EtypeJag

A few more tram images before I move on to the railway and scenery side. All trams (as is the whole layout) are DCC but without sound. They clank, whine and sway just like the real thing. Having been on several tram driving courses, there is a strict speed limit, especially over the points. The overhead wire is not powered but the poles do generally stay on the wire. Fabricating frogs for the wires is a challenge, as is point construction generally due to the tight radii. The track is O gauge Peco soldered to copper clad sleepers with code 75 rail soldered to their web at right angles to give the grooved impression, albeit exaggerated. The grassed track is Peco. Most trams have Terry Russell trucks (bogies/chassis) and they perform well. Terry also makes the overhead poles and fittings. Worth looking at his website for possible inspiration. London HR2 built professionally from a Chris Cornell kit and Terry Russell fittings Bit of detail and Ian Rathbone's lining skills St Petersburg Tram co Liverpool liner in early livery. Bought in New York! Sheffield car as preserved at Crich. Built by the late Vernon Cunningham from photo impressed card sides taken from actual photos of the real tram. Very cleverly done. Vernon was apparently a gifted printer by profession. Wallasey Dick Kerr tram. The colour has a folk law story. The General Manager at the time was a Mr Green. When the tram builder enquired as to the livery colour, he was told "see Green". So they were painted sea green!!! 3D bodied Gateshead single decker from a Mark Casson body (I have all his range, some still to be built - they are sadly no longer available). Built by me with Terry's parts. Goes like stink as did the originals. Many of the originals ended their days on the Grimsby - Immingham tramway under BR. All for now. Kettle boiled Jack

There are a few more images on Paul Bambrick's blog. The artist is actually paining the landscape, but missing in this shot is his Bohemian pre-war Fiat parked perilously close to the tram track! I'm trying to figure out how to reduce some of the best photos that exceed the 1mb limit for the blog. Computers are great (sometimes) but often exceed my comprehension. Thank you for your kind comments. Cheers Jack

At the constant nagging of Paul Bambrick, I've succumbed to writing a blog about my 7mm finescale railway and tramway. I've been quietly modelling O gauge for nearly 45 years, having joined the O Gauge Guild in the late 60's. Mostly family, work overseas and restoring old cars and airplanes has taken priority but it has not stopped me collecting an extensive range of first class models over the years, to play with in my retirement. I am now reaching a point whereby my railway is looking complete, but with still a lot of tiny details to add. Westcott is the chosen name of a branchline that could be somewhere in Buckinghamshire so allowing LMS (dominant), GWR and LNER trains to run. There are a number of interlopers and oddities for no better reason that I like the unusual. Paul was commissioned to complete the backscenes that cover about 25 feet of the layout (the total layout is 38 feet long). Knowing Kevin Wilson and Bucks Hill introduced me to Paul and Westcott and Bucks Hill completed for Paul's time over 18 months or so. The difference with Westcott is that it includes a tramway that runs the length of the layout both on cobbled streets and through the country a'la Leeds and other towns 'oop north. Why trams? I have always had a fascination from childhood when a treat was a ride on a Liverpool tram and the Overhead Railway. Today, I have over 40 trams from all over England, 15 being Liverpool. Another 10 are being built. All are exquisite models built professionally and a few by me (cheating using 3D printed bodies!!). So here are a couple of photos to start off the blog. . Liverpool Liner ex St Petersburg Tram Co and weathered by Martyn Welch Manchester 4 wheeler by Mike Edge and painted by Ian Rathbone. That's all for now. See Paul's blog later this week for more pics. Manchester Milne completed by one of my current builders. Paul Bambrick's backscene. Bit more of Paul's creation. Other detail by me.