Hello, welcome to the blog spot for the restoration of Brighton tramcar Number 53.This tram is the last of the eighty cars run by Brighton Corporation from 1901 to 1939.The aim of the project is to restore the body, add fittings and as a longer term aim, to re-mount on a truck.
The tram currently resides on a farm in Sussex, but now after many years neglect, a group is being formed to restore her glory!Follow the explosive epic here!
The interior after it was swept.
The underneath is being cleared of wood.
Sample left of interior wood moulding.
Aera of the sliding door.main support is grooved!
New tools!
Cab end B steels before treatment.
A brum tram, also 3ft 6inch.
And you thought Brighton had tight curves?
Writing/numbers on the brake cylinder.
The brake cylinder.
53 in the sunshine.
The wood mountain destroyed!
A great display!
You will buy!
Modelworld itself.
The 53 team in action!
53 items for sale!
Two lost locos in the Palau jungle.
battery way on the Rock, with more tram rails.
Tram rails on Corregidor.
Where I am going.
The netting at the back.
Better.
The devil may care workers, feast in the tram of ice!
Ice inside 225, proving the cold weather!
How the pyramids were built, 53 style.
Keeping fit, the 53 way.
53 might be better of then this, hope it gets restored.
Old buses!
Sleepers, do not disturb.
Another shed view!
Allan on the roof with the mesh!
A new view of 53 from the other shed roof!
Beautiful concrete sleepers!
A beautiful day for sleepers.
What is this device in 225?
Detail of the wood framing by the saloon door.
You can now get round the back of 53.
The downs from 225.
Are these wheels lower?!
Ken next to 53.
the rear wheels off the ground!
The wood in place.
The front wheels off the ground.
The lift gang, where were the rest of you?
The party crowd high on mince pies.
It's not santa, its El presidente!
John Kempton braves the cold in the dockyard.
Our white van man, Tony, by a wrapped 53!
Parts of the Medway Queen.
Gillingham wood.
More wood for the lift.
El Presidente and the roof of perpetual leaks!
Malcolm's rubbing down reveals sound wood.
More metal restoration under the other cab end.
John loves red wood primer!
Big wood for the lift.
Both ends of 53 are now covered.
53 awaits our attention.
The foot bell painted by Allan Marriott.
The top deck, haven't been here for a while!
The jack collection.
Are ye men or gods? Or just anoraks?
An existing brighton tram shelter.
This shows a resistor box and controller, similar to 53s layout.
53 in June 1987, spot the difference!
The rust treatment edges along 53.
Roger's sorted wood.
Richard's wood!
The orignal deep burgundy and a little cream revealed.
If you can find them, and they like your tram, the A team..
All black steels!
Some original paint revealed.
Pevensey Malcolm's new path.
The controls of the showboat, note tea facility!
Our works officer rode this beauty on Friday!
One of the high quality layouts at kew.
Kew is an old pumping station, here is an example of the machinery.
Magnus Volks original model of the Daddy Longlegs, made by the man himself!
Why it's Ian Gledhill, Volks supremo, Ian Buck and Tony Marsh at the 53 stand.
Our new foot bell next to the original 53 bell holder.
These guys deserve money, or at least beer!
Carriage paint finish on the frames.
The frame of the broken up tram.
How 53 will look again, a 1939 shot of an F class.
A Brighton tram being broken up in the early sixties.
Two new key rings for sale.
The prototype of the 53 clock, let your favourite tram tell you the time!
2nd coat of red oxide.
Slog squad on the case.
The last bolt in at the front cab end!
Bell device from inside cab.
The metro at Wolverhampton.
Oh, I am a tram driver! Sad middle aged boy!
Top deck of Bournemouth tram.
Similar colours to 53.
Another day of tram therapy.
These windows once opened!
More red oxide, and the new nuts in place.Notice El Presidente's legs!
The dynamic duo tackle the last remaining windows, kerpow, zonk!
Roger gets serious with the grinder!
How repairs should be done, the Bluebell!
Tram shelter spotted in Stanmer park, in the museum grounds.
The chefs prepare the A La Tesco menu!
The banner on 225
The open day at 53.
Picture of the under floor gong.
Odd little device that holds up the wood lengths at the cab front.
Why we need mahogany!
More painted steels underneath.
First coat of red oxide.
ORIGINAL BTON TRAM TRACK, NOTE SLOTS FOR TIES.
IAN ENJOYS THE GREAT BRITISH SUMMER!
THE MAGNUS VOLK ARCH OFFICE
THREE MEMBERS ENJOY THE VOLKS EXPERIENCE!
There is work to do here!
The naked framing of the front cab!
El Presidente shows off his dirty state.
The front is off!
53 with less glass. Notice all the glass is marked for reference. .
El presidente underneath 53, with the green goo.
