The Greenmax 2155 (formerly 46-2) small profile safety island can be placed on Tomix Wide Tram track to give an effective loading island. For 1/160 Bachmann streetcars kitbashing two platforms together allows enough length to generously accommodate a Peter Witt or other long streetcar.
Greenmax Safety island from above.
Safety island with a Hiroden 350 tram from above.
For those of you worried about the difference between 1/160 form Europe and 1/150 from Japan here is a comparison The Tomytec Adtranz GT6 is 1/150 which is common scale in Japan. The Arnold Duewag GT6Z is 1/160 as s common in Europe.
I see some difference but it is not scale. The Duewag has a tapered end to fit though tight clearances in Old Europe. The Adtranz car, like most low-floor trams has a bloated profile to accommodate individual wheel drives and accessible interior passageways over the wheels. The roof lines are about the same. The Duewag has a more tapered profile and it fits into its environment while lines have often had to be rebuilt to accommodate low floor trams.
In Europe there could be quite a difference in widths between trams in various countries. The Duewag GT6 (the green car) is 2200mm wide. The Adtranz GT6 is 2300mm wide. Tatras in the former Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR) were 2200 but Tatras in Prague and other local places were 2500mm wide, a difference of about 12 inches.
Trams are not the only place where differences in scale come into play. Bank buildings have much higher ceilings than other buildings around them. A two story bank will often be the same height as a three story commercial or residential building.
I am content running both scales along side one another. Given the lack of decent N scale trams why wouldn’t you?
The origins of my Tomytec / Unitram Euro layout rest on several trips to Europe and an appreciation of the architecture and history of Europe. After those trips I began accumulating kits, structures and vehicles that would go into a new layout.
My layout represents a place where trams still run on narrow streets. Where bulb stops come out to the tracks on those narrow streets. Where barrier free stops allow families with baby carriages and the users of wheelchairs to board low floor trams.
When Tomytec announced their Berlin and Munich GT6N trams in September 2017 I placed a reservation with a Japanese dealer. Some time after that I came across an HO layout which was the inspiration for my Euro tram layout.
I use the Tomytec GT6N low floor trams and Kato Unitram tram track to create my layout. The Japanese road markings are sanded off the Unitram track and I created block bases of balsa and styrene rather than the Unitram street plates so I could create narrow streets, bulb tram stops, parking bays (to display model cars), tram only sections and intersection sidewalk bulbs that are typical of the environment trams are found in Europe.
My layout is on a 30 x 60 inch table (762 x 1524mm) although the track plan actually is closer to 19.5 inches wide.
There is one Kato power pack for each track with generally more than one feeder per loop. This can be accomplished with a Kato 24-827 3 Way Extension Cord. Facing turnouts are power routing and trailing turnouts are spring switches.
Buildings include those by Pola, Kibri, Faller, Model Power, Kato and Tomix. Buildings at the central stop are more modern while the buildings on the ends are more traditional European.
I have long liked running articulated trams on Kato Unitram. Articulated trams with their multiple power pickups and longer axle centers are more reliable than other tram designs Single truck trams with single power pickups can be prone to stalling on turnouts and crossovers as the truck center is often the same as the track gauge.
Scenes like a Pola apartment building with a carriageway entrance leading to a inner courtyard (very much like a Milan palazzo) and wraps on buildings instead of on trams complete my Euro Tram Layout.
Building scenes is almost as fun as running trolleys. The track is Tomix Wide Tram. Under the buildings there is a 3/16 balsa and styrene base. Sidewalks are Smalltown USA (HO) cut in half.
Fire hydrant is part of the Model Power 1339 Park Scenes set. For this small diorama I have two sets. In each set there are three fire hydrants, 3 green trash cans, 3 blue mail boxes, 4 park benches, a telephone booth and seated figures.
