Wombat Creek Tramways

With only a few weeks to go before Wombat Creek will be packed up in boxes and put into a van destined for the layout’s new home, work on the Comedy Theatre has commenced. The first photo show a cut-out print of the Rivoli Cinema, which will be turned into the Comedy Theatre in Wombat Creek. A ‘smaller issue’ with the model is condensing the length to 200 mm instead of 400 mm whilst keeping the correct height. Forced perspective in action, I suppose. The second photo shows the walls of the ground floor in place. I think it will work out okay.

Spiro has made good progress on his milk bar. It is now open for business and the first customers are trying out the different shakes. Spiro himself is at the counter whilst his wife is working in the kitchen. Still, Spiro needs to cover a few holes in the roof and perhaps erect a sign to attract even more customers.

The layout of Wombat Creek are made up of three sections and can be dismantled in case it has to be moved (which will happen in a couple of months!). Two of the sections are bolted together as seen on this photo

How do you camouflage the bolts without permanently blocking access? You plant a couple of trees on top!

Spiro is making slow progress on his future milk bar. The old tram body has been painted and a few windows have been boarded up. Di Marcio has relocated his ice cream van. The business is still going great.

The tramways in Melbourne had a few trailers for transporting ballast. They were build from former tram trucks. All trailers have been scrapped except one, which has been transferred to WCsT (Wombat Creek steam Trams). Instead of ballast coal will be loaded onto the trailer. WCsT will procure coal from the mining railway. The only problem is how to transfer the coal between the two organisations. With the steam trams still under construction WCsT has borrowed the freight tram to haul or propel the trailer. As a warning the trailer is painted with green and yellow stripes.

With the entire staff of Wombat Creek Tramways down with a terrible cold and later off on holidays not much work was down around trams. Some progress was made on the electric U class and the ‘Baldwin’ steam tram. The only finished project is the ‘new’ sign for WCsT, Wombat Creek Steam Trams. As seen on the photo, new is in ‘ ‘ as the sign has already coped with a lot of smoke.

Like so many of his Greek compatriots Spiro Papadopoulos wants to run a milk bar. With a short supply of vacant shops Spiro decided to purchase and convert an old tram into a state of art milk bar. To save money Spiro wants to do up the tram himself. So far the tram is place opposite the fire station and and Spiro has begun painting the outside. The date for the grand opening is so far unknown.

Current and former employees of Wombat Creek Tramways have formed a group called Wombat Creek steam Trams, WCsT. The purpose is to re-introduce steam trams to Victoria and Wombat Creek. Unlike New South Wales steam trams were rare in Victoria. Only Bendigo and Sorrento operated steam trams. Unfortunate no original steam trams have be preserved. Instead the group will convert foreign trams into Victorian ‘look-alikes’. The board of Wombat Creek Tramways supports the efforts and generously allowed WCsT access to the small shed, which will served as a workshop.

In reality the workshop looks like this:

From left to right is an electric tram (belongs to the Tramways) of unknown brand. The tram will be rebuilt as a Melbourne U class. The yellow chassis belongs to WCsT and will be used for transport of coal. The boiler and green body are from an Atlas model of steam tram from Bern, Switzerland. After a thorough reconstruction the model will re-appear as an example of a steam tram from Bendigo. The 3D printed model to the right is based on a narrow gauge Baldwin 0-4-0 locomotive used by the Sorrento Tramways. However, this version has been re-gauged to standard gauge.