Wombat Creek Tramways

During a recent visit to Melbourne I spotted a building adorned by spheres, so why not in Wombat Creek?

The control panel for the Tramways is almost finished. All switches are installed but some are not connected.

The black sliding switches are for sections between tram stops. They are normally on and only used for emergency stops.

The black push buttons are at tram stops. They are normally off.

The red push buttons control the points. Some are still to be wired.

The toggle switches will control traffic lights (currently not working due to a short circuit!), street lights and interior lights. At the moment two are spare.

A proper country town in Victoria will have a ‘Mechanics Institute’ and Wombat Creek is no difference.

A 2021 visit to Lancefield provided me with the front of a very low-relief Institute (it is less 10 mm thick). Unfortunately it didn’t look quite right next to the RSL building. Too massive and dominating, but it had to do until something better turned up.

I recently visited Creswick and came across the Victoria Institute. Quite difficult to photograph with the sun right behind the building but worth a try.

Back home the image went through Photoshop. With the colours brightened and the windows cleared a mock-up replaced the old Institute.

Not quite right. It is more a free-standing building than in a row of houses. I liked the windows, though.

Back to the old Mechanics Institute. This time with the windows cut out and glazed, which has ‘lighted’ the building. I am in fact quite satisfied with the outcome. Only issue is the missing ‘urns’ at the top of the wall. Not sure how I replicate them.

After more than six years Wombat Creek has gone from this

to this.

The last track work involved the bridge over the mining railway and the creek. After months of deliberations I have come to the conclusion a gauntlet with the tracks intertwined was not possible. Instead the two tracks a positioned close to each other allowing only one tram at the time to cross the bridge. To avoid a tram crash ( or a car crash) traffic lights have be installed at either end of the bridge. Electronics controls the frequency of the lights but not the running of the trams.

As mentioned the bridge is rather narrow and people crossing the bridge risk being squashed by out-swinging trams. Appropriate warning signs have been installed.

The extension of the Regal Theatre has been finished with only a few minor tasks still to do. The capping of the walls will be done once the neighbouring building has been constructed. The fire escape will run down the wall to the left.

A fellow modeller sent me a challenge: Why don’t I model the Rivoli Cinema?

One Saturday morning I went to have a look before going to the Melbourne Tram Museum housed in the former Hawthorne Tram Depot. Mentioning the Rivoli Cinema being in Hawthorne East I thought it was worth travelling a few more tram stops and have a look. I like the building and the challenging lines and curves.

The build will take some time and effort, so I want to put it somewhere in Wombat Creek with the facade to be admired. At the moment such a space is not vacant, but the ‘Regal’ could be moved from its prominent position at the end of Main Street.

Therefore the Regal Theatre has been relocated from the end of the Main Street to a position opposite the Bank. The theatre is a Metcalfe low-relief kit and has been extended with new walls at the back. There is a slightly colour difference in the bricks. I hope it will not be too obvious with a downpipe running along the joint in the wall. The roof is a bit of a challenge. The original roof has two different pitches (the front is steeper than the sides). At the moment the plan for the roof is partly tiles and partly zinc cladding. I will keep you updated.

The Wombat Creek Tramways has added a new tram to the fleet. The tram has a distinctive European look, but with altering the windows it could resemble the second tram of the ill-fated Doncaster to Box Hill line.

The photo show the progress on the rebuild. A visit to and photos from Melbourne Tram Museum will help me with the details of the roof.