Saturday Variety

Can You Pick 'Em : Vehicles From Wickham

From 1922, Wickham has produced a range of bespoke "utility" vehicles for railway use. Inspection trolleys ...

... and general engineering "staff transport".

Passenger vehicles were also commissioned, largely for "third world" operators.

But, generally, if it ran on rails ...

... it could issue forth from the Ware factory.

For most of us "of a certain age" the name Wickham will be for ever associated with British Railways' abortive "railbus" experiment. The "Wickhams" ended up in Scotland  ...

... where hey were almost as popular as Pacers! In the end, they did not save branch lines and soon the railbus (and the branch lines!) passed into history.

I guess Wickham's would never have brushed lips with modern railway modellers until Bachmann introduced an OO model of a Wickham "trolley" in 2019.

There is no room in the model trolley for a motor so it is hidden in the heap of gravel in the truck that the trolley tows. They are inseparable!

But Ellis Clark Trains has introduced one in "O"  scale. Because it is bigger, the motor is in the tolley and the trailer can be detached.

Now for a modest (?) £45, you can buy a garage for your trolley.

In the real 12 inches to the foot world, hulking great railway workers would manhandle trolley and trainer into their respective hutches.

But for another £45 you can buy people to drive and ride.

One or two heritage railways have Wickham trolleys and give rides in them ...

... as above at the Somerset and Dorset Railway.

At least one railway appears to have used a trolley to pull a coach - presumably very very slowly!

fbb would quite fancy a trundle in the inspection saloon labelled EFG and illustrated earlier. Perhaps Notwork Rail would arrange a path on the line from Axminster to Waterloo and back?

Perhaps not!

An fbb Bludner!

Having mentioned R A T P "sector" maps in yesterday's blog, fbb forgot to include a screenshot thereof. So here is La Croix de Berny but without Tram T10.

Although these maps are superb examples of the cartographer's art, fbb does sometimes wonder whether they can be too complicated. 

Here is the Antony area ...

... which seems OK. But then look at the greater Velizy industrial development.

Add the above collection of tangled knitting to the fact that there are no meaningful timetables and bus and tram travel in Paris is a bit of a gamble.

And service 5, sometime branded Paladin ...

... also no longer exists. The Paladin network is no more and is replaced by a new network called Bus de la Bievre with routes numbered in the 400s.

So yet more of the wonderful R A T P maps that are not quite so wonderful.

If fbb is brave he may well investigate the two netwoks for a future blog!

Confused.com?

Tram T6 Puzzle Picture

There are several things that are odd about the T6 tram picture.

It is in a tunnel, but with posh platforms, stairs and escalators.

It looks more like a bit of the Metro ...

... But ...

It would appear to run on only one rail.

Tram T6 (and T5) have a unique single wheel drive system. Essentially the tram is guided by the centre wheels, but the power is provided by conventional electrically driven road wheels.

Maybe?

Puzzle Picture

What will this become when it is assembled?

This man designed it!

Windows 2023

You are safe! It is not yet another upgrade for your laptop. 

But like fbb, many modellers have trouble with their windows. Readers who have not yet fallen asleep with boredom, will remember that fbb has modified a bought in model of a thatched cottage.

Part of the modification is an extension build out of bits of kits. But look at the kit windows ...

They are far too thick.  When first introduced, Airfix kits' windows were far too thick (above on the left) so modellers inserted them backwards (above right) and they looked better.

Thickest

Better but ...

... they are still too thick to in comparison with those already installed in the Poachers cottage. Fortunately, fbb had some bits from a pack of "mixed" windows sold by Ratio (a Peco company) and several fitted reasonably well. Two needed bodging from a twelve pane window to a six pane and a four pane ditto.

And, lo and behold, clear as crystal, we have thin windows!

And here is the finished product on its base and in place on the layout. More work to be done, of course, but it looks good.

The Poachers cottage project has been a great therapy in a busy and elderly life!!

Praise God that such things are still within fbb's ability.

Open Top Closed

The local press has reported the non-operation of this tour branded City Sightseeing.

Not much more is said ...

... and the operating company is less than informative.

Local company in trouble?

 Next Variety blog : Sunday 9th July