Malcolm starts to unscrew the windows.
John and Richard work on the cab windows.
El presidetnte attempts to increase the attacking value of the society!
Inside the Oporto tram, with the missus acting as glamorous tram buff!
El Presidente next to an Oporto tram.
We need this truck!
Richard Gs, huge wad of, er plastic stuff!
Serious corriosion, this needs welding.
Ready to de- rust.
Green rust goo!
Nice display of buses at Lewes.
The first rally, with the new banner.
The offical banner.
Original fretwork in the Hastings trams.
Hastings Tramway poster from the 20s, beautiful illustration
53 and Hastings group shot.
Hastings Tram HQ!
Inside a Hastings tram.
Another picture of rail supports in Queens Park Road.
Tram rails in Queens park Road, reused as track supports.
The stall at the May day rally!
Most of the cab floor gone, the rest can only be removed when the top floor is supported.
Was this the reset button mounting for the tram guard?
One o'clock tea, why the UK was created by God!
More under the floor, air pipes for the brakes.
El presidente and Allan get serious with 53s floor!i
Was this a fixing point for the truck?
A general view.
Was this the foot bell mechanics?
Master brake cylinder of 53.
The president's desk.
225 ready for business.
Is this 225 in happier days?
Here is a Graz tram in the 60s.
Inside the works car.
It all seemed to go back in time to Nuremberg, Who is this weirdo?
membership stuggle to keep awake, as El presidente exhorts the society to a five year plan.
Works car 1 in the second half of our galalxy spanning visit!
More milling!
53 in the spring sunlight.
Members mill around 53.
53rd member Phil waits for his t-shirt and picture!
A cup of tea inside 53, essential for the British worker!
Malcolm shows his Picasso side.
Simon Cole takes a break from rubbing down
Another view of the wiring pole, this deserves better...
The last Bton tram pole rusts at Amberley, what a waste.
Simon Coles tram added to our display as it did a circular!!
Your friendly 53 society mamgaement pose at Model world,just another 53 day.
The 53 stand at bton Modelworld, with John Hayward and Ian Buck.
Still some leaks in 225, @~!!*
staircase area gets second coat
The other end gets some paint.
225 has a second primer coat
53 with paint front and rear!
More paint on 53
Two 53 models, is this possible!?
The card model
Another view of the prototype, should be on sale at Model World next month!
Thanks to Kingsway Models, the prototype 53 card model!
225 gets more primer1
The other cab end, a lot of rotten wood here.
225 is becoming a workshop/office!
Blue and purple, this could be a case for the taste police, the paint was free though!
225 from 53
Outside wood treated with hardener.
More lights!
the decay at the covered end.
53 interior with some new lights
All white now, well almost!
A little step forward.....
More paint on the cab roof, with Ian's restored rear lamp on!
Richard G, aka, billy the cat checks 53s upper deck!
let there be light, thanks to Ian Buck!
Ian's lights for 53
El predidente works on the Graz tram roof on a cold November day!
the works car at the old steine
53 from the top of the Gratz tram, 1st september 2010
no.1 in her former glory, thanks to James for the pic!
no 1 door and handles
A better view of the works car
the works car in it's rustic setting
close up of the works car
World exclusive, a second Bton tram exists! The former works car became a garden shed for the trolley bus manager, in a garden he designed!
the Gratz tram is also used as a display site
Malcolm demonstrates his painting skills on the gratz tram!
Told you it is big!
Huge corporation map of the trams, at lewes Road depot, age unknown.
El Presidente catches the pm Gratz tram, whilst deftly nibbiling a banana!
Gratz tram and 53, look carefully!
Unloading the Gratz tram
inside our new club house, and I am serious!
Our new club house!!
53 being de-tramed, 1939.
pre-war transport history coming back to life
underneath is not too bad,
air brake handle
I'm a tram driver!
the inside looking a bit cleaner.
first work party on 53 22nd of May!
if only bton Buses could match these fares!
Clark's bread and walks!!
side view of the model
model of F class tram
says more about you then money! Or did!
another beautiful badge!
tokens
parcels service advert
cap badges
A pass!
certificate for passing the motorman test
badge from a brighton Tram, showing it built by the Corporation!
the trams did have a parcels service.
button
the tramway band
cap badge of t'corporation
more of Lewes road tram lines
Tram lines in lewes road depot, where 53 was built.
tram 53 interior
The Brighton crest of arms!
53, brighton seafront mid 80s
53, Bton seafront in the 80s!
the other end of 53's top deck
ceiling with light bulb fittings still in place
the cab area
step into lower saloon marked "Brighton Corparation Tramways"
the one remaining seat
53 side
crest and number are still on this panel!
view from the top deck
53 in december 2009
This is what is left
No comments:
Post a Comment