coline33

Brixton Hill's coming on and looks good with the traverser now in situ. So just two 'siding' tracks to finish before paving starts - another long job for you! Tower E/1 kit - part 3 upper deck ends (continued). Attach view of the modified ends before drilling pigtail affixing holes. The 'plain panelled wooden' box and the K-ray box (this one is covered with an Alphagraphix rescaled part) are destined for 1235 which was always an open fronted platform car in its LPTB days at Streatham depot. Similarly altered 1236 also at Streatham depot had a 'three-code panelled wooden' box one end (found on the Auxiliary E/1 sprue) and a 'plain panelled wooden' one the other.

Andy, when it comes to the London bogie truck sides, be they maximum-traction or equal wheel, they are well illustrated on KW Trams accessories page and are dimensionally correct for the Classes and Types mentioned and of course fit their mechs.! A set of 4' w/b mechs arrived today so I can now fit with the Brill 22E truck sides and continue to finish the Type T balcony car illustrated on 17th June. Colin.

Andy, I have never come across a genuine Birney either double or single truck in the British Isles. However, some design facets did emerge in some of the British experimental single decks that emerged in the 1920s but by the end of that decade the bus was making inroads with new trams becoming too expensive, conversion of existing cars to front entrance was only affordable.

Andy, what became the standard London maximum-traction truck was 4'6" wheel-base for which KW Trams provide the correct 18mm. mech. The Brill 22E was found on LCC Class A, most LUT Types, Croydon Class B2 and Erith's bogie cars. Colin.

KW Trams have just released, through the website, mech MEMT16 to power 4' wheel-base maximum-traction trucks such as the Brill 22E.

Many thanks, Johann and Nick for completing the investigation. That is decisive for me as I had either a horse named Brighton or horse racing at Brighton to follow up. If only my grandfather had not passed away before I was born he could have told me!!! He took a Workman's Return on the 16/18 using this stop as he was a night shift engineering manager on the Fleet Street printing machines that he had built when employed by Monotype at Salfords, Redhill. He took the Fleet Street job and moved to a brand new house in Thornton Heath just as the LCC and Croydon opened the joint tram service in 1926. He bought his WR ticket at Blackfriars when returning home early morning so he could use it in the early evening of that day when he went to work! KW Trams has just released, through the website, mech MEMT16 to power 4' wheel-base maximum-traction trucks such as Brill 22E used on the early classes and types of LCC. LUT and MET cars.

Pleased to report that Brian Robinson of BEC-KITS/Tower Trams is back home and confirms that he has stock of the auxiliary E/1 sprue available so please contact him on his website for this and 'new' kits.

Phil, the photo I find was recorded as being taken in 1933 but no day or month. Oh, that 'copper' in the way still leaves us on the 'knife edge'!!! Colin.

Tower E/1 kit - part 7 - upper deck seats and pigtails. In part 4 was shown the upper deck floor with painted stairwell partitions and seats in place. A quick experiment to see the result of using (and cutting to fit) the scaled down Alphagraphix E/1 and Rehab card kit seats has resulted in the attached views. The top one shows the fronts of slatted wooden seats of the E/1 plus the rears of the upholstered Rehab seats. The bottom one is the same but from the other direction. However, the time and effort may not be so rewarding with the wooden seats but more so for the colourful upholstered ones. Just a thought as I may use the upholstered pattern in the ex-Croydon E/1s planned. In part 3, pigtails were mentioned. Whilst easiest at this stage to drill the retaining holes for scratch-built pigtails bent from wire, the prior decision on a prototype to be modelled is critical. There are four possible locations; three on the vertical centre line of the upper deck ends between the windows and the destination boxes, whilst on a few, it can be on the cant rail to the right of the destination box. Whilst pigtail location was usually the same at both ends, there were exceptions so beware!!! Having photographs is a must and a challenge to find those showing both sides and ends in between the same overhaul period. Unlikely in the LPTB period but highly likely in LTE days as so many photographs were taken. So I strongly recommend the following collection as a very good search start. <www.tramwayinfo.com>. Click 'T.L.R.S.', then click 'info' followed by 'A.J.Wills London Trams'. Once there click 'Search Photographic Database' (also recommend you read the Notes mentioned), then 'Search for a Class of Car'. Then you have a choice of 'E1' (478 views), 'CCT E1' (81 views) and 'EH' (29 views). If you still cannot find what you want then please do not hesitate to ask at <feltham2099@hotmail,co.uk>.

