MAKING THE MODEL TRAMS
THE HADFIELD PLASTIC KIT
The following description and illustrations of the construction of a Hadfield plastic kit of a Blackpool Balloon class tram should not be seen as a "blow by blow" account of how to construct the kit. Len uses two different methods of construction depending upon whether the finished model is being motorised for use on the layout or will be a static model for use on the display.
The illustration on the left shows the majority of parts in the Hadfield Balloon kit, missing are the windows and screws for securing the bogies. Most of the items are easily identified but the brown item at the top is the trolley pole, the white item to the left of the roof is the boards which fit on top of the roof to support the trolley pole. The small white squares with the diagonal mark are the two staircases.
Having removed any moulding pips or "flash" - a picture of "flash" will be found in the whitemetal section below - the first task is to join the one end to one side as seen here, repeat using the other side and end. Although Len uses Humbrol Loquid Poly, there are a number of suitable polystyrene adhesives either in liquid form or in the form of a gel known as Polystyrene Cement. Either type is equally suitable, so use the type that suits you best. Please allow several hours for the joins to dry as all plastic adhesives work by "dissolving" the two areas to be joined then "harden" as the adhesive evaporates thus "welding" the two pieces together. Trying to do too much too quickly could result in your model becoming distorted or the parts not welding together fully.
While waiting for the end/side sub assemblies to "dry" you can take the opportunity to produce other sub assemblies for use later in the construction process. One such sub assembly is the upper deck. If the model is to be motorised it will be desirable to have a removeable floor in order to strip down the mechanism and mountings should trouble arise. Should this apply to your model, you will need to fix the upper deck in position but before doing so it will be necessary to affix the stairs which act as spacers between the bottom deck/floor and the upper deck. If the model is not being motorised then the kit can be constructed as per the manufacturers instructions.
Once the two end/side sub assemblies have dried it is possible to construct the main "box" of the body by joining the two end/side sub assemblies together. Once again allow time for the adhesive to dry.
The next step is to secure the top deck/stair sub assembly in place with adhesive. As the deck is slightly narrower and shorter than the body Len secures one side of the top dec to the side of the body. Although this means that the top deck is slightly off centre this isn't noticeable once the roof is fitted. If the model isn't being motorised, the bottom of the stairs can be glued to the bottom deck and that is then fixed to the tram.
At this stage - for illustration purposes only - the roof is only "tacked" in position. This is achieved by gluing only a quarter of an inch - or less - of the roof to the top of the sides. All windows have been omitted at this stage as it makes painting much easier.
Having "finished" the top of the tram our attention now has to turn to the bottom. As this tram will be motorised, the floor is not fixed into the tram. It will rest between the moulded lugs at the bottom of the sides. For the purpose of illustration, the bogies have been made up as per the manufacturers instructions, the two axles fitting into the grooves in the bogie housing with the clip securing them in position. The holes in the lifeguards are used to fit them onto the spigots at each end of the floor unit.
The actual construction phase of the model is now complete and its ready for painting. Some people prefer to paint their model before construction but as the polystyrene cement, whether liquid or gel, is a solvent this can damage the paint during construction and patching the paintwork invisibly can be more difficult than the painting itself. Len paints the inside of the tram in a brown colour to represent the varnished wood of the prototype. Seats are painted green (different seat colours apply on some trams) and the floors grey with the inside of the roof and the bottom deck ceiling white. The roof moulding and upper deck is then stuffed with kitchen paper to absorb any stray paint and the roof "tacked" in position as described earlier. The bottom deck is also stuffed with kitchen paper for the same reason. The model is then sprayed with a white car primer spray and allowed to dry four a minimum of eight hours. This is because car primer "etches" itself into the plastic and so softens it slightly. Once the primer is dry the model is sprayed or brush painted as desired with the appropriate colours - allowing drying time between each coat and colour and decals are applied before varnishing. When all is dry, the roof is carefully removed by gently cutting through the "tacking" joints with a scalpel. The windows in the lower deck and driver's cab are then glued into position and allowed to dry. The roof isn't put back yet as the fumes from the solvent can cause the plastic windows to turn white if there isn't sufficient air flow through the model. When the windows have dried the upper deck window moulding is glued into place and allowed to dry before the roof is glued into position. You could, if you wished and were skilful enough, pit the windows in during construction and paint the model afterwards using a brush but be very careful about getting paint onto the windows as it cannot be removed without damaging the windows.
Here is a picture of the finished model.
Note printed destination blind.
A Tower Trams decal has been used for the crest above the destination board whilst home made decals have been used for the lining effects. Details of how to do this can be found on the questions page.
MODIFYING A PLASTIC KIT.
The next step up from constructing the plastic kit as per the manufacturers instructions is the whitemetal "conversion kit". These are produced by Tramalan and enable the modeller to use parts of a Hadfield (and other makes) plastic kit with the whitemetal parts of the conversion kit to make a passable likeness of a differnt type of tram.
The picture on the left illustrates the major parts of a Hadfields plastic "Vam Bac" kit. The wheels, plastic bogies and trolley tower aren't included as they won't be used on Blackpool in the box. The picture on the right shows a Hadfields plastic kit for a "Vam Bac" tram with the addition of a Tramalan white metal conversion kit.The windows have already been cut out from the sides and will be replaced with the printed acetate windows shown above the kit components.
