Open door policy in the workshops

To some it sounds like a trendy theory about transparent management, but in the W class trams of Melbourne it is usually about air conditioning with a dash of human interaction with the travelling public.

The leading near side cab door in the open position offers the trammie some fresh air, and with both cab doors open allows the cross flow of a breeze on a stinking summers day. The trammie should have a firm grip of the controller and the brake handle, so he/she is unlikely to fall out at speed, and with the door open allows them to step out quickly and persuade the points into the intended direction, plus the odd chat with punters in safety zones regarding their inquiries about other trams not in control of that driver.

My second 812 with the Bachmann mechanism is in the process of being converted to DCC with lighting, but to avoid a clash with the Cooee 812, this tram will be renumbered 821 (modelled on W5-821 with its Met livery and two canvas doors in its drop centre).

The shell has had its saloon windows and doors removed, the cab at one end has had the door filed out on the leading near side, the cab door will be replaced by one made from styrene in the open position.

The now W5 821 undergoing some modifications

(painted dash and holes drilled for marker lights and 'air conditioning')

 

The Cooee SW5 812 is in the process of having the doors salvaged from the Bachmann 812 (now 821) fitted, as the supplied doors are incorrect, while this is taking place a tidy up of the interior and fibre optics to improve the effect of the hazard/indicator lights.

 

 Some housekeeping is required,

(Correct doors top left, supplied doors top middle)

 

And finally, the pink tram for the oldest daughter is now finished, resplendent in its pink livery, LED headlights, fibre optic tail lights and a funky disco saloon light the changes colour. The speed table has been adjusted so the top speed is more manageable for a five year old.

 

                       pink........                                    yellow.................

 



                                        and blue. 

funky saloon and tail lights

(yes, it was entertaining to fit)

 

Late Mail: Victoria Street can be now found on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/modeltramsofmelbourne

another work in progress

 

From under the wires and the workbench light.

Glenn

Ménage à trois (no, it's not what you think!)

As one does occasionally, I decided to kill time by updating apps on the mobile, call it housekeeping if you want; however, the engine driver app on my android smart phone received its update (v2.8.2.), and now it offers a third throttle slot. Now I don't know if I am a servant to three masters or a master of three servants.

Given that I can run Victoria Street by a bog standard Powercab (v1.28) that has a two recall limit,  together with JMRI and a USB interface plus laptop I can push it a little further, then with either wi throttle/engine drive I can try to trip the current overload of the Powercab. Now with three slots per smartphone who knows what can happen.

A few photos of the new app in action, and yes there was the odd collision.

 

No good can come from this.

 

Cutting notches.

 

 

It's like herding cats plus spinning plates

at the same time.

 

 

I may not leave the house for a while.

 

 

from under the wires and irradiated by the wifi.

 

Regards Glenn.

 

 

 



 

 



Autumn, football and some nice weather for a slide.

Autumn in Melbourne, the start of the football season, cool nights followed by pleasant days, and with being the most 'European' city in Australia has avenues and streets full of deciduous trees, that drop leaves in autumn.

Leaf litter and trams do not really get along, together with damp rails provide the hair raising conditions that can lead to wheel lock when braking resulting in a sudden dump of sand and some choice language from the driver.

The bride at her workplace has a digital die cutter, and for a bit of a test run, punched out some autumn leave for me, maple/plane tree type of leaves, while some were over scale, I had enough for a photo shoot. Now knowing this, I am now thinking of other items to be produced.

 

 

On the football front the doggies are back playing at their spiritual home, Whitten Oval (Footscray), their first game this Saturday since 1997 will be played for premiership points. Mind you, it is our VFL side, not our AFL team, nether the less, it's footy and it's local.

From under the wires then off to the game.
Glenn

The iron age.... corrigated.(not quite)

The 'Victorian Cottage' has now received a good old fashioned roofing, with corrugated iron (made from aluminium foil), the creases and dings/dents add to the character that I like adding to this card model.

 

All roofed, now for the weathering 

 

 

I am also trialling the installation of fibre optic lighting on structures, mainly for external exposed light globes (the back yard light), as it is only a temporary set up for amusement a LED torch light is providing the light source at the moment, therefore the temporary set up.

