Jump to content
 

Blackpool Bombardier Flexity2 Tram Model


PLD

Recommended Posts

Richard, like you I model HO. I enjoy the challenge, and it would not be that difficuly to build a small layout in this scale just for this tram. There is even a good range of building kits in this scale, possibly better than for OO.

Having said that, I prefer smaller trams, and still want to do a futuristic tram layout. Originally I intended to do this in OO, but now every new, unstarted layout will be HO for standard gauge.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

The Halling web site could become quite expensive. They do bare chassis as well as complete trams, and there are obvious candidates for things like the Siku "Bombardier" tram which got mentioned somewhere here a while ago.

 

The model of the Blackpool tram does seem very good. It is the sort of model you take out of the box and put on the track and refuses to stall. There is no coupler to let me try a drawbar test, but the model seems more powerful than a similar 00 model with one motor e.g. a Bachmann 2-EPB, it always starts and will not stall on the layout. Mechanically the model has three trucks (fixed to the vehicles, not pivoted as bogies) with the motor drive to the centre truck - perhaps this is better than putting the power at one end. Pickups on the outer two axles at each end so eight wheels with pickups, four wheels with traction tyres.

 

The body shell is printed onto clear plastic and sometimes I feel this is not very "model like" (regardless of how prototypical it may look!), there is no visible depth at all to the window frames. Then again, when I look at the cab windows I cannot imagine how else this prototype could be done.

 

To my mind, most 00 building kits are a bit underscale - if you make the walls a bit shorter and sort out the doors, they look more convincing in H0. So a city tramway in a British setting should be straightforward.

 

- Richard.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Not just building kits, but r2p buildings. Best example is the Art Deco range from Bachmann, which are definitely no bigger than HO, possibly slightly smaller. Saw them on a Belgium themed layout in HO, and am tempted to get some, but the price is far too high. Pity as I did have one of the station buildings , which I sold as I thought it too big for my layouts.

For city scenes the Heljan made range of victorian houses and shops are very good. I got a couple for my London tram layout, Marketed under IHC label, possibly others. For me their only error is the incorrect brick bond, but I can live with that. I try to seek out stone buildings for this reason. I am designing my own LR buildings for 3D printing.

For anyone in the area, I am at the exhibition in Blackpool at the end of June.

Link to post
Share on other sites

There is no further production run from Halling and they had a tiny few left in stock last time I checked. However the Missing unpowered one that came over in a real tram to Balckpool Council have been located and after taking intin custody in the Blackpool Transporst MD's office at now being sold by Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours at £100 ea plus £10 P and P. Write to Flexity Model Offer, Blackpool Heritage Trust, 16 Seventh Avenue, Blackpool FY4 2ED. Or from the sales tram on "gold" service bank Holidasy etsc or the sales atand at the Totally Models exhibition in the Paint Shop and Body Shop of Rigby Road Depot Blackpool on Saturday  and Sunday June 24th and 25th. Full Heritage trams service and shuttles to the depot etc  and a lot of layouts including Grime Street linked to Florin Street and Kew Bridge.

 Flexities delivered full size are 001 to 016 and 017 and 018 are on order for delivery later this year, there MAY be two more ordered if finance permits, so there isn't a real 019 even ordered yet!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • RMweb Premium

The model looks wrong to me running with its pantograph down, but I cannot run with the pantograph fully up because it fouls a tunnel on my layout. So I have added a hook from a scrap of piano wire to hold the pantograph low enough to go through the tunnel. I put a shallow hook at the top and a 180-degree loop at the bottom, so I can unclip the hook from the collector head and the bit of wire stays captive on the model.

 

post-14389-0-73542300-1498926332.jpg

 
The result looks better from a usual viewing distance than it does in the photograph, and of course a lot better than a retracted pantograph. It will be my substitute for catenary for a while. The tram actually looks really good on my layout, especially climbing the 1:20 ascent out of the tunnel - not greatly different to a flyover on the Edinburgh tramway. However, a catenary installation is going to take some work - in particular, the roof of the tunnel has wooden bracing designed to clear an 00 coach, and this will need a low wire to hold the pan down and stop fouling (height as my photo), with the wire sloping upwards to a more prototypical height on the visible layout.
 
- Richard.
Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...