This photo shows the progress so far with the conversion using the kits illustrated above. The whitemetal ends supplied in the conversion kit have been affixed to the sides of the Hadfield kit using evostik instead of polystyrene cement and plasticard window bars have been inserted in some of the window spaces to support the printed acetate windows which will replace those which have been cut out from the sides as originally supplied.
Although there is still much to do, for example the trolley tower and base have still to be made and fitted The Tramalan motor unit, still awaiting the fitting of the whitemetal sideframes, has already been fitted to the completed chassis. Details of these units and their construction will be found below.
As will be appreciated, construction of these models takes many hours with another long period for the painting. Len tends to wait until he has a number of models ready for painting before painting them all at the same time. To give some idea of the scope of using the whitemetal conversion kits here are some that have been made and which are at various stages of completion.
The tram on the left is a model of Bolton 66 which is still in service at Blackpool and which celebrated its centenary in 2001. The model is made from a Tower Models London E1 plastic kit -once again available from Tramalan, David Lambelle or direct from the proprietors Bec Kits - and a Tramalan whitemetal conversion kit. Assembly has been completed, although the roof won't be fixed until after painting is completed. White microfine filler has been applied to a number of joins, including the roof which has had to be shortened to fit. Filler is always applied so that it is "proud" of the surface and is then filed and sanded back to size and shape to match.
This is a model of "Enlarged Marton Box" no 31 which is in service at The Beamish Museum. The model is constructed from a Tramalan Whitemetal conversion kit and a Tower Trams SHMD plastic kit. The model has been filled then sanded down, sprayed with primer and has been rubbed down prior to another coat of primer which will be follwed by two coats of white/red/varnished wood where appropriate then have decals applied before final varnishing.
Moving onward from just substituting plastic kit parts for whitemetal parts, another option is to "carve" the plastic kit to either correct a manufacturing problem or to construct a different version of the same tram.
A good example is the Hadfields "Vam Bac" kit. 
For production reasons the roof lights are made in one piece whereas in real life they were larger and there was a dividing bar. By enlarging the roof lights using a needle file and adding this bar from microstrip it is possible to produce a more accurate model. The " Marton Vam Bacs" were conversions of the "Sun Saloons" introduced before the Second World War with folding canvas roofs, half height windows and doors without windows. Known as "cattle trucks" by the many R.A.F. peronnel who had to use them during the war, they were then fitted with full windows and metal roof panels. The addition of "VAMBAC" equipment in the bottom of the trolley tower altered their look once again. All these variations can be produced from the Hadfields kit. Motorisation is quite easy using the Tramalan motorising unit.
By using more extensive "carving" it is possible to reverse what happened to the prototype, in this instance to construct a "Sun Saloon" from a "Vam Bac". It is quite easy and straight forward to make the conversion using a Hadfield plastic kit. First of all it is necessary to enlarge the roof quarter lights by filing, illustrated by the first three roof lights from the left hand side compared to the rest. The half height windows are represented by cutting the existing window bars in half, leaving the bottom portion and the half height door is represented by removing the "windows" in the top half. Comparison between the upper - unaltered - and lower -altered - sides will show what has been done.
Having cut all the window bars as shown above, strips of 40thoux40 thou plasticard microstrip are now fixed onto the top of the window bars to form the top of the half height window frames.
Having enlarged all the roof lights strips of 20thoux25thou plasticard microstrip are fixed around the area to be occupied by the "canvas" roof to represent the frame in which the roof slid back or forward. The area of roof inside this frame is now removed by drilling a series of holes around the area then joining them up using a piercing saw before finally filing to the finished size.
The model is now assembled as per the makers instructions to reach the stage shown in this photo. Each of the two rectangular glazing pieces for the roof now have to be cut into three pieces, ie one piece for each of the roof lights with the centre part (which would normally be where the open roof is now) being discarded. The glazing strips for the side windows must also be cut to reduce the height and the centre portion removed as there is no glazing to the door. All these cuts are made with a razor saw although a junior hacksaw with a fine toothed blade could be used. As the trolley tower and its base are different than that for the Vam Bac it will be necessary to purchase a trolley tower or fabricate your own from brass wire or plastic micro rod and fabricate the base from sheet brass or plasticard. When the trolley tower and base have been fitted the model will be painted and decals applied before the window and roof light glazing is aplied. The folded back canvas roof will be represented by strips of single thickness "soft" toilet tissue cut to width and folded with a small strip of 20x20 microstrip at the front end glued in position and painted dark grey before the small bars in the roof lights, made from 20thou by 25thou micro strip, will be painted and fixed in position on the glazed roof lights.
Sometimes the amount of carving required can be quite small and yet produce a markedly different tram. Compare the top floor windows of the tram on the left (a Covered Balcony Standard) with the part completed model of the tram on the right (a Covered Top Motherwell). The other major points of difference are that the top deck of the Motherwell has been shortened as has the roof and provision has been made for an open staircase.
A method requiring more extensive carving plus the use of parts from other kits is the next method used to create a different type of tram. Commonly known as "kit-bashing" where the parts from several different plastic kits are used to produce a model tram which is different from any of the kits.
