I like how tight your overhead lines are and how you put functionality first with collectors. So many tram models are jerky and rough, your models run really well.
Hi Helmut, you have a beautiful collection, the finish of the models is superb given that some of the old kits (e.g. Tramalan) were pretty rough you've worked hard to achieve such results. I like your "T bar" trolley assemblies, very practical. The old BEC motors are excellent, I have quite a few and am also now buying the KW motor units based on the same designs. Initially I was tempted to go the way of Tenshodo spuds, but at twice the price there's no sound reason for doing so? I agree the BECs have authentic tram sound qualities. I'm intending to install "non powered" overhead for aesthetic purposes and am minded to go the same way as you have, in using rigid running wire which doesn't distort when a sprung trolley runs over it. It appears you've used a thicker gauge of brass for this than e.g. that supplied with ELMTS's running wire in their Overhead starter kit? Keep up the great work! Keith
Hi Keith, thank you for your comment. My problem is, I have only time for to continue with my lay-out or for assembling/building new trammodels. The last 17 years I did prefer building models. The construction of my T bar trolleys is very simple (and cheap). With one D'Addario guitar string PL020 I can make 20 T bar trolleys. For the contact rod/shoe I use nickel silver straight wire with 0.8 mm diameter. M2 screws plus nuts, pliers and a soldering iron and everybody can do the job. I know, it is only a compromise. The distance between the overhead wire (Sommerfeldt straight wire with 0,5 mm or 0,7 mm diameter) and the top of my track is between 65 mm and 67 mm. My problen is, running H0 single deckers and 00 double deckers upon the same track... Best wishes Helmut
Hi Helmut, thank you so much for your really helpful reply. As I said, I'm looking to install overhead wiring, unpowered, but functional for trolleypoles to follow it, perhaps something similar to your own system. I'd like the running wire to be at least as rigid as that you use. Sometimes a strong trolley spring lifts the overhead unrealistically. You say your system is a compromise, but to me it looks excellent and an ingenious engineering solution in miniature. Your passion for trams/Strassenbahnen is evident for all to see, and for me it's very inspiring. Very best wishes, Keith
I don't know if the 'BEC Kits' you are talking about are the same thing, but when I was a kid, the best model shop for miles around - I lived in South London - was Bec Models, a few shops down from Tooting Bec tube station. The guy that ran it we knew as 'Frank' and, given that I am more than seventy years old, Frank would be a very old man indeed. My mate and I were model aircraft and (American prototype) model railways, but we were aware that Frank sold a line of his own tram kits. Are these the same thing? Because this is a fifty year blast from the past.
Yes, 'your' Frank was the man behind Bec-Kits at that time. He was an excellent modeller and he loved his profession. We were friends from the middle of the seventies onwards.
What an extraordinary coincidence? We never even knew his full name, he was just 'Frank' and his shop (which was tiny - there'd be no room to hang modern RC aeroplanes!) was always 'Frank's'. We never had any money, so all we ever bought was balsa wood, Slater's Plasticard and Humbrol paint. Frank never made his fortune with us, but he was always endlessly helpful and generous with his advice. The shop is still there, although the models are long gone, but I can't pass it without lots of memories.
You describe him very well, my English wouldn't be good enough. He was a pioneer in GB for constructing and producing a wide range of tram model kits out of whitemetal in different scales. He died many years ago.
I made the masts, which can be seen from 1:43 onwards, for example, from brass welding wire (length about one meter) with a diameter of 3 mm. This allows 10 masts to be made. I made the threads and tapers using an electric drill and cutting knives. Washers and 3M nuts ensure attachment to the layout.
At 4:08 the tram is a wonderful model of Rome's two-axle tram ("six windows" type) with trailer (only the colors do not correspond to the truth). Never seen before, but truly very high quality model. www.tramroma.com/images/archivio/004/00482a.jpg
These brass models were made by Fairfield. Some tram cars were temporarily handed over from Rome to Munich, perhaps not exactly these types of cars. Hence my white / blue coloring of the 40 years old models.
The model system is located on a wooden panel that is screwed to the walls, the models run on electronically processed direct current, the microphones built into the camcorder were used. This inevitably results in robust noises. Old trams weren't exactly quiet either ...
@@steffenrosmus1864 It is the sound of mostly tiny high-speed electric motors interacting with metal gears on a resonance body and pulsating direct current, recorded with a cheap microphone. Of course, trams sound different on a 1: 1 scale. If you don't want to compromise, you shouldn't do model building. A sewing machine recorded with my microphone might sound like a propeller plane ...
@@steffenrosmus1864 As a young person today, I would have several options for choosing quieter and even better driving characteristics. Replacing more than 100 traction units now (and the speed controllers as well), I don't want to use this time and money anymore. For that I consider the equivalent value to be too low for me.
Smoother than many.
Very nice collection and thank you for sharing. Greetings from Hawaii. 🌴🍍🌞👍🚋🚊
Very nice video.......and big respect from Zagreb/Croatia!
I like how tight your overhead lines are and how you put functionality first with collectors. So many tram models are jerky and rough, your models run really well.
Thank you. I do modelling since more than 50 years and I try to do my best.
