THE DIORAMA
Housed in an old television set (hence the "in the box" - get it?) the model trams run on double track in front of scenic backscenes featuring buildings on Blackpool's promenade. On each building lights flash in prototypical patterns and sequences, although not every sequence on every building can be simulated.
The time exposure required to take the photograph on the left causes the "illuminations" to produce a blurred effect, my apologies. The photograph below was taken at a display, the photographer used flash which has caused a reflection on the television screen part of the image.
The diorama is usually accompanied at model railway, model tramway, model transport and model exhibitions by a display of 4mm scale model trams depicting trams which have, and still do, run in Blackpool, including other company's trams which ran into Blackpool or have visited on special celebrations. This display is continually growing as new models are made.
The success of the diorama and display has been such that they will have appeared at more than fifty exhibitions since 1991.
A major disaster overtook the layout whilst leaving a show in Middlesex when the layout was dropped and suferred what was at first thought to be irrepairable damage. With no television sets with wooden cabinets available for "butchery", it was eventually decided to build "wings" on each side to support the damaged cabinet. This was then done and after appearing at two shows in a partly rebuilt state a full return was made in early 1996.
It is a proud fact that, by both luck and good fortune, Blackpool in the box has never failed to honour an exhibition booking.
Time has now caught up with the weakened structure leaving the diorama in a quite fragile condition and on several occassions it has been decided to stop exhibiting. However the requests from exhibition managers have persuaded Len to carry on. The time has now arrived when retirement can no longer be postponed so the diorama will now definitely make its final appearance at the Truro Model Railway Exhibition in March 2000.
The response to the diorama from exhibition visitors and exhibition managers has been such that Len is now building a new, full size (16 foot long by 2 foot wide) layout coupled with an expanded and better presented display of model trams. The new layout will be seen for the first time in public at the Plymouth Model Railway Exhibition in August 2000. There are already bookings for the new layout to attend exhibitions in 2001. Details of these exhibitions will be given in the Displays page of this site in due course so do please visit regularly.
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