Examples of "Kitbashing" are the Blackpool "De-luxe" tram and Blackpool "Motherwell Open Top" shown here. There are no kits available for these types of tram but by combining the upper deck parts from a Hadfields "Open Balcony Standard" kit and the lower deck from a Tower Models SHMD kit together with a bit of "carving", plus the making of two gates in brass (as that shown is rather crude smaller section brass is being sought), models of the "De-luxe" tram, both four wheel and bogie types, can be made. The sawn off bottom parts of the Standard kit plus the top part of the SHMD kit can be joined together to produce a Motherwell Open Top. The other parts of the kits aren't necessarily wasted - and certainly not thrown away, they are put into the "spares" box for future use. There is obviously much work still to be done on these models
These three photos taken by Alan Kirkman show what Len has been up to during his time in bed. Alan kindly made a model of Blackpool no 718 from a Hadfield (Now Tram City) plastic kit and a Tramalan white metal conversion kit, assembling as per instructions, all detail was then filed off the plastic sides and the window bars of the lower deck were removed. Using a side on photograph of the tram, Len changed the size and shape of the tram side in the photo using a computer programme so that the photo fitted exactly onto the plastic sides and then printed the result onto photo quality paper. After the prints had been cut out Alan then glued them onto the sides of the tram. All that now remains is to cut out the white windows, glaze them and find a paint to match the colours of the advertising livery.
The process for applying the City Sightseers livery to 718 has now been upgraded with the livery being printed onto overhead projection film which means that the windows are now transparent and there's no need to cut them out. The OHP film is stuck to the plastic sides using double sided white carpet tape. The remainder of the tram has been painted using Humbrol enamel. This photograph, courtesy of Alan Kirkman, shows the finished model. The good news is that before too long the printed livery will be made available to all.
The other project that Len has been working on has been the creation of new overall liveries for Corgi trams, although the process could also be used for kit and scratch built trams.
The tram as made (photo left) Then, using "Oily Nail Varnish Remover" the tampo printng is removed from the sides and, as the overhead will be used to power the lights in the tram, the Corgi pantograph has been removed and will be replaced with a working one.
Having scanned a side on photograph of the livery into the computer I used a photo manipulation programme to remove all unnecessary details and reduce/increase the size to fit the model. The result was then printed onto decal film and applied to the tram in the usual manner for waterslide transfers.
Here's some more reliveried Corgi trams. First of all this livery was carried for only a few weeks, being removed immediately after England's exit from the World Cup in Germany.
This livery appeared early in the 2006 season to publicise the opening of the Asda supermarket in Fleetwood. Each side has a different livery. Unfortunately, some of the contravision panels on one side of the upper deck didn't photograph well so no decals could be made so the model isn't 100% accurate but don't tell anyone!
A livery from the past this time. Len, as a former professional photographer, used Kodak paper and chemicals for printing his photographs and has always thought that this livery was very imaginative but it has been impossible to obtain a side on photograph of the tram. Consequently, the livery has had to be compiled pixel by pixel in a photo manipulation programme. A very time consuming process, starting by scanning in a Corgi Brush car, and then, after "cutting" the livery, "painting" the new Kodak livery onto it and then repeating the process for the other side. Once this had been done, the printing required for the decals was copied onto a composite sheet for printing on an ALPS printer which can print the metallic silver colour as well as ordinary colours. The printing was removed from a Corgi "Fleetwood Market" liveried Brush car using acetone free nail polish remover (other types, except the Paton's "Oily Nail Polish Remover, can cause "misted up" windows as they attck the plastic)leaving an all over yellow finish, the decals were then applied and varnished.The same process will have to be used for a number of the earlier liveries Len wishes to represent in his collection. The prototype Kodak tram actually had a four leaf door each side instead of the two leaf doors on the Corgi model so this tram is also incorrect. Some day, the correct doors will be fitted and the doors repainted.
MODIFYING A CORGI MODEL
Although quite good models, there are some aspects of the various Corgi Blackpool "Balloon" and "Railcoach" models which are not quite right. The most obvious is the "window" which is cut into the side of the "Baloon" beside the lower entrance where there would normally be a sold panel. Corgi have attempted to correct the mistake in two ways, first of all by printing onto the "window glass" and latterly by infilling although this cannot fully disguise the "window". As the use of filler would damage the model and thus the need for a repaint most modellers have decided to leave well alone. However, in respect of the railcoach there is a particular problem with the model in the "current livery" with fleet number 631. The livery depicted on the Corgi model doesn't have roof windows and the trolley tower has solid sides. There should also be a spinning ventilator on the centre of the cab roof. Correction is quite easy and doesn't involve a complete repaint. As can be seen in the photo, the roof light glazing has been removed and the gap filled with "Milliput" white superfine filler, although there are other suitable fillers available. To do this a piece of card was held tightly underneath the roof light whilst the Milliput was applied and then left in position whilst it dried. After allowing at least 24 hours for the filler to dry it is then sanded down to the same level as the rest of the roof. If this is done carefully there won't be too much damage to the paintwork as can be seen in the photo. Four pieces of 10 thou thick plasticard are then cut to size (20 thou could be used if no 10 thou available) and glued to the four sides of the trolley tower. The next task will be to glue the whitemetal ventilators - available from Mark Hughes, address on the contacts page, - into position on the cab roof. The whole roof and trolley tower will then be painted. The Corgi panotograph has been removed and will be replaced with a working one (available from Bec Kits, Derek Lambelle or Tramalan) although you may not wish to carry out this part of the conversion. When the working overhead on the layout is completed, lights will be fitted to the tram and the headlights and tail lights will be drilled out and fibre optic strands inserted so that the tram will have working interior and road lights.
WHITEMETAL KITS
Leaving the world of plastic kits the whitemetal kit offers relatively simple methods of assembly. Many morellers fear that they cannot assemble whitemetal kits fearing that they are much more difficult than plastic kits. This isn't necessarily so, although some kits badly designed kits can require some extra skills.