Thanks, Phil. Yes, we do have problems with photos in identifying London tramcar ownership from 1932 to 1934 where we either do not have the date of taking or are unable to see even a glimpse of the ownership 'legal lettering' on the bottom of the lower deck waist panels. There is many a view published as being LCC, LUT, MET, SMET, etc. where clearly the LPTB legal lettering is pasted over that of the previous owner. Both Brixton Hill and Hampstead depots had lines of trams waiting scrapping still with their old numbers and in the previous livery, some photographed without the LPTB ownership slip! From July, 1933, as the future required Croydon trams went straightaway to Charlton for annual overhaul they emerged in the final LCC livery with their LPTB numbers in LCC numerals, as an example of speed. So the source of the Blackfriars shelter photo needs further investigation on date of taking - if we will ever know!!! Before deciding on slightly differing red and cream to that of the LCC, LPTB did look at a complete colour change as a result of 'Bluebird' entry in 1932 in blue to be the forerunner of a first batch of 100 cars for Kingsway Subway services and the joint 16/18 service with Croydon. E/3 192 was painted in a similar hue whilst E/1 583 appeared in a lighter blue. By 1934 the new LPTB 'red' livery was being applied but the addition of the LT fleet-name was not applied until May of that year. Need-less-to-say the 'old' paint stocks at Charlton were quickly used up on the ex-municipal cars but at Hendon the process was slower on the ex-Combine cars. Colin.

Phil, are you sure that the Ford Y came out late 1933 as I find 1932 was when production commenced? Certainly Unilever House was completed in 1933. My problem is which side of 1st July 1933 my photo was taken? I thought you had got me finally sorted on the LPTB side after I first thought it to be on the LCC side!!! Colin.

Thank you, all. This has been very helpful as I have had difficulty putting a date to the attached to prove that the trams are in the final LCC livery.

Just spotted an excellent single trolley roof view of a Brixton Hill bound 16 about to merge in with the traffic coming off Blackfriars Bridge pre-WW2. Note the fleet number on the white painted roof. In those days the Rolling Stock Engineer's office was located above the tracks in Camberwell Depot so roof numbers speeded up his attention to cars in trouble! Seems 1235, 1236 and 1239 were in a batch sequence of numbered cars at Streatham depot at this time.

Sorry, an error crept in the part 3 continuation. Car 1235 did not have an accident so did not get an Alpax top cover. During the Class E/2 experiments it kept its original top deck. Thus 1235 should appear with its Streatham stable mate 1236 until 1938.

Tower E/1 kit - part 3 - upper deck ends (continued). I could not believe that I had missed out the easiest and, for at least two of you, the most important variant!!! But first within the number ranges I gave, cars 989, 1081, 1120 and 1235 can only be modelled as per the kit in LCC original livery. In the late 1920's their top decks were destroyed beyond economic repair by accidents so received the then new Alpax (E/3 style) ones. It is believed that the last car mentioned was used to test front-exit operation as designed to be a new Class E/2 variant. Whilst this worked on newly constructed cars like the Felthams and rebuilds in other cities, it did not find favour with the LCC. The attached view shows the missing variant where the side vent window is removed completely. The addition of the large service number stencil holder was fitted experimentally to cars1056, 1236, 1547 and 1578, a design that was to be standard for all new cars prior to Bluebird in 1932. Cars 1056, 1547 and 1578 definitely received 'reflected light' outside mounted holders on the top panel of the destination boxes to light the destination blind below. Certainly in LPTB days, 1056 had received a replacement K-ray box at one end. Incidentally, it was this car that was chartered for two consecutive days in 1934 to convey Clapham school children for a day out at Hampton Court. It would have had the 26 stencil up to alert the Hammersmith Broadway pointsman and either PRIVATE or SPECIAL on its blinds but may not have received the LT fleet name yet. Streatham depot's 1236 in LPTB days had a '3-code' panelled box at one end and a K-ray one the other. All these cars were open fronted but only 1236 survived into the war years. 1236 was ousted by the Felthams in 1938 but having received windscreens was transferred to New Cross. It was last photographed in this condition with wartime embellishments at Lee Green in 1941 whilst on service 46. So this car makes an ideal wartime E/1 variant.

M 1704 is in LCC livery before it gave way to the full LCC red and cream that it was in when LPTB took over in July 1933. The demolition of the Royal Hotel could have been under way with the car in this livery but by the time Unilever House was finished the lower deck waist corner panels on 1704 would have turned red.

That Getty scene is definitely circa 1930 and not 1940. LPTB withdrew the last Dog Kennel Hill Ms from Camberwell depot in the autumn of 1933 to take over the Bexleyheath services.

Oh no, not airships!!! One of the proposals I had to pursue and scrutinise in 1980 was the Airship Industries proposal to have an airship base in the Royals Docks for the transport of containers back and forth over the Channel. It was an excursion into the unknown despite the fact that I had been posted in 1958 to RAF Cardington where I had learnt the pre-WW2 airship experiences including those of our own craft. However, the actual economics of container carriage were exceptionally favourable but when you came to the ground operation, well? You can just imagine London dockers losing those straining ropes trying to prevent an airship being blown into the post-WW2 high rise blocks of flats that then surrounded the Royal Docks!!!

