Now we have six

Not a lot has being going on of late, Spring has sprung in Melbourne and along with it comes a fair crack of garden work, especially now that I have this expansive green stuff called lawn that needs a regular hair cut so I don't lose the family Jack Russell amongst it.

Along with all this, the covered outdoor family area received a lick of paint, also I installed a watering system for the overhead plants that now reside in this space. The season also coincided with the AFL Grand Final, (Collingwood, the bride's team, lost to West Coast) that dovetailed into the spring racing carnival and the Melbourne Cup, which we enjoyed watching with family and friends in our newly reworked outdoor arena.

This was the long waited 'housewarming' that was needed since relocating in late February.

The N scale project has languished in the shed, but I did manage to chip my last W Class tram, this now makes it number six on the roster at Westside Depot, introducing SW6 964 MkII, my first 964 has been renumbered 907 with DCC but will be physically renumbered shortly.

 

Trams from Westside Depot

L-R 812, 821, 800, 907, 964 & 870

This was the tram I purchased just before the move, now it can play with its mates on the layout.

From a crowded Victoria Street under the wires,

Glenn

Some more distractions

What can I say, I'll do anything than tackle outstanding work on the work bench. The annual leave/household maintenance has come and gone, then closely followed by the Easter school holiday, these scenarios are the thief of modelling time. 

While there is not any pressing issues that require attention on the layout, the rollingstock (anyone remember 821?) are trundled from one end to the other to keep the rails clean and the mechanisms moving. 

When it comes to recent achievements, I have finished the distraction that is the per way loco, introducing SEC 1. 

Nothing like a bit of imagineering. 

The other side project features an aspect of interior design with a tramway theme. Framed genuine W class tram route numbers. 

 82 (Footscray to Moonee Ponds) and 
57 (West Maribyrnong to City via North Melbourne) 

These take pride of place at the top of the stairs leading to the study/man cave with full approval of the bride.

I did manage to tidy up the study.  

From under the wires at the clean work bench looking at 821 on blocks. 

Glenn 

Rolling along

I cannot believe it's nearly four and half years ago that the empire expanded to five W class trams*, yet to have all in service at once has not yet really been achieved.

The family portrait from then.

A lot of decoders and exhibitions have trundled by, along with the extension to the running lines and an inclusion of a depot. After a summer break that did not engage the usual serious intervention*, the consideration once again looks to rollingstock.

The static W5 812 was roughly fitted with a rolling DC chassis at the time but was left like a wallflower on the shelf as the other W's were retro fitted with DCC and lights. This W5 812 was earmarked to be re-imagined as W5 795, but with a little research W5 821 was the only canvas two door W5 painted in the then new corporate green and gold of the metropolitan transit authority, this now saves me a paint job. It was also unsuccessfully fitted with trolley retrievers to the apron, another little detail to differentiate it from the rest. here is my work in progress.

Work in progress

The chassis (Bachmann Mech) with the NCE 13SRJ decoder fitted under the drop center.

W5 821 going for a trundle down Collins St in the City .

The decoder was appropriated from my SW6 870 (since fitted with Blu-rail chip) which also runs the retro fitted Bachmann mechanism that 821 operates.

As with most things, the more you adapt things, the more you learn to simplify the process. The time to prepare the LED sub assemblies with the correct wire colour, planning where to run the fibre optics for the marker lights and developing a simple method of connecting the lighting options to the decoder, all make it enjoyable.

LEDs at the ready.

Plug and play.

(Reworked 8 pin IC socket)

This foray into rollingstock is due to the fact that I believe that I have finished* the layout, as the only outstanding work required was to clad the last bay of the depot roof with corrugated iron, this has now been completed.

The depot is complete.

"We need a bigger shed"

From under the wires with the smell of hot solder.

Glenn.

*As if a layout is ever finished!

After the epic sports hiatus.

"With the breaking of the long suffering premiership drought together with the time honoured spring racing carnival on top of the bride absolutely smashing her post graduate studies, services have resumed along Victoria Street."

Other than the odd shuffle of services along Victoria Street, I did make some headway into a drawn out project, my interpretation of MMTB freight 19.

On a mail run to Victoria Street 

The prototype 
(Photo Trams Downunder)

The prototype freight 19 started off as a single truck saloon tram, built by Brill and assembled in Australia, originally plied its trade for the then NMETL (North Melbourne Electric Tramway & Light Company). 

These trams ran services through the inner north west of Melbourne, which connected with the then cable (city) tram at Flemington Bridge to the then outer suburbs of Essendon and Ascot Vale. 

After the consolidation of all municipal tramways under the banner of the MMTB, these little trams found themselves operating on short cross suburban routes until they were retired into freight duties.

These freight duties involved the distribution of departmental mail and supplies from Preston Workshops/stores to outlying tram depots, as trams they could access deep into the sheds over pits to deposit such items as brake blocks plus other bits and pieces. 