Whitemetal kits can be assembled using either glue - two part epoxy is preferred, "superglues" aren't suitable - or low melt solder. Low melt solder is a special solder which melts at 70 degrees Centigrade which is much lower than the melting point of ordinary solders and of the whitemetal itself. Although it is best to use a special temperature controlled soldering iron, the use of a voltage control device can lower the temperature of an ordinary soldering iron. To those who are unsure whether they have the skill to assemble a whitemetal kit Len would say that if you can assemble a plastic kit you can usually assemble a whitemetal kit. If worried that after soldering or gluing parts together a mistake is found, or the assembled model doesn't look right, dont panic! If the model has been glued using an epoxy adhesive, a bath in liquid Nitromors (a paint remover) for several hours will destroy the glue and you will once again be back at square one with a whitemetal kit ready to start again. If you have soldered using low melt solder, then a minute or two in boiling water will melt the solder and once again you will be left with a kit of parts. One word of warning - the whitemetal bits will be VERY HOT when removed from the boiling water so use tweezers or a fork to remove them. They will need cleaning up with a file to remove the solder but will be perfectly reusable. Hopefully that will remove the fear for those who haven't tried this method of making models.
The photograph shows most of the components of a whitemetal kit - The Blackpool "Coronation" class tram especially commissioned by Len, now unfortunately sold out. Only one seat has been shown instead of the 28 supplied with the kit and only one each of some other components have been shown although the kit contains more. It will be noted that some of the windows are "partially blocked". These obstructions are generally removed by the kit manufacturer before packing but have been left insitu to demonstrate what is meant by the terms "flash" and "jailbars" which can sometimes be heard mentioned.
It is recommended that the manufacturers instructions are followed otherwise it may prove difficult, if not impossible, to fit some pieces although as mentioned above, use of Nitromors or boiling water can be used to correct mistakes but many hours of work could be wasted. To assemble the Coronation a start is made by joining the two side pieces to the centre door piece.
Having constructed the two sides of the tram the end partitions (between the driver's cab and the passenger saloon are fitted. It can be seen that these partitions appear thicker than the centre partitions which form the entrance vestiblue. The reason for this is that they have a "ridge" around them to locate the roof and the front of the tram in the correct position using rebates in the roof. Having fitted the partitions it is now possible to fit the roof. Because it isn't possible to guarantee the size of a whitemetal casting to the exact thousandth of an inch, ther may be a slight gap where the two sections of roof join. This won't matter as much of the join will be covered later by the casting which represents the control housing under the trolley tower and any portion shich shows can be corrected with fillers before painting.
Fixing the ends in place is quite easy in this instance as the partition locates the front in position fore and aft so to speak whilst the side trim mouldings give a visual indication regarding the correct height, the dome can now be fitted to the top of the cab. In this photograph one end and dome have been fitted and the roof mounted control box has been placed in position (out of sequence) to show how it will fit, fillers being necessary at the roof/box join.
Assembly has been finished and a start
made on the painting. The Coronation class had silver metal trimmings around the cab which will be represented by scratching off the paint to let the whitemetal show through and silver coloured bumpers which will be reproduced using "chrome plate" decals which will be home made using decal paper, photo copier and heat transfer silver as used by printers. A fully working (mechanically and electrically) brass trolley pole plus crests and destination blinds will be added before the model is varnished and put into service.
Manufacturers of whitemetal kits frequently include the necessary parts to make the different versions of the model although, if the variation requires too much modification it may be necessary to make a separate kit. The kit for the Coronation could be utilised for all variations of the prototype which, in the main, consisted of variations in the bodywork trims and livery although the roof mounted advertising boxes and boards carried by the trams at one stage aren't included although easy enough to make from plasticard.
RESIN KITS
During the past year or so resin kits have appeared on the modelling scene. There are several types of resin available although they are all more brittle than plastic or metal. Resin casting offers the opportunity to produce one piece body castings to reproduce the modern type of tram with flush glazed windows. Len introduced the first one piece resin body tram kits which featured the Blackpool Centenary class tram. Offered in two forms, one kit featuring the prototype design and one kit featuring the production version the limited numbers once again sold out very quickly.
This photo shows an almost completely assembled kit of the prototype Centenary class tram No.141. As can be seen, the windows - although not very visible in the photo - are indeed flush with the body and, being in clear resin allow the detail inside the tram to be clearly seen. The floor, drivers compartment, entrance steps, seats and bogies are whitemetal castings and the tram can be easily motorised using a Tenshodo or similar motor bogie. Once seats have been added and the tram painted inside and out a creditable model will have been achieved quite easily, although a good few hours will have been spent in the making. Photographs of centenary class trams made from these kits by Alan Kirkman and others and painted in full all-over advertising livery as well as fleet livery will be found on the Gallery page.
ETCHED BRASS KITS
Although titled as etched brass kits it should be mentioned that other metals such as nickel silver and zinc have also featured in etched kits, although not so far in model tramways - unless you know differently. There can be no doubt that a kit produced from etched metal does need a degree of skill, although, as long as the modeller can solder, patience, care and determination will usually see the modeller through. What is an etched kit? Essentially, it is a step away from scratchbuilding where all the parts have been marked out and cut to size for the modeller. Basically it is a sheet of thin metal in which the spaces between the various items have been etched away by chemicals leaving just small tabs attaching the components to the main sheet.