@@HStrab :)
Sehr schönes video
Vielen Dank. Die Bec-Kits Antriebe werden seit einiger Zeit von KWTrams hergestellt und vertrieben.
Hi Helmut, you have a beautiful collection, the finish of the models is superb given that some of the old kits (e.g. Tramalan) were pretty rough you've worked hard to achieve such results. I like your "T bar" trolley assemblies, very practical. The old BEC motors are excellent, I have quite a few and am also now buying the KW motor units based on the same designs. Initially I was tempted to go the way of Tenshodo spuds, but at twice the price there's no sound reason for doing so?
I agree the BECs have authentic tram sound qualities. I'm intending to install "non powered" overhead for aesthetic purposes and am minded to go the same way as you have, in using rigid running wire which doesn't distort when a sprung trolley runs over it. It appears you've used a thicker gauge of brass for this than e.g. that supplied with ELMTS's running wire in their Overhead starter kit? Keep up the great work! Keith
Hi Keith, thank you for your comment. My problem is, I have only time for to continue with my lay-out or for assembling/building new trammodels. The last 17 years I did prefer building models. The construction of my T bar trolleys is very simple (and cheap). With one D'Addario guitar string PL020 I can make 20 T bar trolleys. For the contact rod/shoe I use nickel silver straight wire with 0.8 mm diameter. M2 screws plus nuts, pliers and a soldering iron and everybody can do the job. I know, it is only a compromise. The distance between the overhead wire (Sommerfeldt straight wire with 0,5 mm or 0,7 mm diameter) and the top of my track is between 65 mm and 67 mm. My problen is, running H0 single deckers and 00 double deckers upon the same track... Best wishes Helmut
Hi Helmut, thank you so much for your really helpful reply. As I said, I'm looking to install overhead wiring, unpowered, but functional for trolleypoles to follow it, perhaps something similar to your own system. I'd like the running wire to be at least as rigid as that you use. Sometimes a strong trolley spring lifts the overhead unrealistically. You say your system is a compromise, but to me it looks excellent and an ingenious engineering solution in miniature. Your passion for trams/Strassenbahnen is evident for all to see, and for me it's very inspiring. Very best wishes, Keith
This model trams are powered from wire pole or track ???? Regards.
My models are powered by life overhead (wire), analogue, nothing digital. Regards
I don't know if the 'BEC Kits' you are talking about are the same thing, but when I was a kid, the best model shop for miles around - I lived in South London - was Bec Models, a few shops down from Tooting Bec tube station. The guy that ran it we knew as 'Frank' and, given that I am more than seventy years old, Frank would be a very old man indeed. My mate and I were model aircraft and (American prototype) model railways, but we were aware that Frank sold a line of his own tram kits. Are these the same thing? Because this is a fifty year blast from the past.
Yes, 'your' Frank was the man behind Bec-Kits at that time. He was an excellent modeller and he loved his profession. We were friends from the middle of the seventies onwards.
What an extraordinary coincidence? We never even knew his full name, he was just 'Frank' and his shop (which was tiny - there'd be no room to hang modern RC aeroplanes!) was always 'Frank's'. We never had any money, so all we ever bought was balsa wood, Slater's Plasticard and Humbrol paint. Frank never made his fortune with us, but he was always endlessly helpful and generous with his advice. The shop is still there, although the models are long gone, but I can't pass it without lots of memories.
You describe him very well, my English wouldn't be good enough. He was a
pioneer in GB for constructing and producing a wide range of tram model kits out of
whitemetal in different scales. He died many years ago.
Where did you get these mast to hold these over head wire network??
I made the masts, which can be seen from 1:43 onwards, for example, from brass welding wire (length about one meter) with a diameter of 3 mm. This allows 10 masts to be made. I made the threads and tapers using an electric drill and cutting knives. Washers and 3M nuts ensure attachment to the layout.
@@HStrab really 👍 great
At 4:08 the tram is a wonderful model of Rome's two-axle tram ("six windows" type) with trailer (only the colors do not correspond to the truth). Never seen before, but truly very high quality model.
www.tramroma.com/images/archivio/004/00482a.jpg
These brass models were made by Fairfield. Some tram cars were temporarily handed over from Rome to Munich, perhaps not exactly these types of cars. Hence my white / blue coloring of the 40 years old models.
Horrible Performance Sounds like Sewing machines
The model system is located on a wooden panel that is screwed to the walls, the models run on electronically processed direct current, the microphones built into the camcorder were used. This inevitably results in robust noises. Old trams weren't exactly quiet either ...
@@HStrab know that but old trams do not sound like sewing machines. They sound a bit more like a turbine due to the electric system.
@@steffenrosmus1864
It is the sound of mostly tiny high-speed electric motors interacting with metal gears on a resonance body and pulsating direct current, recorded with a cheap microphone. Of course, trams sound different on a 1: 1 scale. If you don't want to compromise, you shouldn't do model building. A sewing machine recorded with my microphone might sound like a propeller plane ...
@@HStrab solution is quite easy. Use planetary gearhead coreless motors and they sound well.
@@steffenrosmus1864 As a young person today, I would have several options for choosing quieter and even better driving characteristics. Replacing more than 100 traction units now (and the speed controllers as well), I don't want to use this time and money anymore. For that I consider the equivalent value to be too low for me.