Playing with Hornby Dublo 3 rail again

[amdaley]

I do have another Triang EM2 that i can fit Hornby R8096 wheels to if i ever get a double track of catenary right around the layout,to have two EM2s running at the same time would be great.The problem i have been pondering is how to get the wires insulated from each other at junctions as they are two seperate circuits with their own controller.Hmmmm!

 

              Ray.

 

Don't know the system so this might not make any sense at all ?

Insulate one of the overhead wires & one of the track circuits  where it crosses at the junction.

If the loco picks up from both over head contacts & both wheel sets it should always have power at all times & won't pick up from both controllers at the same time.

As I said it may be a hair brained idea 

[sagaguy]

Hi,the loco doesn`t collect current from the track at all,it just acts as the return from the OHLE,the pantographs are the sole feed to the motor,iv`e thought about N gauge plastic rail joiners on a small section of custom made contact wire.Looking on the bright side,Magnadhesion seems to work on the tinplate track!!!.

 

                             Ray.

[Il Grifone]

The area where the overhead lines cross will have to be insulated for a length long enough to ensure that the pantographs do not short across the sections. A short length of insulated wire should do or even plastic rod. Strictly I think only one pantograph should be used at a time (?), but we can ignore this (modeller's licence).

 

Magnadesion will have a limited effect on Dublo track but the break in the magnetic circuit due to the brass rail will weaken its effect quite seriously. Of course, some Dublo track does have steel rail.

 

You could use Trix fibre track as intended for their catenary. This has nickel plated steel rail. Some surgery would be needed to connect to Dublo track obviously. 

[sagaguy]

Hi David,Woodhead EM1s & 2s almost never ran with only one pantograph,in fact,every photo in my books on the Woodhead route shows both pantographs in use,possibly to help in the regenerative braking system used.I only have one illustration which shows 26002 on test on the GER out of Liverpool st using one pantograph only.

 

                     Ray.

[John Isherwood]

Magnadesion will have a limited effect on Dublo track but the break in the magnetic circuit due to the brass rail will weaken its effect quite seriously.

 

I'd have thought that the tinplate base of HD 3-rail track will act quite adequately to complete the magnetic circuit - it doesn't have to be in direct contact, surely.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Golden Fleece 30]

I do have another Triang EM2 that i can fit Hornby R8096 wheels to if i ever get a double track of catenary right around the layout,to have two EM2s running at the same time would be great.The problem i have been pondering is how to get the wires insulated from each other at junctions as they are two seperate circuits with their own controller.Hmmmm!

 

              Ray.

Easy Ray.  Insulate the crossover wire from BOTH circuits then give it a feed from a single pole double throw switch powering from one circuit or the other.

 

Just use a Hornby Dublo green switch, that is what I do for the centre rail in the diamond crossing.

 

Garry

Edited June 23, 2017 by Golden Fleece 30

[Il Grifone]

I'd have thought that the tinplate base of HD 3-rail track will act quite adequately to complete the magnetic circuit - it doesn't have to be in direct contact, surely.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

 

Iron has a a far lower reluctance than brass or air, so some loss of attraction will occur. Even with Tri-ang flanges the air gap will be about 1/16".

 

I'll try a practical experiment....

 

 

Not that I'm an expert on electric traction. The Tilbury line uses EMUs* (which don't count  ) and freight traffic is in the capable hands of classes 66 and 70. The others I recall are these:-

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FS_Class_E.656

 

A couple of poor attempts at digitally copying slides (which weren't all that good to start with). Imperia about 40 years ago. The catenary still shows signs of its three phase origins.

 

 

Edited June 24, 2017 by Il Grifone

[sagaguy]

Just a thought,has anyone thought of building a Bulleid spam can from the body & chassis castings available from Wrenngalore?.

 

                             Ray.

[Golden Fleece 30]

 

Just a thought,has anyone thought of building a Bulleid spam can from the body & chassis castings available from Wrenngalore?.

 

                             Ray.

 

Ray,  I have used a couple of their bodies which are good but not the chassis blocks.  I was not going to start drilling, tapping and cleaning up the chassis castings.  On one loco I acquired a proper Wrenn chassis and the other I modified a Dublo A4 chassis.  For tenders I do not like the Wrenn/Dublo version so used the old Tri-ang ones.  It was after modifying the A4 valve gear I had a few replica etched sets of valve gear made, but do not like the cylinder blocks as they are the wrong size and shape for the Spam Cans, they should be flush with the body sides.

 

Garry

[Il Grifone]

 

Just a thought,has anyone thought of building a Bulleid spam can from the body & chassis castings available from Wrenngalore?.

 

                             Ray.

 

 

It's something I've considered, but SWMBO would never approve of the cost - £45 IIRC for the casting and £12 for the etched blinkers plus engraved plates, chassis and a tender. (Perhaps I could sneak it in.    )

I've got the plates for 'Wadebridge', to be fitted to an Airfix body on an HD A4 chassis fitted with Wrenn driving wheels and bogie. I have a choice of trailing trucks Wrenn and Hornby but neither will fit without modification. I must get on and finish her. A (long term project - note 'Airfix' and not 'Dapol'.)

[sagaguy]

What started the train of thought is the aquisition of a set of Hornby BFB wheels,as Garry knows,i have m/c tools in my garage & could probably make certain parts as i needed them ,maybe a project for the future.If any one wants an exercise in frustration,making the coupling rods on my 5" gauge Austerity 2-10-0 run without binding,much fettling going on!!!.

 

                        Ray.