Raised detail can also be etched onto the components although this is usually limited to 1/2 depth only. Additional thickness and/or detail can form another component which is glued or soldered onto another component. The main advantage of the etched brass kit is that it allows for very fine detail to be reproduced. Whitemetal and plastic are restricted by their viscosity in casting so that the minimum size of any component is at least 1mm square whereas etched brass detail can be as small as required. 
Just look at how the "spindly" look of the prototype trolley tower has been reproduced on the model. The principal drawbrack of the etched kit is the need for the modeller to fold, bend or curve the brass to shape. This may not be too difficult, for example, using a steel rod as a "rolling pin" and the "sponge" side of a mousemat for support it is quite easy to make a smooth curve in the brass. The kit for the pantograph car consists of a number of this sort of etched sheet and, as it is a complete kit, some components of the kit are of whitemetal plus the motor, gears and wheels although these aren't illustrated in the photo. Len is only part of the way through the construction of his first etched brass kit, that for a "Pantograph Car" produced by David Voice. Len has more of these kits in stock which have to be made up and the next one will be photographed and featured on this page so that the method of construction can be seen, just for now though,the join between the roof and the side at the entrance door has still to be soldered in position, whilst there is still a lot of detail to be assembled. The whitemetal roof has been temporarily fixed in position using glue although the parts over the cabs will be removed to allow the interior of the entrances/drivering cabs to be painted, the passenger saloon will be painted from underneath as the floor will be removeable to allow access to the motor for servicing.
ALMOST SCRATCHBUILDING
There are some Blackpool trams for which no kits have been made to assist the modeller. In many cases the only option is to scratchbuild, that is take a sheet of plasticard, brass or similar and armed with plans mark out the components on the sheet, cut them out from the sheet and then assemble them. This takes considerable knowledge and skill and is not an option open to many modellers. All is not lost however as it may be possible to "almost" scrtachbuild a model of a particular prototype. In this instance, there are no kits for a "Marton Box" tram as originally built and, as far as Len knows no plans either so its a case of working from photographs only and trying to calculate sizes from the photographs using as little as one known dimension. A good number of photographs are needed to show the tram from as many different angles as possible and even then its quite possible to get things wrong. Starting with the Tramalan conversion kit for the "Enlarged Marton Box" it is possible to use that as a basis for constructing an original version. First of all the "extensions" at each end are sawn off the whitemetal castings then the ends of the saloon are fixed into place to make a the "box". A lower deck floor/chassis is made from printed circuit board cut and filed to size. The whitemetal sides are then "offered up" to the chassis and the location of the motor plotted and marked before the hole for the motor is cut in the PCB. The whitemetal sides are then soldered to the PCB. A similar sized piece of PCB is now cut and filed to size for the upper floor and some copper strip (brass or nickel silver could have been used but I only had copper) of the correct size is then soldered to the PCB followed by upright stanchions and safety/handrails from wire are soldered to the copper before being left long enough to be fitted to the staircase. Whitemetal staircases of the correct type were purchased as separate components and glued into place on the PCB. They are slightly too short so an additional stair will be made and fitted before the handrails are fixed. Work still has to be done to make the semi enclosed vestibule which will be constructed from strip and sheet brass. Further photographs will appear on this page as progress is made.
SCRATCHBUILDING
Unfortunately Len doesn't have the skills necessary to scratchbuild. The building from raw materials of a model tram requires a number of different skills. From an accurate scale drawing measurements are taken and the shapes drawn onto a sheet material, usually brass or plasticard and then cut out. Some modellers photocopy the plan and then glue the photocopy to the sheet material before cutting out the shapes, this may require two or more photocopies to be produced. This method can lead to problems as every photocopy may not be exactly the same size - even a quarter of a millimetre plus or minus on each dimension can make a considerable difference. Whatever method is used these shapes are then cut out and joined together to make the tram. I suppose it is best described as making your own kit and then assembling it.
MOTORISING THE MODEL
There are a number of ways of motorising model trams and which method to use depends very much upon what type of tram you are motorising, ie 4 wheel or bogie types (more properly 4 wheel truck or twin trucked). For most bogie types with a 4foot or 4foot 6inch wheelbase Len uses the Tramalan underfloor motorising unit as it allows full interior detail to be fitted in the tram. These are available in several types for equal wheel and maximum traction bogies.The Tramalan Motorising Unit when assembled, consists of the motor which is held in place by two retaining clips together with two bogies on each of which the outer axle is powered and joined to the motor by two rubber tubing drive shafts. This view of the unit is taken from underneath before the bogie sideframes have been fitted to the projections visible between the wheels and before the unit has been fitted to the tram. These are good reliable units which, if the instructions are followed and care is taken during their construction, provide reliable trouble free. They have been used on Blackpool in the box almost from the beginning so some have now been in service for more than 10 years and apart from lubrication and the renewal of some of the rubber tubing they have given trouble free service.
