It’s my greatest pleasure collaborating with John Prentice on this first-class book of Hong Kong Tramways. Amazingly, John and I haven’t meet in person – we started contact via emails when I was impressed by his large size HK tram model. We worked on this book with the office of Mr. W. H. Tsang who has been acknowledged, just as the co-authors, Peter Atkinson and Alan Williams of the first edition had done with generous assistance from Mr. J H W Salmon.
John visited Hong Kong in 1981, 1990 and 2005 and supplied numerous valuable photos in the book. He is the Chairman of the Tramway & Light Railway Society, a registered educational charity that spreads knowledge about tramway history and tramway modelling, John also organizes the annual event, Festival of Model Tramways, a gathering of model tram enthusiasts.
Alan Williams served in the Royal Navy and worked with Atkinson on the first edition in 1965, published in 1970. Being a tram enthusiast and tram driver, Alan has enjoyed his time working with us for this book and is happy with our new edition. He set up the Tramalan kit of his beloved Hong Kong trams of 1950s style and regularly visits Hong Kong.
On 9 February afternoon, Alan visited the Whitty Street tram depot, accompanied by Antoine Sambin, Commercial & Corporate Affairs Manager. The workshop is unique – trams are built in-house, the individual parts are produced in-house too. It’s memorable for Alan holds the 1st edition book together with Antoine holds the new edition.
It’s generous of the co-authors, Alan and John, to sign their names in the book. A pity is Peter cannot be with us.
Steven Chan, senior engineering manager for Hong Kong Tramways, praised the outcome of the new edition. Chan was an aircraft mechanic before joining the company in 1996, drew up the plans for electrical upgrades on trams, keep using DIY equipment and homespun techniques. Chan has retired and working as consultant for HKT.
I took a view of the book and tram 120 together before sending a copy to Wirral Transport Museum, where two HK trams of 1950s style are running. 
A great surprise received from the museum on 21 January when the volunteers showed the book with two HK trams parked ‘face to face’. It is definitely a special crossover for both trams in HK and UK, feeling like they are running together.
Yip Woon-cheong has worked for Hong Kong Tramways for over 40 years, introduced by his uncle. Yip’s parents and brother also worked on the trams. He joined the company in 1965 and became an inspector then promoted to senior inspector (副總稽查), training the drivers until his retirement. Yip is a ‘dictionary on trams’ and has a great collection of tram models. The photos in the book bring back his memories.
I have to also express gratitude to Tim Runnacles (溫禮高), who supplied fruitful pictures and descriptions for the post-1970 section. Tim was a Chief Transport Officer of the Transport Department, worked on the Tuen Mun LRT scheme from 1977 to 1985, and associated with Hong Kong Tramways and the Peak Tram from 1985 to 1993. He also undertook a consultancy study of HKT for Transport Department from 1999 to 2001.
The management of HK Tramways is impressed on the fruitful book contents, and is now available on sale on HKT website.
https://hktramways.com/en/tram-souvenirs-detail/37/
Detailed book reviews can be found from the below pdf and the link.
http://www.orientalmodelbuses.co.uk/Books/HKT-3.htm
120號的魅力，在其懷舊的外表。120號有什麼獨特的歷史意義呢？要從戰後說起。
車廂方面，120號座位總數為68，比「戰後式」電車的63為多。上層為2+1式籐椅，下層為直排對坐長櫈，頭等乘客在前門上落，三等乘客則在尾門上落。
為了延續120號的歷史，1991年10月，電車公司決定將原車120號退役拆毀，由Leeway建造新車身，以砌車的方式將同期退役的86號的部分車件，如下層長櫈和散件廣告舊物再用，令120號重生。
下層櫈底的「86」字樣，可以證明是源自退役的舊86號。車廂下層亦特別裝有一塊水牌，說明是仿照當時年代而建造。
所有「戰後式」電車的下層車尾，都有一個電阻箱 (resistor box)，行車時外表會燙熱，乘客有機會被燙傷。2001年，復刻版120號基於安全緣故，將車尾的電阻箱移到車頂。
因此，復刻版120號是取代了1949年的120號，結合了原裝120號 (上層前後大窗) 和戰後式 (路線牌較低) 的特點，同時保留了車底的救生網 (lifeguards)和英式控制器 (controller)。而車廂的圓形燈泡和籐椅，在其餘電車使用光管和塑膠椅的對比下，更顯特色。