Vehicles are from chucktheprinter on eBay.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?item=352271295149&_ssn=chucktheprinter&rt=nc
During December Tomytec released their first non-Japanese tram model. This is a N gauge model of the first modern 100% low floor tram, the Adtranz GT6N. It is available in either Berlin or Munich livery. Initially you receive a static model and have to purchase a Tomytec power chassis separately to create an operating model.
Tomytec Adtranz GT6N
This tram uses the Tomytec TM-LRT04 power chassis to create an operating model. The static model has a full interior, an interior that will be taken up by the power chassis.
The tram comes with destination signs for 12 Mitte, a current Berlin tram destination.
It is a long tram taking up almost a full 186mm Unitram track section. At this time it is available from Japanese sources and from European sources but at a substantial premium.
Today we have a look at the Tomytec TM-LRT04 power chassis. This is the power chassis for the new GT6N Munich and Berlin articulated trams.
Tomytec TM-LRT04 power chassis used under the GT6N tram Berlin and Munich bodies.
Turned over the chassis has 3 conventional bogies unlike the prototypes which have wheels without axles. Bogies provide more conventional guidance around curves and through turnouts.
Underside of the TM-LRT04 power chassis.
Inside car houses pit tracks, a dug out open space between the rails, are used to work on underbody of a tram. The raised roadbed in Unitrack allows Kato to offer a open pit track piece which is 186mm long.
Kato 20-016 Open pit track
Stairs lead down to the floor beneath track level.
Tomytec Hankai Tramway 166 on the open pit track.
Character trains (trains decorated with images of anime and other popular culture characters) are popular in Japan. What we have here is reissue of a freelance Kato Pocket Line streetcar and trailer set with a Nissin Food Products Chicken ramen character wrap. There have been prototype trams in Japan with similar wraps.
Chicken Ramen Streetcar
It is a compact and inexpensive 2 car train. Kato advises headlight / taillight will not light up. Also the interior light can not be installed either.
I obtained my set from a dealer in Japan. These may or may not get imported elsewhere by dealers. It is an inexpensive and neat addition to my collection.
One of the features I want to add to my new Euro themed Unitram layout is block control at a central plaza.
Simple blocks can be created with off-the-shelf, plug-and-play Kato components. On the selected track piece, I replaced the normal Unitram Unijoiners with the black 24-816 Insulated Unijoiners and added a 44-847 Tram Feeder Power Cable under the selected track piece. The feeder is plugged into a 24-850 Kato Power Feed Control Switch which clips onto the side of a Kato power controller just like a Switch Selector. When the power switch is turned OFF the car always stops at the selected location. When the power switch is turned ON the car continues on through the block or if stopped already begins running.
The 24-850 Kato Power Feed Control is then plugged into a Kato 24-827 3-Way Extension Cord, along with two other feeders on this particular track loop and plugged into the Kato Controller power feed.
Simple block control can be set up with off the shelf Kato components.
I plan to have a junction with trams coming into a station from four directions like many the tram stops at many European train stations. Two blocks are installed now before the intersection and two more will installed later at the actual tram stop.
With this block system, the operators function is more like that of a tower operator. Throw the turnout switch and set the block to proceed and the tram moves on along the line.
Existing N gauge tram safety islands (in street loading platforms) from Kato, Tomix and Greenmax reflect old school tram safety islands that have been around since the time of large scale auto traffic on city streets.
Today’s accessible safety islands can be 5 metres or more wide and easily up to 40 metres or more long considering the length of today’s low floor trams. Many European accessible safety islands are surprisingly barren but often include shelters on the safety island. Trams run fairly often in Europe by North American standards.
My safety island is made from a couple of large craft sticks from the dollar store, similar to an old fashioned popsicle stick but longer and wider.
First step was to cut off the curved ends at one end of each craft stick with a razor saw. Second step was to glue the two pieces together with white glue. Third step is paint.
This gives my layout a safety island 265 mm long by 18mm wide. At 1/150 typical of Japanese model railroad offerings from Kato, Tomix and Greenmax this scales out to a 39.75 metre long by 2.7 metre prototype.
N Gauge Trams 