In the photo on the left three Tramalan bogies are shown in various stages of construction. The bogie on the left is the casting as it arrives. It may be necessary to sand or file off the "parting line" - the wavy line on the side of the bogie - as well as slightly opening out the slots and reducing the width of the bogie with files so that the axles and wheels revolve very freely. In mechanisms of this size friction is a major enemy. However, don't file off too much metal or the axles will have too much "play" which will probably lead to derailments when running. To ensure that the bogie is as free running as possible Len tests it by raising one end of a 12 inch long piece of track by 1/4inch to produce a slope and then places the wheeled bogie on it. If the bogie runs away without being touched in any way or the track "jiggled" to make it start then the keeper plates are soldered into position and the test repeated. If all is still in order, the shaft with the worm attached has the bearings supplied in the kit attached and is adjusted until it is transmitting the drive smoothly and the bearings are then fixed into position using low melt solder and then checked again. At this stage the bogie is tested using the test rig shown on the right. One end of a 3 foot long length of rubber tubing similar to that supplied in the kit is connected to a motor held in a vice secured to the bench and the other end is secured to the bogie. The bogie is then moved away from the motor in as straight a line as possible and power is applied to the motor. If all is well the powered wheels on the bogie will turn without problem but if there is any tightness in the bogie then the rubber tube will kink and the wheels will not turn. Having checked that the wheels are running well in one direction, the controller is reversed and the running checked in the opposite direction. Only when the bogie runs satisfactorily at no more than 25% power will it be acceptable for service and the top cap applied. There are two methods of attaching the bogie to the chassis/floor, the press studs supplied with the kit or soldering a nut to the top of the bogie instead of the press stud and securing the bogie by a screw through the floor into the nut.
David Voice supplies an underfloor mechanism, which uses etched brass bogies instead of cast whitemetal bogies, which also has to be assembled by the modeller. These units are also used on Blackpool in the box trams and also give good service with reliable running. When used with a Hadfield plastic kit, and some other types, the plastic chassis/floor supplied in the kit can be used and the floor fitted into the body. As long as the floor/chassis isn't glued into the body the unit can be removed for servicing if required.
Bec Kits make and supply a ready to run motor bogie, two being required per tram, and is the preferred mechanism of a number of modellers. It is higher than the Tramalan unit (as can be seen in the photo where the longer wheelbase Bec unit is on the left) so protrudes into the body of the tram by a small amount. This Bec unit is destined to be the power source for a model of a Blackpool conduit car which Len will shortly be constructing.
As mentioned above, not all trams have two bogies and the four wheel trucks have differing wheelbases. Len has found the BEC ready to run mechanisms both reasonably priced and trouble free in service. The photo on the left shows the motor unit fitted to the "Original Marton Box" which is under construction whilst the photo on the right shows a longer wheelbase unit fitted to a model of Edinburgh 55 which ran in Blackpool in 1985. In both these units the motor intrudes into the interior of the tram and prevents detailing being carried out but is usually below window level so not too obtrusive and easily disguised by a piece of black plasticard. David Voice can supply a four wheel mechanism in etched brass for construction by the modeller whilst ABS have a range of motorising units available.
The Tenshodo or "Spud" (which stands for Self Propelled Underfloor Drive is very easily fitted using one screw through the floor of the tram into a brass bush at the top of the unit. This view from underneath shows the compact nature of the unit whilst provision is made for the fitting of appropriate sideframes as can also be seen. The cross headed screw to the right secures the floor/chassis of the tram to the body.Motor bogies are also available from Bec Kits and other manufacturers such as ABS although these may cause the motor to be visible in the saloon and prevent interior detailing. The Tenshodo "spud" is available in wheelbases from 24.5mm (A scale 6foot) so isn't suitable for the shorter wheelbase trams. Similar "long" wheelbase underfloor motor bogies are available from Wrightlines and Branchlines although these may require some adaptation to enable correct rail to body distance.
Because it is very difficult for most modellers to paint the overall advertising liveries which are such a colourful feature of the Blackpool tram scene, the easiest way to have trams in these liveries running to motorise a Corgi tram. This requires that the tram be stripped down to its individual castings by removing the screws at each end holding the lifeguards and then removing the rivets in the centre of each "bogie" by drilling them out. After removing the floor and the interior plastic units, the metal rods protruding downward from the roof have to be broken off. At this stage you must decide whether to keep the "bogie sideframes" which are cast onto the bottom of the Corgi model or remove them and use replacement white metal ones. A new floor will have to be made from plasticard or printed circuit board. In common with many other modellers I have chosen to use the ready to run Bachmann units although other motor units such as those available from Tramalan, Bec Models or David Voice would be equally suitable although the task may take longer. ABS can supply a motorising kit for the Corgi Blackpool trams.This requires very careful assembly by the modeller if good running is to be obtained. Reassembly is simply a matter of replacing the upper deck plastic window and seating unit and glueing the roof casting to the lower deck casting. The lower deck plastic window unit is replaced and the Bachmann unit or your replacement floor/motor unit can then be affixed. Detailed, photo illustrated instructions on motorising Corgi Blackpool trams can be found on the "Motorising" page.
PAINTING THE MODEL
Having built your tram, filled any gaps, cracks etc., and sanded it all down nice and smooth, how are you going to finish it? Just as there are many ways of building a tram, there are many ways of painting and finishing it - and it may take a combination of methods to achieve your aim. No matter which method, or combination of methods you will use, you will never achieve a good finish on a model unless the preparation is thorough. Starting at the beginning then, having finished the building and having filed and sanded down any fillers used, it is necessary to give the model a good wash in warm (not hot) soapy water to remove any remaining traces of flux if soldering, dust and dirt or even just the grease from our fingers. Now give the model at least two thorough rinses in clear warm water and then leave to dry in a warm dust free atmosphere - a heated seed propagator from a garden centre is ideal and well worth the £10 to £15 expense.The gentle heat of the propagator is also useful when paint is drying.
