A Card model of a drop centre in "O" scale part 1

I started a model of a Brisbane drop centre some time ago and made a mistake with the trucks so it was put aside until now. The Brisbane droppies had reverse maximum traction trucks fitted and at the time I felt I had no choice to scratch build these.

I was fortunate enough to acquire a number of 12V Mabuchi motors. These are the same motors as were used by Tramalan and BEC in their "OO"gauge trucks. As I planned to use one at each end driving a single axle the same as the prototype I felt that they were more than adequate for the job. So I stretched some Jackson wheel sets and fitted Romford brass gears. In the process I made a mistake in one measurement so the side frames didn't sit at the correct angle. In the last couple of days I have dismantled them, corrected the problem and put all the bits back together again. The photo is the new improved version.


The body is a far more difficult job than the FMs and card wasn't suitable for everything. I have reinforced the floor with styrene so it will support the weight of the body without distortion. I have used styrene rod to represent the window bars but have yet to see if temperature changes and the different rate of expansion and contraction between the styrene and the card will cause any problems. I once built 30 cattle wagons in polyurethane using steel wire for handrails running the full length of the wagons. These had severe problems with temperature changes.


The model is almost at the point of painting and then having the seats fitted.

Almost 200 Brisbane drop centres were built from 1925 to 1938. The earliest ones had open driver's cabs and all were handbrake only cars until the last batch in 1938 which were built with airbrakes. From 1939 on they started to retrofit the older trams with airbrakes. Initially the trams were built with short wheelbase diamond frame trucks which were unsuitable when they started the conversion. So those that were converted were fitted with City Council built long wheelbase plate frame trucks. Some survived to the end as handbrake cars and still with the diamond frame trucks. One example is No 231 which is at the museum.


My model will represent one of the later trams with the curved wheel arches but before they went to wind up windows. The plan shows what I hope mine will look like eventually.