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Wombat Creek Tramways

Wombat Creek is a H0 (1:87) scale model of a fictional town situated somewhere in the Victorian Goldfields, Australia.

The time is 1963. Geelong wins the VFL Championship against Hawthorn (109– 60). John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas. ValentinaTeresjkova is the first woman in Space. The men behind The Great Train Robbery get £2.6 million from a Royal Mail train heading from Glasgow to London.

The town consists of several buildings. The “Wombat Creek Bank and Gold Exchange” is a prominent building in the town centre. You will also find several other commercial buildings; among them the daily newspaper“W.C. Chronicle”(colloquial known as the "Toilet Paper") and “Wombat Creek Brewing Company” (Famous for the “Wombat Bitter”). “The Big Nugget Gold Mine” is situated at the Western outskirts of town near the small Chinatown. The War Memorial is in a small park along East Street.

The town’s mayor Alfred Campbell together with his son David Campbell owns several businesses, including the bank, the pub and the newspaper. AC/DC basically run the town and make most decisions on behalf of the rest of Wombat Creek’s residents, who, on the other hand, are too busy with their own businesses.

The mayor’s latest initiative is Wombat Creek Tramways. Wombat Creek doesn’t really need a tram system, but AC reckons tramways will improve the town’s reputation. Partly because of limited funds the tramways' construction and rolling stock depend heavily on second-hand requirements from other Australian and overseas tramways.

Newest addition to the tram fleet

Text & photos from Wombat Creek Tramways Posted by Claus EllefPosted on Sun, September 10, 2023 14:47:12
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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.



Update on the Y class tram

Text & photos from Wombat Creek Tramways Posted by Claus EllefPosted on Fri, August 25, 2023 18:23:14
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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.



Back on the trams again

Text & photos from Wombat Creek Tramways Posted by Claus EllefPosted on Wed, August 16, 2023 17:55:20

After I have spend quite a while in the Big Nugget Gold Mine, it is time to do something different and get back to the Tramways.

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The photo is from just outside the tram shed. In the foreground a Bachmann Brill tram, like the one at the back, has been cut through the middle and one door from each side has been removed. All in an attempt to turn the body into a tram resembling a Melbourne class Y tram like the one below.

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Engine house ready to run

Text and photos from Wombat Creek Consolidated Mines Pty Ltd Posted by Claus EllefPosted on Sun, August 13, 2023 17:32:19
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With the roof up and the chimney in the engine house can be put into service.



New tram for WCT

Text & photos from Wombat Creek Tramways Posted by Claus EllefPosted on Thu, August 10, 2023 17:20:56
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A new tram has arrived at Wombat Creek Tramways. It is a former H-class from Vienna. The tram is non-motorised, but comes with space for a small motor. Before entering service, the tram will be modified to resemble a Melbourne U-class.



Ready for the roof

Text and photos from Wombat Creek Consolidated Mines Pty Ltd Posted by Claus EllefPosted on Sun, August 06, 2023 17:54:14
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With the trusses up and the winding gear in the engine house is ready for a roof.



Engine house under its way

Text and photos from Wombat Creek Consolidated Mines Pty Ltd Posted by Claus EllefPosted on Thu, July 27, 2023 20:03:21
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The poppet head will not work without an engine to hoist the cages up from the underground. The previous purchased steam roller has now been modified. The back with the coal bunker has been cut off and the rest mounted on a ‘concrete’ base. The fly wheels are from the front rollers. A safety valve and a whistle have been mounted on the top. The coal bunker has been replaced by a stack of firewood made from eucalyptus twigs.

Images of old gold mines all show fully enclosed buildings housing the steam boiler. I don’t want the engine hidden from view, so the ‘poor’ fireman will only be protected from the elements by a tin roof.



Poppet head almost ready for use

Text and photos from Wombat Creek Consolidated Mines Pty Ltd Posted by Claus EllefPosted on Sun, July 16, 2023 17:56:11

Summer (!) holidays meant no work done in Wombat Creek.

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Back to the Australian winter and work has re-started on the poppet head. A shaft for the two ‘cages’ going up and down from the mine is in place, and floor boards are down on level one and two. The green doors are probably not true to the original poppet head at the Golden Hind Gold Mine, but I think they tie in with the colour of the wheels at the top.



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