Welcome to our midst, John. Many thanks for this view. If anyone wonders how a MET Type E single decker got in London Road then yes in reality two did. John has this one as the West Croydon - Wallington extra working and at times the prototypes did transfer across between Station and Tamworth Roads. It is this E Type that whilst terminating one day in Tamworth Road got hit from behind by a speeding Bombardier to finish up in Station Road!!!

For those interested in the London trams, the "Brixton Hill tram depot and its Trams" RMweb forum has been broadened out into the trams themselves. But not only the trams that were to be found inside the depot but also those that passed outside plus some that nearly got to Brixton Hill as an annex to Streatham (Telford Avenue) depot. Currently on the forum there is a series on getting the best out of the parts in the Tower Trams E/1 kits.

Fare charts, as I call them, are a feature in first generation London trams by law. In part 6 one is shown in place in the last piece in the photo. These charts only appeared at one end. A LPTB/LTE advert usually appeared in that space at the other end. I wonder if I am the only one who includes these in a 4mm. scale model!!! Another feature required by law, but one I am not adding just under the stairs, is the metal 'pocket' that contained the LPTB/LTE byelaws and Conditions of Carriage. When I got on a 38 at Westminster on the last day I asked the conductress if I could have the booklet. The reply was "What goes with the tram stays with the tram!!!". Well, it was not on the car when I left it at Abbey Wood and walked to the depot!

Tower E/1 kit - part 6 - lower deck bulkheads. Now to another flawed part but one that can be improved with surgery. In the top row of the the attached photo, the first from the left is the actual Kit bulkhead next to which is what it should have looked like. The third piece shows that the windows have been enlarged as close as possible, the window bar added to the door window and card used to improve other areas. Then the fourth shows the LPTB painting style while the fifth is that of the LTE. Used ticket box, MSC licence plate and changeover switch box additions will be the subject of an item on the differences of the ends A and B. The lower row shows improvement to the rear of the altered pieces. The first from the left is partly painted to suit an interior cover but otherwise the whole needs to be painted. The second has the glazing in position. For open fronted cars it is clear but tinted for windscreen fitted cars to defuse the saloon lighting reflection on the driver's glass. I used exposed camera film for the tinted glazing. Finally an interior cover was added from the rescaled Alphagraphix E/1 card kit.

Tower E/1 kit - part 5 - upper deck conductors windows. In the lower photo in part 3, on the fourth end from the left, you will see a small diameter hole above the destination box. I omitted to remind that at this stage it is best to drill it for the trolley rope pigtail. Now on to a major flawed part. The conductors windows finish the window sections on the upper deck ends. If the conductor was upstairs when the car stopped to set-down or pick-up then he/she could lean out and look down to give the driver OK to proceed with two blasts on the 'pea' whistle as there were no bell pushes upstairs. The top sprue in the attached photo is of one of the two that come in the kit but just look carefully at the two conductors windows left of centre in the 'middle lane' - they are both the same way round!!! When Brian took over the kits he produced the bottom sprue and at the right of its 'middle lane' will be seen the improved left and hand replacements. If two replacement sprues are not in your kit then I recommend you email him at the address on his BEC-KITS site to find out if they are still available and at what price. I suspect he may be away for another month. Regretfully there is no other easy way round the problem.

Now how do I find an excuse to reply to Phillip on Cardiff's trams when there is no direct link!!! We have already mentioned the American 'Stepless' design that found its way into 'Cissie'. The hobble skirt was the post-WW1 fashion here as well as the States with its problem of getting on and off tramcar platforms. Brush looked at the concept and got ideas on how, with smaller diameter wheels and a redesigned underframe, to reduce the platform height and thus that of the lower saloon of the traditional British tram culminating in a much reduced overall height tramcar. The result was a standard style that was found in Cardiff, Swansea, Salford and some other systems. To date no one has made a kit or RTR of them. So I will make mention to see if there is a demand. Off the top of my head the Swansea car in the Tram Shed museum is one of these cars - in fact I think it is the only one preserved.

Tower E/1 kit -part 4 - the upper deck floor. The only extra I have done with this part is to add the lower deck ceiling detail to the underside of the floor as seen in the attached photo. In constructing the seats as per instructions, I have not attempted to use the scaled down seat covers from the Alphagraphix E/1 card kit as the plastic was in brown. However, with grey plastic now being used then either paint them and the stairwell partitions/doors brown or use scaled down pieces from the kit. The original ceilings in the "Rehabs" were replaced by large board panels and these can be produced by scaling down the appropriate parts in the Alphagraphix "Rehab" card kit - one is still available second-hand from KW Trams.