Although not obligatory, Len always sprays the first coat of paint onto the model. This is a coat of white primer (red and grey primers are also available) although on a whitemetal model he may well use a thick filler/primer spray. These are not special paints, just the ordinary do-it-yourself aerosols available from garages, Halfords and car accessory shops. In order to protect the surrounding area from overspray Len always sprays into a spray booth - otherwise known as an old cardboard box - and ALWAYS wears a facemask to protect his lungs from particles of paint as well as the fumes and works in a well ventilated area. These precautions may seem elaborate but they are sensible precautions to protect one's health and surroundings.
Following the instructions on the can regarding shaking the can to mix the paint, distance to spray from etc., start to spray to one side of the model then move the jet of paint across the model from one side to the other and don't stop spraying until the jet has passed the end of the model. Repeat as necessary until one side of the model has just been covered then turn model taking care not to touch the wet paint (a screwdriver through a window usually works) and repeat the operation until the whole model has been covered. Try not to spray any area more than once or you may trigger a paint run which will be difficult to remove and its very simple to spray another thin coat after the first coat has dried. Any marks which show on the model now will still show when painting is competed so if anything isn't "just rght" then correct it now by sanding down with a very fine wet and dry paper used wet, very minor blemishes could possibly be removed by use of "T Cut" or "Brasso" applied with cotton buds and washed off afterwards. If the model hasn't been properly covered with paint don't worry - you can always give it another coat.
The photo on the right shows a model after the first two coats of primer have been applied and it is possible to see that the roof is still a different shade to the sides. This is due to the fact that the roof was green and the sides white and the coats of paint have been applied so thinly that they are allowing the green to affect the finish. As will be seen from the photo on the left, by the time another coat of primer and two coats of the finish colour have been applied the colour is even all over the model. Note also that although no less than five coats of paint have been applied the moulding detail still shows through. This model is now ready for the applicaion of the livery decals.The finish colour was also a car spraying aerosol. Although there isn't a correct match for the Blackpool fleet livery colours of green and ivory, Ford Modena Green and Ford Ivory in the Halford's range are quite good matches.
Home made decals have now been applied to the model and it was believed to be ready for the internal details to be fitted. Sharp eyes will, however, notice that the small print decal below the word "PROCESSING" has slipped to an angle at some stage and the application of decal fixative means that it cannot be removed without damage to the paintwork and the printing of a whole new sheet of decals. An expensive exercise but one which has be undertaken. As always seems to happen, the mistake wasn't noticed until after the photograph was taken. The difference in colour of the model compared to the photograph above is due to the different lighting conditions. Len has been printing his own decals for some while but has found that the latest batch of decal film doesn't seem to be working as well as previous batches. The ink from the inkjet printer isn't drying very quickly so that the ink is continuing to spread over the decal film making the printing very blurred and unreadable. Decal film isn't guaranteed to be compatable with all printers so check first before ordering large batches.
In another page of this website you will find details of how to motorise commercial diecast models. You may also wish to change the livery on your commercial model. This is how Len does it, although the process could also be used for kit and scratch built trams.
This is the tram as made.(photo below) Then, using "Oily Nail Varnish Remover" the tampo printng was removed from the sides. As the overhead will be used to power the lights in the tram, the Corgi pantograph will be removed and will be replaced with a working one. Two side pieces will be constructed from a thin material and affixed to the trolley tower to support part of the transfers
This is what the tram looks like after the tampo printing has been removed. It is wise to check whether the nail polish remover you will be using will affect the plastic in the windows (some will make the windows "cloudy" and opaque) or whether it will affect the paint as some are quite "aggressive". It only remains to affix the side pieces before this stage of the process is complete.
Having scanned a side on photograph of the livery into the computer I used a photo manipulation programme to remove all unnecessary details and reduce/increase the size to fit the model. The result was then printed onto decal film as shown on the extreme left with the new trolley tower side pieces. After fixing the new side peieces to the trolley tower the decals were applied to the tram in the usual manner for waterslide transfers.
Many modellers prefer to paint their models using brushes and the Humbrol range of enamel paints. Emerald Green (No2) and Ivory (No41) are the closest matches for Blackpool's green and ivory now that the specialist matching colours are no longer available. Sometimes, to avoid the time taken to mask a model for spraying, it is more advantageous to spray the primer coat and brush paint the finish colours. Please note: Although it is possible to brush paint enamel colours on top of cellulose and other car spray paints it isn't possible to spray cellulose on top of enamel. The paint wrinkles and cracks and the whiole job has to be redone from square one. There are now, fortunately, some paint strippers which will strip paint off plastic models without harming the plastic. These are available from Peco and their stockists and from Pheonix Precision Paints.
