A Card model of a Phoenix tram in "O" scale part 2

The seats are finished and I am tidying up the painting now. Then I will start applying the decals. I have been trawling through my collection of photos and have chosen to number mine 549 as thanks to Transit Models I have the appropriate ad decals etc. No photo of progress just yet as there is nothing to show.

The manufacture of the phoenix emblems wasn't a success. When I sprayed them with Testors clear coat, the ink smudged. I have sprayed inkjet images on plain paper before with no problems so possibly the fact that the inks were on decal film is the reason it didn't work. But the images are so small anyway that I have decide that I will still use them. There will still be the appearance that something is there and with a bit of imagination they will pass.

I don't have plans for the Phoenix class as such but they belonged to the group of FMs from 504 onwards except that the Phoenix class had roof mounted route number boxes unlike the earlier trams that has the frames attached to the sides. They were fitted with resilient wheels and fluorescent interior lights. Their roofs were bondwood sheets skinned with fibreglass which gave the roof a somewhat different appearance.

After the disastrous Paddington Depot fire in September 1962 where 65 trams were lost it was decided to build eight more trams which were to become known as the Phoenix class. Unlike the other FMs which were in all over grey by the 1960s these new trams were painted in blue over grey with a royal blue band. They were called the Phoenix class because they used various components salvaged from the Paddington fire. No 554 was the last built and only saw five years service before the whole network was closed in 1969.