OCCRE TRAM KITS

[Alpineandy]

The kits are designed as display models but can be motorised. I used a USA trains block bought from G Bits but you will need to modify the floor to get it to fit.
The kits are fiddly as there are a lot of parts, roof and body are made from strips of wood rather than panels. A lot of cutting, gluing, filling and rubbing down is required to finish the model to a reasonable standard. A lot depends on your skills and more importantly.... patience.
If you like a challenge then get one but don't rush it.
I did the Berlin Tram, sorry about quality of photo but you get the idea.

 

[Steveg58]

I'm now nearly two years into building my Tibidabo blue tram kit although that only represents about 70 hours of modeling. The TBT was one of their first kits and it isn't a beginners kit. The kit is quite nice but I had problems in several areas.
Some of he while metal parts particularly the wheels and the lazy gates are atrocious and immediately scheduled for replacement.
The thickest wood was a pain to cut out. The retention tabs left by the laser cutting process are too large and cause the wood to spall when they are cut with a knife. A jewellers saw with a coarse blade would probably be a better way to go.
Forming the curved sections from the strip wood is a pain. You need a good wood filler. Most of the ones I tried were too different in hardness from the wood and either undercut or refused to flatten during the smothing process. If you have a miniature draw-knife or spokeshave it would probably be a great asset.
I sent away for the english instruction which promptly arrived. The instructions are mostly clear but the latter half is clearly for another tram with different underfloor details.
You constantly need to be thinking "how will I paint this?" during assembly. If I did the kit again I would be painting and almost finishing a number of sections before assembly. The window glass would be sandwiched between the wall layers not stuck to the inside as instructed.
You will need a selection of glues. I have used aliphatic resin (yellow carpenters glue) and polyurethane (foams and fills gaps) glues for the wood, two part epoxy for some of the metal, a rubber cement for the windows, and super-glue for tacking bits together.
I fount this isn't a kit I can put together a couple of hours at a time. I need at least a block of 4 hours to do anything useful one I got to the main bodywork.

The finished result does look very rewarding and those extra hours are well worth it.