Garden Railway Forum

I couldn't find anywhere else to ask a question about trams.

Being very new to garden railways/tramways I am just starting to find my way around what is available and from where.

To get me started I have purchased a Bachmann tram primarily for its body, i have found someone who can supply suitable traction motors and been pointed in the direction of locoremote which looks to be a good system, so that's been a good start.
What I haven't been able to find is anyone who makes team underframe/chassis/truck parts, axle boxes, springs, truck sides etc., I don't suppose anyone could point me in the direction of someone who could assist with supplying these parts, or any others for a tramway modeller, thanks?

David

Hi David and welcome.

I'm afraid that I can't help with your tram bits and pieces myself, and I don't believe we have many tram modellers amongst the membership, but having said that, there is usually somebody who knows something on most subjects!

Hi and welcome to the forum.

It would be very useful to know what scale we are talking about here, not necessarily for me, but for someone that might be able to assist.

All the best and stay safe.

P. S. Do you have a picture of the tram you are looking at to know what the parts may look like?

K W Trams have parts for G Scale trams.
http://www.kwtrams.co.uk/product-category/g-scale

John

The accepted larger scale among enthusiast seems to be 1:16. However,in the more mainstream product areas you have OcCre who make a wonderful range of highly detailed wooden kits, with some metal parts in 1:24 scale https://catalog.occre.com/modelismo-de-tranvias.html. Not for the faint hearted and you will need to motorize them yourself (there are plenty of options there). LGB do RTR trams, like Bachmann, that are around 1:22.5/1:24 scale that are well detailed. Aristocraft did some that were 1:29. All 45 mm gauge. A lot of the detailing parts are available in the garden rail scales from various artisan suppliers and can be adapted if you are doing a full scratch build. There is a person on another forum, am I allowed to mention it, G Scale Central, who regularly posts his work there. Mostly post war German subjects.

I've got a BIG soft spot for trams and would love to see some on here. The OcCre ones are lovely.

I've idly thought about building a tram or two, probably on 45mm gauge and at 1:24 scale. I'm unlikely to get round to it because my WHR/FR build-list is a mile long, but I reckon the tram-specific underframe stuff (I don't know what it's all called!) and other details (possibly including overhead masts) would be ideal for CAD and 3D printing. I've wondered whether I could come up with a standard design for a 4 wheel car chassis (maybe on a Playmobil R/C motor block?) and then adapt body dimensions to fit...

Sorry Dafydd, my ramblings aren't of any practical help, but I hope you manage to sort something out - and would love to see how your tramway project progresses!

All the best,

Andrew.

Andrew wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 11:11 am I reckon the tram-specific underframe stuff (I don't know what it's all called!) and other details (possibly including overhead masts) would be ideal for CAD and 3D printing.

I have seen oddtrams stuff on Thingiverse when I've been just browsing, although never taken any real notice.

Can't remember who, but I seem to remember that one of our Aussie members has posted about a mate who has trams in the garden.

The Tramway & Light Railway Scty is worth a look.

https://www.tramwayinfo.com/Deftlrs.htm

Traditionally using 1/16 scale on 3½" gauge, there is now a section on 1/24 scale.

philipy wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 11:24 am
Can't remember who, but I seem to remember that one of our Aussie members has posted about a mate who has trams in the garden.

Ah yes - "Brisbane Sparks" - he contributed here recently, on "Tropic Thunder"'s thread. I really like his stuff, a lovely juxtaposition of urban street cars in a fairly jungle-y setting - there's quite a lot of it on Youtube.

Cheers,

Andrew.

Andrew wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 11:39 am Ah yes - "Brisbane Sparks" - he contributed here recently, on "Tropic Thunder"'s thread. I really like his stuff, a lovely juxtaposition of urban street cars in a fairly jungle-y setting - there's quite a lot of it on Youtube.

Alexander posts under the name 'Melbournesparks'. He's a member here, but most photos of his layout are on G Scale Central. The term Melbourne sparks is railway slang, although it actually refers to the Melb. suburban electric trains, rather than the tram system.

How did you come up with 'Brisbane Sparks'???? They aren't sophisticated enough up there to have trams, their politicians scrapped the tram system back in the '60s, like most Aust. cities.

Graeme

GTB wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 2:41 pm

Andrew wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 11:39 am Ah yes - "Brisbane Sparks" - he contributed here recently, on "Tropic Thunder"'s thread. I really like his stuff, a lovely juxtaposition of urban street cars in a fairly jungle-y setting - there's quite a lot of it on Youtube.

Alexander posts under the name 'Melbournesparks'. He's a member here, but most photos of his layout are on G Scale Central. The term Melbourne sparks is railway slang, although it actually refers to the Melb. suburban electric trains, rather than the tram system.

How did you come up with 'Brisbane Sparks'???? They aren't sophisticated enough up there to have trams, their politicians scrapped the tram system back in the '60s, like most Aust. cities.

Graeme

Oops! I knew it was an Australian city followed by "sparks"!!!

Alas, here in Bristol we're not sophisticated enough for trams either. Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and Edinburgh all got their back, we just got posh buses...

Sorry, I just learning what goes on in the garden railway world, 1:24 come G scale.
This has all started with the purchase of a bachman G scale tram, I suspect an occre tram could be next.

David

Both trams and buses have advantages and disadvantages. Before retirement I used the Birmingham Metro daily, a smooth and quick journey along the old GWR track-bed from Wednesbury..... except when it broke down, then nothing could move.
Buses were often packed and painfully slow, especially at peak times, but if one broke down, another could pass.
In the old Museum of Science and Industry, Birmingham, a preserved Birmingham tram was on display. City trams were narrow gauge... 3ft.6in.

A tram would look great winding through your little village Peter...

Just saying...

Naughty!!!!!

Dafydd, if you are a member of the 16mm Association and receive the magazine it could be your lucky day! In the Feb. 2021 Bulletin (out now!) there is a picture of an OcCre tram and separate photograph of the home-made power unit to go with it. This is made to work on the owner's 32mm track. I hope you find it useful.

I have just been offered, by Youtube, (they're watching us you know!), these videos of large scale, 45mm gauge, trams by Melbournesparks, as previously mentioned. There are indeed several to view and they are wonderful, if only to see the problems faced by having railways in the gardens of Australia. It wouldn't suit me at all, but I have nothing but admiration for this guy.....
Watch out for the 'dragon' in one of them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNNLac0ByMo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjunv3O926U

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions, I've had some computer fun plus the demands of work which I meant it's been a while since I was on here.

Scale up to now has been 1:22.5 on 45mm track, I do plan to build an MER car or two in 15mil scale and I quite fancy a couple of the occre models.

Since my original post I have decided to try out the locoremote system and battery power, something was lashed together for a wee test using a bachman tram, as they draw quite a bit of powerI have decide to change the whole underside and have 21E truck sides from KW Trams and an axle hung traction motor from Appletree which I hope to have working by Tuesday assuming I don’t have too many house chores. I have also found a company named Fosworks who also produce an axle hung traction motor so I’ll be getting one of theirs as well to test.

So far the bachman tram has been stripped down and a hole cut in the floor to allow batteries to be stored inside the bench seats.

Not a great deal of progress since my original post but I am getting their slowly.

David

David,

Not sure if you've come across this website yet - http://www.terryrusselltrams.co.uk. Terry sells various parts and kits in various scales. If you fancy scratch building something he has a wealth of scale drawings available to purchase.