Melbournesparks
Registered
It's now almost a year this month since the first sod was turned on the construction of the tramway, so might be a good time for a bit of history.
This is actually not the first version of the tramway, the story started nearly 15 years ago.
That nerdy looking kid is me, some time in 2001. It was around that time that I saw an ad in the Trading Post (a printed paper classifieds, and the go to place for second hand stuff in the pre internet age) for a Bachmann big hauler set, the really early one with the battery powered locomotive and plastic track. The price was within even my minuscule means, so I called the number in the ad (as you did then) and went around after school and picked it up. At about the same time I was given an old copy of Garden Railway magazine, in which I saw the very same large scale trains running outside for the first time. Needless to say I was immediately fascinated by the idea and began building a garden railway, at first using just the plastic set track, and then expanded with a couple of lengths of brass track generously given to me by my grandparents for my birthday. The entirety of the brass rail from this era remains in use on the present day tramway, I have not bought any more since!
The stubby green tram was my first attempt at scratchbuilding, based on a set of plans from the same Garden Railway magazine. It had a very crude home made trolley pole, and was powered by an old VCR motor. The first section of overhead wire was little more than you see in the photo, possibly this was the first run. It was incredibly crude, but it worked, sort of, and provided many hours of enjoyment. This was the 'proof of concept' that paved the way for the present day tramway, and taught me a lot about soldering and trolley pole dynamics.
The original tramway eventually succumbed to disrepair and marauding possums as I got busy with high school, but I always intended to rebuild 'one day'. Unfortunately that 'one day' took over a decade to arrive, when after much procrastination construction began on the present day tramway (at a new location) this time last year. The fleet has grown too, but the original stubby green tram survives. The caboose from the big hauler set eventually became the track cleaning car.
Like tramway technology, camera technology has also advanced
The future of the tramway at it's present location is far from certain in the long term, so there may well be a version three yet. There's a reason you don't see many young people in this hobby.
Also if you're wondering how long a 1kg roll of solder lasts...
That's the very same roll, a decade and a half ago! There's even still a bit left...
This is actually not the first version of the tramway, the story started nearly 15 years ago.
That nerdy looking kid is me, some time in 2001. It was around that time that I saw an ad in the Trading Post (a printed paper classifieds, and the go to place for second hand stuff in the pre internet age) for a Bachmann big hauler set, the really early one with the battery powered locomotive and plastic track. The price was within even my minuscule means, so I called the number in the ad (as you did then) and went around after school and picked it up. At about the same time I was given an old copy of Garden Railway magazine, in which I saw the very same large scale trains running outside for the first time. Needless to say I was immediately fascinated by the idea and began building a garden railway, at first using just the plastic set track, and then expanded with a couple of lengths of brass track generously given to me by my grandparents for my birthday. The entirety of the brass rail from this era remains in use on the present day tramway, I have not bought any more since!
The stubby green tram was my first attempt at scratchbuilding, based on a set of plans from the same Garden Railway magazine. It had a very crude home made trolley pole, and was powered by an old VCR motor. The first section of overhead wire was little more than you see in the photo, possibly this was the first run. It was incredibly crude, but it worked, sort of, and provided many hours of enjoyment. This was the 'proof of concept' that paved the way for the present day tramway, and taught me a lot about soldering and trolley pole dynamics.
The original tramway eventually succumbed to disrepair and marauding possums as I got busy with high school, but I always intended to rebuild 'one day'. Unfortunately that 'one day' took over a decade to arrive, when after much procrastination construction began on the present day tramway (at a new location) this time last year. The fleet has grown too, but the original stubby green tram survives. The caboose from the big hauler set eventually became the track cleaning car.
Like tramway technology, camera technology has also advanced
The future of the tramway at it's present location is far from certain in the long term, so there may well be a version three yet. There's a reason you don't see many young people in this hobby.
Also if you're wondering how long a 1kg roll of solder lasts...
That's the very same roll, a decade and a half ago! There's even still a bit left...
