Update #2 @ 06.08.2000
The Millenium Festival of Model Tramways has been and gone and
an excellent event it was too.( press
T.L.R.S. button for full review or go to http://www.tramways.
freeserve.co.uk ) It certainly made my
day, as I achieved the acquisition
of 'The
Manchester Tramways ' book by namesake
Ian Yearsley (no relation
unfortunately ),after a three year search and have returned the
copy I have held for the last two years, to the public library.
I also purchased another 50 traction poles from
Tower Models - still got the other half of the layout to go.( I estimate 225 poles in all
required and heaven knows how many ears and frogs).
Progress as follows and depicted on following pages has been;
Paving:
Stockport Albert Square and up to Market Street/Lower Mosley Street Piccadilly has been completed with the exception of the actual junction above. Blackpool
pavement has been laid but the trackside edging is only 1/3rd complete. Piccadilly Gardens is half paved (not shown as I ran out of film ).
Traction poles: All of Stockport (excluding
Depot ) and round to and including 95% of Albert Square is
populated ( including six centre poles to the Manchester style,
without the finial point for safety reasons). These six poles
were fashioned from a scanned image in Ian
Yearsley's ' The Manchester Tram' which was
cleaned up and resized to scale, the construction being
done over the image and then painted green.
Overhead:
This has just commenced with the most awkward corner behind Stockport's Wellington Bridge and the undercover link to Blackpool. Progress will be slow as this section MUST
work perfectly at all times. (
PLEASE!!!!!!
). One minor fault has been highlighted
during this, despite measurement, clearance under the bridge is
insufficient for the overhead so some delicate surgery will need
to be done to the arch.
Scenery:
Not my strongest point and I must admit have been putting it off, although I have constructed sufficient of the railway viaduct from three
'Metcalfe' card kits to go on the backdrop once I commence.
Update #3 @ 20.10.2000 Now HERE...>>>>