This tram was kitbashed from the readily available Tyco/Mantua trolley, with the combination of a few strokes from some needle files, holes drilled for headlamps plus some panels from  20 thou styrene, a dash of filler with a splash of paint together with some decals, and Bob's your uncle. 

There are a few details to add, such as lifeguards,

 a decoder plus some weathering.

MMTB U 205
another reworked Tyco/Mantua trolley

the pair at the Ammo Factory

One basic model, many possibilities. 

L-R, SECV Ballarat 28, MMTB U 205

& the stock model.

Pushing freight from under the wires.

Glenn

Phaffing about

The last month after knocking over the depot shed, work and life has conspired against me. On the odd occasion  I tend to shuffle trams in and out the roads of the depot shed, along the stretch to the racecourse back to the ammo factory then back into the sheds.

 

Busy times at the depot.

The other thing I doodle with is time tabling, especially when I'm on dad duties, roughly drawing train graphs of arrival and departure times that allow for short shunting special services to and from the racecourse that also in turn need to avoid conflict with regular services. The backs of envelopes, pages from a scribble pad, scraps of paper all provide a medium for creativity while supposedly supervising small children.

I did manage to visit a hobby shop, I obtained some sanitation based objects, old school rubbish bins (none of those 'modern' wheelie bins), and a Victorian era public convenience for the Ammo factory terminus. As per usual the facilities were kitbashed to suit my requirements, as the original concept was again too large for the area provided.

I bet the ratepayers of Victoria Street are happy with the local council.

 

Loitering or stage fright?

The other purchase was a replacement motor for 812, as this tram had a history of coughing and farting after about fifteen minutes of continuous running, the current draw of the original motor was diagnosing an issue with one of the windings, the decoder after the stated period would kick in 'self preservation' mode so as not to allow the 'magic smoke' escape.

The replacement motor is one for the Auscision brand of Australian prototype locomotives, the centre height was spot on, however the diameter of the new motor is about .070" wider than the original, so some old tech school bench fitting was required to make it fit inside the split chassis of the Cooee Collectable mechanism.

 

I will make it fit.

The replacement motor also has some massive brass flywheels that may in someway affect the tides of the planet and not to mention the ability alter the course of the space time continuum. The original drive shafts to the gear towers had to be extended to accommodate the new motor, now I have a tram that could out pull most of the model locomotives going around if I could be bothered with fitting it with some kadees.

 

812 is finally back in service.

 

So there it is, in a nutshell. I have spent the last month phaffing around.

From a slightly busy work bench under the wires.
Glenn.

Works at the Depot.

The brickies have been in and the depot shed is starting to resemble something like a tram shed and less like a cool store, This is the largest and most intact structure on Victoria Street, it is also the final one.

 

A typical day on the tramways.

The brick sheet used is Superquik pasted onto the foam board with a glue sick, concrete lintels and bases are cereal box card,  the roof is in the process of being finished off with Wills corrugated iron.

The space between the shed and the office features the former substation that used to serve the depot and the line to the Racecourse and the Ammo factory,  The original rotary converter installed when the depot was isolated from the main system inside has been mothballed and the space is used by maintenance as a store. This was made up from leftovers from the Ammo Factory building, a Metcalfe Warehouse kit.

 

The substation/stores

Depot signage has either been scanned from books or sourced from the internet, resized in windows word then printed out on office paper.

Here are few more photos in and around the new depot shed.

 

4MPH in the yard.

 

 

Carring out from the sheds.

 

 

About to enter service.

 

 

Road 3 at the rear of the shed,

the entry/exit point of rolling stock for the layout

 

 

The whole depot lends itself to an inglenook shunting puzzle, which means that in order to run a tram from the back of the shed, one has to shuffle and shunt trams in and out and try not block the traffic out the front of the depot for any extended period of time. some trams are sent over the crossover to the Ammo Factory to hide for a few moments, others provide 'double shunts' at the depot entry, all in all fun and thinking all round.

 

Now for the fun part, the overhead.

 

From under the roof at the end of the layout.

Glenn.



 

 

 

Weekend of Birneys

 

I recently picked up a DCC ready Bachmann Birney tram off Ebay, plonked it on the rails, fired up the decoder pro and started tweaking the CV, that's right the CV, as this is fitted with a rather basic decoder, it lacks the finesse of speed tables, kick rate/depth and lighting options that I have been accustomed to. The Birney goes well, a little too well and needs to be reigned in, this will get another decoder.

The recent purchase.

Eventually this Birney will undergo some modification to left hand drive, a splash of green(or brown) and cream paint and gold decals with black shadows thus becoming X 217. This will be my second X 217 after a repaint of a right hand drive Walters white metal Birney (that surely was made from depleted uranium given its weight!) This will not be DCC chipped and will live out its days in the display cabinet, with an occasional run on the DC optioned Victoria Street.

The first X1 217 (with arse about doors)

 

 

Now whether to go green or brown????

 



 

One pole or two....