Choice of paintbrush is often the cause of poor paint finishes on models so a few words on paintbrushes may not come amiss. ALWAYS use a good paintbrush, the best (although obviusly the most expensive) are real sable brushes. These hold paint well and the soft bristles don't leave brushmarks like the 10p brush from the local newsagents with its very stiff bristles will. Don't use too large a paintbrush, the larger the brush generally speaking, the more paint it applies. The photo on the left shows the six brushes most used by Len. These are sizes 0, 1 and 2. When painting up to a paint join - where two different colours meet - Len uses long bristled "signwriters" brushes. As can be seen in the photo on the right, the much longer bristles can be laid out along the model and by drawing the brush along the join line a much straighter and more accurate line can be painted as the bristles absorb the inevitable "wobble" from the painter's hand. Paint is applied as thinly as possible but do not fall into the mistake of putting on a great deal of paint in one spot and then trying to "spread it out" thinly over the whole model, this is a recipe for pressing very hard on the brush and "scrubbing" the paint on which will inevitably lead to an uneven finish, brushmarks and occasionally the "wavy line" effect of a paint run. Just as when spraying, paint applied thinly with very little pressure on the brush may require several coats of paint to achieve the required finish while trying to cover in one coat can lead to a very poor finish. When painting is finshed the brushes are gently rinsed out in the appropriate cleaner (white spirit or the special thinners supplied by the paint manufacturer) until all traces of the paint disappear. The brush is then gently washed in warm water and a mild soap (not washing up liquid or detergent please) such as used to wash yourself this being followed by several rinses in cold clean water. The brush is then left to dry naturally. Paint brushes should always be washed after evry session and not left standing in the white spirit ot thinners as this will damage the bristles and may cause them to become "bent". Brushes should always be stored upright with the bristles uppermost. Properly looked after, good paint brushes will last for many years, - the pink handled No0 Sable brush in the centre of the left hand photo is over 12 years old.The above methods are by far the cheapest, and simplest, methods of painting your models, indeed brush painting has certainly stood the test of time. There are other methods available to the modelmaker, although they do involve a little expenditure.
The first is the well known airbrush: the model illustrated is a Paasche and costs over £150 but there are airbrushes in the Badger range from approx.£10 to over £200. Whether you use the cheapest or dearest airbrush you will need a source of "air". The cheapest method is to buy a cannister of propellant. These range in price depending upon size or cannister and the dealer from whom purchased. If doing a lot of spray painting the purchase of a small compressor could be of financial advantage. Costing from approx £100 they do away with the need to purchase canisters of propellant.
The second device is the "Superspray" which is sold by Pheonix Precision Paints Ltd.,P.O.Box 359, Cheltenham, GL52 3YN. This is a rechargeable aerosol bottle into which is put a measured amount of enamel and a measured amount of lighter fuel gas (butane), the lighter gas acting as both a thinner and propellant. After use the superspray is emptied and cleaned ready for reuse. The system has the advantage that the lighter gas used as a propellant is cheaper than the canisters of propellant used in anairbrush but, requiring precise measurement of paint and gas, isn't quite as versatile for spraying very small amounts as the airbrush. Other propellants are available for use with synthetic paints, etch primers etc.
While the matter will be described in more detail, with photographs, at a later date it is perhaps worth mentioning the processes which come after painting is complete. These processes are the lining out and the application of decals of various sorts before varnishing the model. If you are an artist or draughtsman, drawing lines on the model may not be too difficult but if, like Len, you can't draw a stright line to save your life then you may have to revert to "devious means".
Whilst the artist or draughtsman will use a bowpen, there are various ranges of draughtsmans pens such as Rotring available. These look like fountain pens but have a metal tube of a defined size, eg 0.25mm, in lieu of a nib. These "nibs" are available in a number of differing sizes from as little as .12mm up to 0.75mm and sometimes over 1mm. Used like a fountain pen with a ruler they provide an accurate means of drawing lines of a specific size. The drawback is that the inks available rarely match the paint colours used in the model livery. The R.L.Moore Lining Pen and the draughtsmans bow pen will be able to use Humbrol and similar enamels straight from the tin. The various instruments in the photo on the left are, reading from left to right, Mecanorma mg1pen, Rotring Rollerpoint pen, Rotring 2000 Isograph pen, R.L.Moore Lining pen, draughtsmans bow pen, draughtsmans bow pen on compass. The R.L.Moore Lining Pen has a small range of different size "nibs" available and the drughtsmans pens are adjustable for size.
As mentioned above however, sometimes one has to revert to "devious" means. One of these is "The Striper" available under different names from a number of suppliers. Technically it is known as a pounce wheel and is designed to perforate thin paper then chalk is blown through the perforations to mark out a line or shape on cloth or similar material. However, by substituting a bottle for the handle and filling it with paint which will then run onto the wheel it is possible to use th tool to paint lines on a model by running the wheel along a raised moulding. If no raised moulding is available as a guide then other means are available.For example, a template can be cut from card (an old cornflakes or similar could be used) and the guide on the striper used to follow the template accurately. Alternatively, again using a template it would be possible to paint the shape onto decal film and then apply to the model as a decal in the usual manner.
If you will need a sufficient number of a shape, for example the various flashes and flares on Blackpool trams, it may be beneficial to construct - or have constructed if you don't have sufficient skill - a series of templates made from thin brass sheet. The templates in the photo on the left are some of the set that Len uses to produce the liveries on some of his model Blackpool trams. Depending upon your dexterity, you can either cut the shapes from decal film using the template and then spray the shapes or you can spray a whole sheet of decal film and after the paint has dried the shape can be cut out using the template. Always use a new blade for each shape as decal film will "ruck up" and be torn if a "blunt" blade is used. The decals you have made are then applied to the model just the same as commercial decals. It is also possible to make your own decals using a computer and inkjet printer but this is a very expensive process even when the decal film is purchased direct from Micro Mark in the USA at virtually half the UK price.
This page is still incomplete. More details of the construction, painting and finishing complete with photographs will appear as work on the various trams mentioned above proceeds. Apologies if this spoils your enjoyment of the page. Please revisit soon or e-mail Len at the address on the "contacts" page if you would like any further details or help in the meantime.
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