 

 



fibre optic and blutac at one end...

 

 

the outside light at the back.

(a warm white LED will be used)

 

 

The front before the veranda.

It will have a porch light.

 

 

Apologies for the slow progress on this model, as I am having a lot of fun with my own 'Victorian Cottage', 1:1 scale. These houses are the high maintenance blonde of housing, they need a fair bit of effort and cash to look good, and if you do not lavish them, they can look 'trashy' very quickly.

 

 

From under the wires and in a heritage overlay.

 

Glenn

 

 

 

 

 

Behold the material of the future....fibro.

The washhouse got a make over on the 'Victorian Cottage', as in true post war suburban style, it received a clad of fibro cement, it may not rot, warp or burn but it takes paint rather badly and tends to look mouldy.

All it needs now is a smashed panel courtesy

 of a stray cover drive playing backyard cricket.

 

 

 

No real secret, office paper glued directly to the model,

strips of paper for battens, given a few heavily diluted washes

 of acrylic black paint to give it that mouldy fibro look.

 

Now to add the external plumbing and the weathered corrugated iron roof.

 

from the old inner suburbs next to the wires.

 

Glenn



The housing issue

After the refit of the man cave, one long forgotten kit has been found and now is in the process of being assembled, the 'Victorian Cottage'.

Now the definition of a 'Victorian Cottage' can start a civil disturbance amongst architects and historians, this card kit more leans towards the Edwardian era (1901-WW1), in real estate speak it would be marketed as....

'Position and Potential'

"this delightful Edwardian home, with subtle Victorian influences close to public transport, features three bedrooms, separate kitchen, laundry, toilet. Period features throughout (OFP), this unpolished gem is a diamond in the rough. Primed for renovation(STCA).

The collection of lean toos.

(note the criminal friendly louvered windows)

In the real world it should read....

'Position and Potential'

Positioned close to fire station, Potential fire trap



"this unrenovated Edwardian home, with unknown influences next to noisy public transport, features two bedrooms and a cupboard, separate kitchen, laundry, toilet.(all built in dodgy lean to style) Period features throughout (OFP) (open fireplaces that has no other heating), this unpolished gem may have asbestos throughout. Primed for demolition (STCA). (subject to lengthy council approval and heritage overlay).

It might need an old couch on the porch and a few

 Tibetan prayer flags before it can pass off as a university

student rental.

 

This kit looks a little too clean, while I do like its various 'lean to' extensions at the back, the house will need weathered corrugated iron on the roof and as for the wash house (right at the rear) will need to be retro fitted with a dodgy fibro cement finish and some external plumbing. This little cottage needs to be grubby to represent an era before the tide of 'gentrification' swept through the inner suburbs of my little part Melbourne.

This has so far been a fun little build, then I will have to build another module to 'house' it.

more to come from under the wires.

regards Glenn

Deutsche Straßenbahnen in Victoria Street

I had a couple of days off, so I decided to throw a decoder into an articulated ROCO Cologne Duwag that I picked up cheap off Ebay. Given that these trams are single ended with doors on one side only, and Victoria Street does not have balloon loops for termini, The modellers licence does get a fair bit of artistic extravagance.

Now these trams run on the right hand side of the road, the doors are on the their near (right) side, the trailing end may have basic controls for reversing in depot and other occasions. For Victoria Street this tram has 'doors' on the other side (away from viewer), the tram can drive from either end, and as for the scenario for this tram, it is operated by a museum in conjunction for an Oktoberfest at the racecourse. (now this draws an incredibly long bow)

The usual treatment of fibre optic marker lights and hazard lights, with saloon lighting and headlights. A fun and challenging retrofit.

 

Yes, even side hazard lights were fitted.

 

 

The Oktoberfest shuttle waits for 870 to proceed

before using the station crossover.

(Note the new headlight fitted to the 'trailing' end)

Die Deutschen wissen, wie man ein Modell entwickeln
(The Germans know how to build a model)

Unter dem Kabel,
für Glenn