Kit BK32: Brussels rebodied class 5000 series bogie cars

Brief History

• The 5000 class was ordered early in 1935 to be ready to carry the huge crowds that were expected for the 1935 World Fair. The order was for 25 double-truck wooden-bodied fast trams, mounted on license-built Brill 84E trucks.
• These were the first bogie trams in Brussels. The builder was Ateliers de La Dyle et Bacalan at Louvain, Belgium and the class were numbered 5001 - 5025. Delivery came on time and the cars proved to be good, fast and reliable, as expected.
• All were immediately pressed into service on the exhibition routes. They lasted to the end of the downtown city routes in 1976, when the North-South pre-metro tunnel opened.
• These original series 5000 cars may be built from BEC-KITS number 40.
• Following severe damage, some cars were rebuilt after the war. These rebuilds varied widely and only cars 5006, 5020, 5021 and 5023 can be made from this kit. 5006 and 5023 were rebodied in steel in 1964-65 following accident damage and were rebuilt in the streamlined style of the then classic Brussels P.C.C. class 7000 series (BEC-KITS number 31). 5020 and 5021 were given quite similar bodies a little earlier for the same reasons.
• Other rebuilds included 5001, which kept its wooden body but was altered in the late forties to feature a third centre door to test the 'Peter Witt' passenger flow method, which was to be used on the then projected P.C.C. class 7000 fleet.
• 5016 was completely rebuilt inside, while keeping its original wooden body.
• 5018 was altered in 1948-49 as the first prototype of the new Belgian designed car, based on the P.C.C. patents. This car had a mixed construction streamlined body (composite wood/aluminium) and, depending on the period, P.C.C. or other experimental trucks and electrical equipment. This car only had 2 sets of doors and is now at the Brussels Tramway Museum, Woluwe depot.
• In 1976, the four rebodied cars, which can be modelled from our kit, were withdrawn from service and subsequently converted into works cars (towing cars).

Kit special features

• This kit has two unmotorised bogies. A matching pair of MEEQ motorised bogies is available separately.
• The whitemetal trolley pole supplied is non-working. Later, this was replaced by a single arm pantograph. The working pantograph in the photograph is not supplied but can be purchased separately using SOM938.
• Decals are supplied for Brussels.
• Other similar kits for Brussels are also available:
  • 31 Brussels 7000 series P.C.C. car.
  • 40 Brussels 5000 series original car.

Construction options

• Either the 1960 rebuilds or 1964 rebuilds can be made from the parts supplied in this kit.
• The later version can be modelled by carefully removing the ribbing on the front and rear fenders (this applies only to some rebodied cars, depending on the date chosen for the model).
• The 1960 rebuilds do not have the rubber window inserts and for exact accuracy these should be carefully filed away.
  • 1960 rebuilding: (earlier version) cars 5020 and 5021 have the traditional trolley base part 14a, no rubber window inserts, fenders filed or not.
  • 1964 rebuilding: (later version) cars 5006 and 5023 have the P.C.C. trolley base part 14, together with rubber window inserts and levelled fenders.

Bibliography

• Friswell, N C (ed). 2007. Tramway Review No. 211 September 2007. (5000 series article) LRTA. ISSN 0041-1019.
• Hoogerhuijs, Herman van't. 1996. Trammaterieel in Nederland en België. (Page 84) De Alk bv, Alkmaar. ISBN 90 6013 948 8.
• Van den Ostende, Carlos, & Pattyn, Willy. 2000. 50 Jaar/Ans PCC Deel 2: Belgian cities & rest of Europe. (Page 7) H. K. (Luxembourg) S. A. ISBN ?.

Download instructions

• BK32 Brussels rebodied class 5000 Instructions in English
• BK32 Brussels rebodied class 5000 Parts list and assembly drawing