The year is 1963 somewhere in Victoria, Australia

[user=2172]Claus Ellef[/user] wrote:

Wombat Creek Tramways no. 17 on a test run

The mechanics at the workshop have been busy this week. The former Hobart tram has been transformed from this:





to this:



The photo shows the tram, now renumbered as WCT no. 17, at the tram stop in Victoria street. The rebuilt is almost finished. Still to come are two side steps and the seats of the saloon. To gain a more smooth run additional weight will be placed under the longitudinal seats.

Beautifully done, Claus. I like the livery too.

That looks like the old Batman Avenue terminus.

What a great job you have done using that kit. Looks fantastic, I like the livery also but what of the spoon….!

[user=2057]TeaselBay[/user] wrote:

What a great job you have done using that kit. Looks fantastic, I like the livery also but what of the spoon….!

Hi Chis and Jeff,

The livery is taken from the Hobart tram no. 17, which resides in the Tasmanian Transport Museum, Hobart. Unfortunately the museum was closed during my Christmas visit to Hobart, but a friend from the Melbourne Tram Museum has supplied me with quite a few photos. The Wombat Creek no. 17 isn't an excact replica of the original but close enough.

Regarding the spoon I can tell you it is still a mystery to the good people in Wombat Creek. It seems to have disappeared again!

Tram no. 17 – added weight and livery

The double-decker trams in Hobart did occasionally display an unfortunate habit – overturning rounding sharp curves. The tramways solved the problem by converting the trams into single-decker trams.



Wombat Creek Tramways will keep no. 17 as a double-decker. The test-runs have showed a tendency of the tram swinging from side to side, so I have decided to add some extra weight. A visit to a store selling fishing gear paid off. Two 20 grams lead sinkers have stabilised the tram. The shop assistant asked, where I would go fishing. To his surprise I replied: 'I never go fishing!'



The livery is very close to Hobart no. 17. As seen from the photo the tram sports very fine lines and a tramway logo on the sides. This was done in 'Photoshop' and later printer out on 'Transparent Clear Label For Ink-jet Printer Only'. Before applying the prints to the tram, they were sprayed three times with matt finishing sealer.

A 'new' trailer for the Tramways

Quite a few years ago I bought one of the (in-)famous Atlas tram editions. Unfortunate – perhaps because I didn't do a proper research first - the model of a steam tram from Bern, Switzerland is narrow gauge. Fortunately it can be re-gauged to standard gauge even the model needs some alterations to resemble an Australian steam tram. 



The trailer was deemed to be of no use, but a friend from the Melbourne Tram Museum provided photos of the steam trams in Bendigo. They only operated for a short period between 1892 and 1902. The trailers were of slightly various designs but all more or less like the one from Bern. The Bendigo trailers had either 8 windows and platforms with open sides or 6 windows with enclosed platforms. The Wombat Creek Tramways went for a 'consolidated' version. So instead of being scrapped it underwent a minor rebuild. The platforms got solid sides and longitudinal benches and the bogies got wheels from a W class tram.

Chairs for the restaurant at Duncan and Fraser



One down – 27 to go!

Very nice! Keep going… haha

Job done





28 chairs are ready for the diners at the Duncan & Fraser Restaurant. Each chair consists of a 5 x 10 mm thin plastic card bent into shape and painted, one whole staple and one staple cut in halves.

Next 'challenge' will be painting customers and staff. The restaurant will not be fully booked but still around 25 figures to paint!

A devastating day for Wombat Creek

At noon today Wombat Creek was it usual self. A few people out and about in the 30+ degrees heat.



At 3 pm the temperature was the same, but Wombat Creek looked like this.



What happened? A tsunami? No, the town is too far way from the coast. A cyclone? No, the town is too far south. An earthquake? Could be – they do happen in Victoria. At least most of the brewery is still standing!


Well, the truth is, Wombat Creek is on the move. One key feature of the layout is it can be dismantled, moved and hopefully easily assembled again. I didn't expect to take advantage of the feature already, but our landlord wants to sell our current rental and we have to move out. Fortunately we have already rented a new place with more space for Wombat Creek. So for a couple of weeks you will not get news from 'the Creek', but things should be back on track late February.

Good luck with the move, Claus. You'll have to get in touch again once you have settled into the new place.

:cheers

Nooooooooo! Hurry and get it back up and running. I will miss your updates!

Hi Klaus, I hope the relocation of Wombat Creek is going smoothly and that with some more room we see more of your fine modelling.  I love the chairs and the neat wood effect finish, I might well steal borrow that idea when I get to the Royal Harbour scene, which I am hoping will be quite an extensive area of modelling.
Michael

[user=1512]Headmaster[/user] wrote:

Hi Klaus, I hope the relocation of Wombat Creek is going smoothly and that with some more room we see more of your fine modelling.  I love the chairs and the neat wood effect finish, I might well steal borrow that idea when I get to the Royal Harbour scene, which I am hoping will be quite an extensive area of modelling.
Michael

Hi all,

The relocation of Wombat Creek has gone smoothly so far. This is how it looks like at the moment



The room is a bit bigger than the previous one, so perhaps an extension is possible (I haven't told my wife yet!)

[user=2172]Claus Ellef[/user] wrote:

Hi all,

The relocation of Wombat Creek has gone smoothly so far. This is how it looks like at the moment



The room is a bit bigger than the previous one, so perhaps an extension is possible (I haven't told my wife yet!)

Don't tell your wife. Just do the extension then say it has always been that size, or the room was smaller than you thought!  ;-)

Up and running again



I am please to announce Wombat Creek Tramways are back in service. Buildings, tracks and tram have all been moved to a new location without any damages.

Now I can start modelling again!

Congratulations Claus… great job and a credit to your baseboard design that the relocation went smoothly.  So what do you have planned now that it is all up and running?
Michael

[user=1512]Headmaster[/user] wrote:

Congratulations Claus… great job and a credit to your baseboard design that the relocation went smoothly.  So what do you have planned now that it is all up and running?
Michael

Probably finish the interior of 'Duncan and Fraser', which I started before the move.

Hurray. I look forwards to one of my favourites getting more updates. 

Customers are ready to be served



Finished painting the customers and staff for the restaurant at Duncan and Fraser. The customers are all seated with a few spare seats. The waiting staff are resting in the middle. Not sure what the man in the purple jacket is doing, but the man next to him seems to quite agitated. I think I know the reason!

[user=2172]Claus Ellef[/user] wrote:

Customers are ready to be served



Finished painting the customers and staff for the restaurant at Duncan and Fraser. The customers are all seated with a few spare seats. The waiting staff are resting in the middle. Not sure what the man in the purple jacket is doing, but the man next to him seems to quite agitated. I think I know the reason!

He's a Mime but forgot his white face makeup.

:cool wink