From under the wires with a rather small tram.
Glenn

P.S. the countdown to Caulfield continues........

Bush Week on Victoria Street

 

Bush week (1) n,[Aust slang],an agricultural show held in the city. (2)n [Aust informal] An imagined or symbolic time when assumedly unsophisticated people from the bush come to the city, likely to be preyed on by tricksters there.

I finally got around to fitting decoders into my homage of the former SECV (State Electricity Commission Victoria) tramways that operated in regional Victoria in Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong.

These regional tramways literally ran on the smell of an oily rag, their rollingstock were made up of the cast offs from Melbourne and Adelaide and some still to this day, cut a notch at their respective tramway museums.

Bendigo Birney 29 and Ballarat 28 return from the

racecourse on an enthusiasts trip.

 

These models are still undergoing final adjustment to speed tables, kick rates and strengths before the real fun of fitting lights begins. (so far, so good no magic smoke has escaped yet!)

 

Ballarat 28 (a reworked Tyco/Mantua)

 

Holding up services at the racecourse.

 

Country cousins running amok in the city.

 

 

From under the wires in a darker shade of green,

Glenn

 

 



 

 

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

In the Pink (Now for something different) and a visitor.

As I wade through my fleet of trams and attempt to retrofit DCC and lights, I am also a Dad to a pair of girls, one pushing five and the other nudging three. Needless to say my life is surrounded by most things pink*.

The oldest has been haggling me about a 'tram' for her for a while, and it should be pink! This got me thinking...

• one slightly ordinary Mehano trolley.
• one of those plastic static German trams that seem to come attached to a card.
• one NCE D13SRJ decoder.
• one pantograph (found in the bits box)
• a couple of LEDs and resistors.
• and some phaffing around.

This loose collection of missed matched items are in the process of being cobbled together to create this, a cheap, durable tram that works and meets the design brief as stipulated (demanded!).

2312 (the pink tram) a work in progress
at the corner of Victoria St and Epsom Rd

 

Now for the cunning part, this tram has been tinkered with as so to allow trials in the operation of live overhead on DCC (pretty clever eh?)  The other thing is, with the plug in decoder, I can 'borrow' it if the need arises.

 

Also the oldest is in the process of birthday season, so a new member was added to the family, Sparky. A rather cheeky hand friendly budgie (parakeet).

 

 



Sparky poses on the Victoria St crossing square.

(so far he has not manage to 'deposit' any traffic hazards)

 

On the computer front, my brother in law, Mick ( a hoarder of technology) had in his collection of 'assets' had a spare computer monitor gathering dust, better in my study than eventually on the hard rubbish. Thanks Mick.

 

From under the wires and a couple of little thumbs and a few feathers.

 

Glenn

 

*Disney Princesses, the house of mouse has lot to answer for.







 



Service Improvments

The W class fleet has recently been expanded, after acquiring two, 'motorised' Cooee Collectable trams courtesy of a 'scatch and dent' sale, both cars were deemed inoperable therefore offered at nil reserve on ebay.

SW5 812 & SW6 964

After delivery the faults were as follows, 812's bogies were separated from the body, and after 10 minutes of refitting them, ran like a treat. 964 looked intact on initial inspection, but on removal of the shell, signs of 'well intended tinkering' proved that the wires had been disconnected from the motor, a quick heat of the soldering iron, and 5 minutes later, another success

I have always been interested in these RTR models, but bauked at the full retail price ($220+ AU) per unit. So I bought the static version of these models and motorised them with the cheep and cheerful mechanisms from Bachmann Brill Trolleys. This allowed to create the myriad of variations that exist within the class range from W5 though to W7, with center doors, weather blinds, multiple marker lights, saloon window configurations and paint schemes.

Here is the How to video...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POCHD_iE89g

The pair of SW5 812s, The RTR version at the rear with the wrong door,incorrect windows

and the 'filled with brown' to the window sill line. The Bachmann powered

unit highlighting the clear drop center section of the tram.



The pair of SW6s, with the similar issues as the SW5s.



 The inner workings of the RTR version.

The inner workings of the Bachmann powered version which

allows the drop centre section to be filled with punters.

W5 800

The RTR trams weigh in at 265grams (9.3oz) compared with the light weight Bachmann units of 187grams (6.5oz), also the RTR are fitted with directional and saloon lighting as bright as burning magnesium that would render any travelling punter as blind as a welder's dog, this will addressed in time. The RTR trams also negotiate both the crossing square and the bend on Victoria Street with ease.

W5 795 at Bylands

As for the future of the new cars, RTR 812 will become W5 795, and its mechanism will be swapped with my Restaurant Tram 939 ( as it has no window glass in the lower door), as for RTR 964 the doors out 812 will be installed and austerity retro painted and decaled with MMTB monograms and non pc (cigarette) advertising.

The roll call

W5 800, SW6 964, SW6 870, my SW5 812 & RTR SW5 812.

From under the wires, Glenn.