Dissasembling a HLW Birney tram
- Thread starter Melbournesparks
- Start date
p.williams
staying alive
Exactly the same problem ( years ago), with my messerschmidt ' bubble' - first time i went to insure it, "left or right hand drive, sir ?"Well then, what about the streetcars made where the motorman sits dead center. Who will take credit for that.....
Rhinochugger
Retired Oik
Melbournesparks
Registered
My apologies work has been a bit busy lately, but I finally got it apart!
This is how it looks now, dissasembled into it's individual parts. Now I just have to work out where to cut!
Andrew B. Middleton
Registered
The last time I looked up Hartland, the price of a Birney was astronomical!
Andrew B. Middleton
Registered
Whenever I watch a British TV show, I can't stand the way everyone seems to park on the wrong side of the road, i.e on the opposite side to the direction of the traffic!!
Melbournesparks
Registered
Yeah they're not cheap unfortunately.
I got lucky on ebay with this one, like most of my rollingstock. It certainly pays to watch for a while!
Rhinochugger
Retired Oik
Just seems the natural thing to do
canon to the right, canon to the left, tally-ho 
Andrew B. Middleton
Registered
Have just seen your dis-assembly of the Hartland Birney ! It must have taken a lot of courage to even take the roof off. I look forward to seeing which Australian Birney car you will turn it into.
I have always thought that we were long overdue the same change. But now that Brexit means Brexit presumably and hopefully we will not / cannot be forced to by the EEC.
JonD
Andrew B. Middleton
Registered
I only want to know what is the status of your "conversion" of the Hartland Birney tram as at the 18th Dedember 2017?
Melbournesparks
Registered
Apologies Andrew, my notification for this thread must have broken.
Work has been proceeding, but unfortunately at my usual glacial pace.
I thought at first this was going to be relatively straightfoward, just swap the doors over to the other side right? Not so simple alas... After inspection of the prototype in Bendigo, I noticed that the HLW Birney didn't have the little side window next to the doorway, and didn't have the slightly longer window at each end.
Including these features required the car body side to be cut and rejoined in several places, and new sections spliced in. The windows were modified to suit as well.
Here it is towards the end of 2017, with the car body reassembled after the doorways swapped over to the opposite side. Of course after the modifications the car body was about 12mm longer than before, so a new roof and floor were fabricated to suit.
Now in early 2018, new roof and floor fitted, painting is in progress in the SEC green and cream colours.
After the major assemblies are painted there are numerous small details to add, then the electrical fitout of radio gear, motor controller and lighting. All the electrical equipment is waiting to be installed, so hopefully the Birney tram will enter service in only a few more weeks.
Andrew B. Middleton
Registered
To Melbourne sparks:
Thanks for sending those photos of your work on changing a RH side of the road Birney safety car to an Australian LH side of the road Birney car! Your progress is very good, in fact quite commendable. You are a "details" person, and it is better to think things through rather than rushing ahead and making non-reversable mistakes. Awarded a "Highly Commendable"Prize for deconstruction and reconstruction.
Thanks for sending those photos of your work on changing a RH side of the road Birney safety car to an Australian LH side of the road Birney car! Your progress is very good, in fact quite commendable. You are a "details" person, and it is better to think things through rather than rushing ahead and making non-reversable mistakes. Awarded a "Highly Commendable"Prize for deconstruction and reconstruction.
Gavin Sowry
Garden Railroader and Raconteur
Believe it or not, parking into facing traffic is illegal here in NZ. Coro, and The Bill fans, are soft targets for the traffic cops.
Interestingly, our driving examiners are striking because of a new test schedule. They are expected to ask the learner to park on the off side, then reverse 3 car lengths, before crossing the road to rejoin the correct carriage way. This is obviously not only highly illegal but also very obviously dangerous. The moron who came up with that needs a stern talking to
