I have now motorised 13 Corgi 1/64th (5mm/ft) trams for our Sunderland layouts, using Tenshodo motor bogies of either 28.7 or 31mm wheelbase depending on which was available when I needed them.

The wheelbase of a Corgi tram is 30mm so there is not a Tenshodo motor which fits exactly but the ones I use are near enough not to be noticed.

The motors fit quite well but do raise the ride height of the tram by about 1mm, which again is really not noticed.

The photo shows one of my repainted static Corgi trams which was motorised and photographed for use here. As it had already been dismantled, the rivets have been replaced by screws as shown below.

The following instructions are to motorise for 2-rail operation, with the additional live overhead instructions at the end.

Corgi 4-wheeled tram lower decks have two rivets holding on the baseplate as shown. After drilling a 1/16th hole in the centre of each rivet, the heads are drilled off until the parts can be prised gently apart.

The 1/16th holes are used for 3/16th No 2 self-tapping screws to fasten all the parts back together when the tram is motorised. An alternative is to use 2-part epoxy to hold all the bits together.

When the baseplate rivets are released the wheels, axles, lifeguards and platform handrails will fall out, the handrails and lifeguards should be placed in a safe place for use later.

The next two rivets hold the platforms on to the lower deck; this has the two sets of stairs attached, which are held in place by a small rivet.

It is best to leave these attached unless the tram is to be repainted, as these rivets are too small to drill out and fix with screws, and if removed the stairs need to be glued back into place.

The upper decks are different in that two rivets fix the open topped type, as shown, and two screws, one at each end behind the destination blind, attach the closed top type.

The upper deck needs to be removed to fit the motor and should be put aside, along with the lower deck windows and seats which are a tight fit but can be slid out, until work on the lower deck is completed.

The platform and baseplate castings should be cut where indicated.

The platform casting where it narrows at the inner end of the platform.

The baseplate where the lifeguard narrows cutting through the edge of the rivet fixing the lifeguard to the baseplate.

The modifed parts are shown along with the lower deck complete with a ¼” hole drilled through the centre of the floor to take the motor mounting.

The motor needs the surplus axle length filed off at each wheel, the wheels painting black and the contacts on the top of the motor bending down so that they do not touch the body.

If either the wheels or the motor contacts touch the body, a short circuit will occur.

First secure the Tenshodo motor in place using the correct sized washer, ensuring that the wheels do not touch the truck sides and the contacts do not touch the body.

The lower deck seats and windows should be refitted, followed by the complete upper deck which should be secured by two No 2 self tapping screws.

Then fit a platform, with stairs attached, to both ends of the lower deck, each secured by a screw.

Finally fit a handrail and lifeguard, these are held in place by the baseplate, to each platform and fix using a screw.

Your motorised Corgi tram is now ready for use on a two-rail wired track.

The completed repainted and motorised Corgi tram in use on Sunderland District Tramways.

As our trams are all wired for live overhead another small hole is required in the lower saloon floor for the wire between the current collector and the motor.

The District trams are fitted with either a Tramalan style trolley pole (made of piano wire) on the open toppers or a PC Trams sprung base trolley pole on the closed top cars, The Corporation trams are all enclosed and are fitted with either a Meadowcroft bow collector or a Sommerfeldt pantograph for current collection.

Tenshodo motors, trolley poles, bow collectors and pantographs can all be obtained from John Whitehouse at East Lancs Model Tramway Supplies and all of our motors were converted to live overhead operation, as required, by Alan Kirkman.

This page and photographs were published in "Tramfare" No 244 (July / August 2008), "Railway Modeller" No 693 (July 2008) and "TramliNZ" (New Zealand tram modelling news) No 43 (January 2009).