Tramcars by Ashley Best in Model Engineer magazine

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

There is a 4-weekly series about tramcars written by Ashley Best that will continue in Model Engineer issue 4354 and will continue for 2 or 3 issues in even numbered issues.

Edited By Kelvin Barber on 31/08/2010 13:19:19

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

[Axel BentellParticipant @axelbentell]

must say I liked the last article in ME about trams, altho I have no interest in trams at all! It was well written and thorough.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

I agree with Axel, I can remember when I was 4yrs old sitting on our front door step watching the trams in Dunedin ( NZ ), and relaying the tracks, the council had a steam roller on site. Ian S C

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

I too, am enjoying the tram articles in ME even though they`re not my primary interest.

I emember when I must have been very young, having a ride on the trams on The Crumbles @ Eastbourne, a large flat beach – pebble area now built on and called Sovereign Harbour. I think the trams moved down to Seaton, (Dorset?)  I also remember more recent trips on Blackpool`s trams. Can vaguely remember rides on Brighton`s Trolleybuses. I think trolleys were the best of both worlds in having clean traction lacked by dirty diesel buses and the manouverability lacked by trams. Oh BTW, if you wonder how long ago all above was, I have got my bus pass!

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi there

Seaton is in Devon.

regards David

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

It’s nice to see variety (non-choo choo) in the pages, although the Q1 is so darn ugly I could almost buld one…

 

Using ‘Devon’ as a tenuous link, I’d like to see an article (by someone who knows) on the Lynton/Lynmouth railway – the inclined one powered by water. I saw it briefly last week, and properly when I were lad.

 

Would it count as ‘Edwardian Elegance’?

 

Neil

[JC Uknz 1Participant @jcuknz1]

I was brought up in Eltham SE9, a suburb of London. Living at 104 Eltham Hill, family sold the house after WWII though I quickly visited the place on a holiday in 2010. Anyway there were double decker trams running up and down the hill and the first 'self motivated' photo I took was of a tram racing down the hill with the family box Brownie. Later we visited Blackpool and traveled on those single deckers. Arriving in NZ in 1953 I regularly used thesingle deck trams to get around the city as a photographer. Though sadly I never thought to take a photo of them. There were also trolley buses infamous for their jackrabbit starts as drivers crashed through the thottle levels or something. They lasted longer than the trams but unfortunately, as around the world, the petroleum lobby fooled the public and both were gone and only now is there talk of light rail which I have travelled on in various places around the States … Denver Portland, trams in New Orleans must be one of the last places unless Katrina scuppered them. Denver and Los Angeles are both extending their light rail systems that I know of. The Denver extension to Golden was nearly completed when I was there is September this year.

[Joseph RamonParticipant @josephramon28170]

You can still take a trolleybus ride at the Black Country Living Museum.

Joey.

[TerrydParticipant @terryd72465]

Posted by Joseph Ramon on 21/11/2012 10:47:51:

You can still take a trolleybus ride at the Black Country Living Museum.

Joey.

That brings back memories Joseph. There used to be a trolley bus station at the top of St James' Rd in Dudley. It was a terminus for the Dudley / Wolverhampton trolley bus route. As I attended Dudley Gammar School down the same road I used to pass it evey school day and was fascinated by the web of overhead lines and the efforts of the conductor when changing the dual poles over for the return trip. Unfortunately I never had chance to travel on them as my bus home was a Midland Red.

What was very noticeable was the lovely hum of the motor and lack of diesel fumes unlike the main bus station. When is 'progress' not progress?

Best regards

Terry

[John FlackParticipant @johnflack59079]

Remember as a 10 year old in 1940s getting 2 old pence getting a no 33 tram from Essex rd Islington, half fare took me to Big Ben reversal spot on the embankment, that included the plunge into the Queensway tunnel which emerged from under the newly constructed Waterloo Bridge, the bridge had to be finished with female labour as the males had been called up on war service!! A penny each way and home in time for Sunday roast. A curious feature of the journey was the separation of the tracks at Islington Green an old fellow in a vertical canvas coffin was responsible for diverting the service between Upper stand Essex rd. All gone by 1952 though the track remained visible for a few years. There was an interesting relic remaining from the horse drawn tram at the junction of St Pauls rd and Highbury Corner, a partly underground tram depot was converted into a 'Black cab' garage and part of the curved roadway which was used to reach the stables above was still visible in the mid 1960S when I left the area

[IanTParticipant @iant]

I have a very specific memory of the man 'walking' the overhead pick-up arm (?) around the tram and for some reason always thought this might have been in Mitcham (we lived in Streatham at the time) but I've just looked at the route map and I'm now wondering if it was actually in Croyden – as Mum used to take us there shopping. I certainly remember the sound and smell of riding the ponies in the basement at the Department store in Croyden. The ponies were attached to a large wheel and walked in circles to the 'Harry Lime' theme music…. I can still smell the ponies whenever it's played..

I enjoyed Ashley's articles – lot's of interesting aspects to modelling trams, a nice blend of wood and metal work too.

Regards,

IanT

 

Edited By IanT on 30/01/2017 13:05:19

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Must be some short memories if it takes 5 years to answer a post

[IanTParticipant @iant]

As I wasn't very big at the time JS – I guess they were quite "short" ones!

IanT

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