sources

[Dudley Dodger]

Where do you get your model trams? Scratch or brass? I'm just wondering because the expanding Midland Metro interests me quite some, and i'd like to try my hand at things when i'm older and can afford things.

[Ravenser]

There are various sources, but I'm afraid its a matter of ducks and dodges, specialist kit suppliers and second hand tables.

 

It's perhaps best to draw a very sharp distinction between traditional trams (all of which had gone by 1962 barring Blackpool and the Manx Electric) and modern light rail . In terms of suppliers, kits etc they are more or less unrelated.

 

I've dabbled with a bit of modern light rail , so can comment a little on sources/availability. I've neither scratchbuilt nor used brass. There was a Dave Alexander kit - I think etched brass - for the Tyne & Wear Metro units but unfortunately it seems to have been dropped. I've seen a couple of examples built up in mags and they looked good. Thereafter it gets rough and difficult. There is or was a Mark Hughes Models kit around for the Manchester Metrolink Light Rail unit - originally whitemetal , and by the time you'd bought 2 Beetles to shift it, you were looking at about ??150 per unit , if you could do your own paint job. I think its been revised in resin

 

Beyond that errr..... The main resource would then be Alphagraphix , who've done card kits for the Manchester , Croydon and Midland Metro units. You'd have to cut out the windows , reinforce the kit, and adapt it a bit. And for chassis , bogies, underframe mechanism, you're on your own, in largely uncharted territory. I've built up a Manchester unit that way a few years ago , using a Tenshodo (wretched thing) and A1 H-frame bogie units with Mark Hughes castings for side frames, and using the acetate galzing sheet as the stiffening. But its coarse scale modelling of a type probably more familiar in the 1950s. And it wouldn't take an 18" reverse curve reliably. I tried a Croydon unit by the same route but ran into problems with the bogies. As they are low floor units, I had to cut/build up a well to take the bogies. Unfortunately the H-frame units, being outside framed, had very little room to turn and the thing wouldn't take any kind of curve. Its still stored pending severe rebuild /complete replacement . It will be necessary to scratchbuild my own inside frame bogies to get sufficient swing to take a curve.

 

Alphagraphix' card kit for the Midland Metro units is absolutely the only resource I know of for modelling them.. There isn't even a scale drawing in Terry Russell's range. Its very basic , and as they are low floor units you'd face exactly the same issues I had with a Croydon car and bogies.. It will only cost a few quid , if its still in print, so in your place I'd chance my arm at Warley in 2 weeks (Alphagraphix are normally there) , buy two , look at them carefully when you get home, swallow hard and stick them safe in a drawer for 5-10 years till you feel brave and skilled enough to have a go. If you don't buy one , chances are in 10 years time they will be long gone and there'll be absolutely nothing

 

Traditional trams are a very different story . There are whitemetal kits around , mainly from ABS (an elusive supplier , but he does Warley) and a pair of keen eyes will sometimes spot a plastic kit from Tower Trams, Hadfield, or Keil Kraft, though I think all are currently out of production. There is at least one range of etched brass kits around (and they look pretty demanding brass kits) , and the EFE(?) diecast Feltham and Horsfield are still to be found - try Hattons . Corgi did a range of 1/64 scale diecast trams and these turn up from time to time. The diecasts can be motorised with motor bogies or mechanisms from specialist suppliers

[graeme3300]

Another resource which may be helpful is the Yahoo Groups Model Tram group.

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/model-tram/

 

Doing an Internet search will show many other tramway-related groups which may be useful. Similarly, many of the Keilcraft etc. kits you mentioned are advertised on eBay, but it's well worth just keeping an eye on prices/price-trends before bidding on anything. It is very much "buyer beware" on eBay, but nevertheless, bargains can be obtained but one must be careful to avoid getting into a 'bidding war'.

 

I hope this helps.

[SNCF stephen]

Hi, if you were going to have a go at scratchbuilding in N gauge then I would direct you to the Modemo range because their chassis is of a similar configuration to that employed on the Midland Metro T69's. There is also an expanding range of Modern N gauge trams that could be adapted to look like the units that are set to replace the T 69's (I would suggest that they are going to award the contract to Citadis who built the ones from Dublin).

 

As Ravenser said there are not many resources out there for modelling these kinds of trams. However Worsley works produce a kit for the Metrolink trams (its less of a kit more of a means of taking out the first steps of scratchbuilding). They are offered in 2mm 3mm 4mm and 7mm scales. http://www.worsleyworks.co.uk . EDIT - JUST CHECKED WEB SITE THEY ONLY DO 3mm and 4mm!

 

I would also point you towards BMTHtrains N gauge layout that has a section of the Midland Metro installed on it:

http://www.rmweb.co....gauge-projects/

 

I hope this is a reasonable starting point.

[PLD]

Where do you get your model trams? Scratch or brass? I'm just wondering because the expanding Midland Metro interests me quite some, and i'd like to try my hand at things when i'm older and can afford things.

 

For the current scene, most of the designs running in the UK are variants of European Manufacturers standard models so you could also look to the contenental manufacturers, in particular Halling. Their range includes the Bombardier K4000 which is virtually identical to the Croydon CR4000 (a batch was done in the old Red Croydon livery for the LT museum); the Bombardier 5000 series (the new Manchester cars currently being delivered); and the Incentro on which the Nottingham cars were based. Nothing close to the Midlands cars though - they weren't exactly a popular prototype....

 

Although they are strictly speaking HO scale, they don't look out of place on a OO layout so long as you keep all the tram fleet to that scale.