The Ultimate Tomix Wide Tram Track Prototype

[bill937ca]

Here a prototype for those who don't like the Tomix Wide Tram track centers.  Lisbon, Portugal operates four wheel and articulated trams on 900mm track.  Most Lisbon streets are 10 metres or less in width--about the same as two Wide Tram pieces and two Greenmax sidewalks.  On many streets only two trams can fit from curb to curb.

 

Trams on narrow street.

 

Street lights and overhead wires are attached to buildings as much as possible.

 

 

As these cars are a symbol of Lisbon there are numerous diecast and porcelain models available.  Some Brit modelers have purchased a diecast HO scale version of the Lisbon tram and motorized it with a Kato single truck drive. So this would give you a HOn30 layout: N scale track, N scale drives, HO car bodies and HO scenery.  The prototype cars are under 8 feet wide so these models will fit quite nicely on the Tomix track.

 

 

 

The lines have interesting modeling opportunities with narrow streets, hair-pin curves, interlaced track, single track operation and pass through spaces as narrow as about 3 metres (with a tram 2,378mm wide).  

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qWBMsbRous

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSKxeXB0YSc

 

 

 

 

Downtown, the articulated cars run on one-way streets and further out on a paved exclusive lane. This blog has photos of the cars--new and old.

 

There is more prototype information on the European Tram Blog.

 

Route 12

 

Lisbon's Last Standards

 

The Remodelados

[bill937ca]

Because of the similarity in gauge, two retired Lisbon trams were imported to Japan by the Tosa Electric Railway.  I believe the double trucker is still used for special occasions. These cars seem to have retained their Lisbon advertising schemes, as Pino Doce is a Lisbon grocery chain.

 

533 is a single trucker built in 1928 by Carris to a Brill design.

 

 

910 is double trucker built in 1947 by Carris.

 

[CaptOblivious]

There are some very intriguing shots in there, Bill! I rather like the movie of the tram navigating the narrow alleyway. They just don't stop coming! I'm amazed the videographer found a safe place to stand.

[bill937ca]

Here's another one.  It has run-bys, a window seat view and a cab view on the 28 line. On the cab view you can clearly see the green light (green traffic light as opposed to the usual white bar for tram traffic signals) and the whole single track section that ends inbound with the hairpin gauntlet curve.

 

[cteno4]

wow, keep your arms and head in the car at all times! wonder if you get to ride for free if you hang on the outside?

 

pretty good grades there for the tram as well.

 

these look like quite fun to ride around the city.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Bernard]

Interesting and fun ride, but why would they have a tram running on a narrow street.....I wonder if it cases problems with the flow of traffic?

[bill937ca]

Interesting and fun ride, but why would they have a tram running on a narrow street.....I wonder if it cases problems with the flow of traffic?

 

It's a symbol of the city.  Put Lisbon tram into Google and you get pages of travel sites. Portugal is relatively poor and has very high transit ridership.  Gas has always been $4 a gallon in Europe--in good times. Ridership gains have often been 20% per year.  And really, apart from boulevards, almost all streets are narrow in the old areas of European cities. That really narrow street would probably be closed to cars with bollards.

[bill937ca]

I'm not alone.  

 

[cteno4]

Also you can then go to the HO faller car system and use the decoder system for it as well to really get fancy with your vehicles. also you can have running cars!

 

jeff

[quinntopia]

Also you can then go to the HO faller car system and use the decoder system for it as well to really get fancy with your vehicles. also you can have running cars!

 

jeff

 

I was trying NOT to have this very same inspiration as I was watching those videos  (like all I need right now is another train project!)...WOW, that's really cool stuff Bill, thanks for sharing!  Again, what I love about this forum is that while its putatively Japanese, I learn so much about the rest of the world!  I've heard of the Lisbon trams before, but never really gave them much consideration...what an amazingly cool system! 

[Ben]

I really like this idea as a use for Tomix tram track... You'd want some double track, single track, sharp gradients, plenty of trams moving at once... You could fit it all into quite small space. 37 mm spacing could be just right for HOe trams!

 

Maybe something like this? The lower turning loop could be hidden under the hill.

 

[smg id=1283 type=full align=center width=800]

 

[smg id=1282 type=full align=center width=800]

[bill937ca]

I got a copy of LRTA's Tramways of Portugal this week.  This inside cover lists 9 grades on trams lines in Lisbon with grades of 11% to 14.5% (1 in 6.9).  Anything steeper than that is worked by a counterbalance, of which there are three in Lisbon.

 

 

 

Another interesting fact. The electrified Cascais Railway (formerly the  Estorl Railway) along the Tagus River runs left handed and has two multiple track stations so faster trains can overtake slower trains. Road traffic moves on the right in Portugal.  The Lisboa Metro also runs left handed.

 

 

In Japan, the Hakone-Tozan Railway runs grades similar to Lisbon's tram lines but not on city streets.

[Ben]

Interestingly, many European railways run on the left  - for example, the Madrid metro. Not sure why, but presumably British influence on the engineering (hurrah!)