is a branch near you. - Richard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Siku also used to do a bigger scale(1/55) tram. Used to see it everywhere, but I think it might not be available now. I found one at reasonable price so got it. Considering it for a metre gauge tramway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tetsudofan Posted December 22, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 22, 2016 Where can you buy these from - any UK retailers? Just entered Siku 1895 in my search engine came up with available from Amazon for just under £15.00. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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