Edited June 26, 2017 by sagaguy

[Wolseley]

A few weeks ago I purchased a Hornby (as in present day Hornby) maroon streamlined Coronation body with the intention of fitting a Dublo Duchess mechanism to it, to give me something a bit different to run.  I recently purchased, on eBay, a Duchess of Montrose (minus tender) and it arrived today.  After I detached the chassis, I looked more closely at the body, to find that it was in much better condition than it seemed to be from the photographs.  Aside from a few scuffs on the raised edges, one otherwise undamaged smoke deflector that has lost a bit of paint, and one short scratch on the boiler, it is rather good - most of what appeared to be deterioration and damage in the photographs turned out to be dirt.  It is also one of the Montroses finished in gloss during the brief period Dublo applied gloss finishes to their locomotives.

 

In short, the body is too good to consign to the dustbin.  I don't need another Duchess, (I have five, including the CPR conversion and streamlined one I mentioned above) but the body is sitting on top of the printer, looking at me as I type this, and is crying out to be rescued.  It looks as if, once I find a chassis and tender, I will have six of them...

[Golden Fleece 30]

A few weeks ago I purchased a Hornby (as in present day Hornby) maroon streamlined Coronation body with the intention of fitting a Dublo Duchess mechanism to it, to give me something a bit different to run.  I recently purchased, on eBay, a Duchess of Montrose (minus tender) and it arrived today.  After I detached the chassis, I looked more closely at the body, to find that it was in much better condition than it seemed to be from the photographs.  Aside from a few scuffs on the raised edges, one otherwise undamaged smoke deflector that has lost a bit of paint, and one short scratch on the boiler, it is rather good - most of what appeared to be deterioration and damage in the photographs turned out to be dirt.  It is also one of the Montroses finished in gloss during the brief period Dublo applied gloss finishes to their locomotives.

 

In short, the body is too good to consign to the dustbin.  I don't need another Duchess, (I have five, including the CPR conversion and streamlined one I mentioned above) but the body is sitting on top of the printer, looking at me as I type this, and is crying out to be rescued.  It looks as if, once I find a chassis and tender, I will have six of them...

Here are two of the later Hornby Streamlined Coronations fitted to both a Dublo and Wrenn chassis.  The early Margate ones were too short (and fitted on a basic A3 chassis) but the Chinese versions are full length.

 

Also a clip of them both running on 3-rail with matching Hornby coaches.

 

Garry

[Il Grifone]

It's something I've considered, but SWMBO would never approve of the cost - £45 IIRC for the casting and £12 for the etched blinkers plus engraved plates, chassis and a tender. (Perhaps I could sneak it in.    )

omis

 

The blinkers are now £10 and the body less chassis block is available for £35. (Vade retro Satana....).

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WRENN-Model-Railway-Bulleid-Spam-Can-Body-Chassis-Block/152041725751?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

My streamlined Coronation is a GBL body on a Dublo chassis. I still need to file down the cylinders to fit inside the body.... She will then be renamed as 6237 'City of Bristol'. I did think to repaint some Dublo coaches with gold stripes to match (as Trix did for their model), but decided against it as 1. too much trouble and 2. the real coaches spent the war in the U.S.A. anyway.

 

As bought, the GBL model represents 6229 masquerading as 6220 ready for her trip to the states, but before the headlight was fitted. As 6220, she should be blue not crimson.

 

There is a Wrenn version but it is basically the K's kit on a Wrenn chassis. (I doubt that haulage is a problem with this combination!)

[Golden Fleece 30]

There is a Wrenn version but it is basically the K's kit on a Wrenn chassis. (I doubt that haulage is a problem with this combination!)

 

Very expensive and in my opinion not too good.  Wrenn actually returned more than half of the K's castings as not being suitable and I know I have only seen about 5 or 6 in the flesh and about a dozen in photos (Ebay etc) the lining is rubbish.  Every one seems to have it lifting where it crosses the some of the boiler bands and some is not straight.  Along with that the old Tri-ang tender tops were used which had raised mouldings for the lines.  a lot of people like them but in my opinion that will be as a collector not for something well made.

 

Garry 

[Il Grifone]

As I said it's a K's casting.....    

 

And the less said about the tender the better. I have one on which I started to remove the raised lining. I gave up half way through! ('Raised' is one thing, but  these exaggerate.) The rest of it ended up under something else! (A Dublo tender underframe always finds a home!)

 

David

Edited June 28, 2017 by Il Grifone

[Wolseley]

Playing with Hornby Dublo has had to take back seat to a kitchen renovation, as half the contents of the kitchen cupboards are now sitting on the dining room table.  Once things get back to normal, this locomotive, which I finished painting a few days ago, will be the first one to be given a run:

 

[Wolseley]

My current project is a restoration of a Hornby Dublo A4, and is something I hadn't planned on doing.

 

It began with the purchase of three locomotive bodies, a Ringfield Castle, an A4 (Golden Fleece) and a City (the nameplates were missing, but I'm pretty sure that it was a City of London rather than of Liverpool) for a fairly nominal amount.

 

The Castle looked as if it might be beyond repair and, when I received it, it obviously was.

 

The City was the one I wanted.  I was planning to repaint it and fit a Duchess chassis (a three rail City chassis would have been too hard to find and too expensive and a Duchess chassis can, with a bit of work, be modified to suit).  The City body, however, proved to be in poor shape.  It had been repainted (no real problem there, just a bit more work) but looked as if it had been sandblasted prior to painting, with all the sharp details of the moulding rounded off or eroded to the point where they were indistinguishable.  So it joined the Castle in the bin.  I subsequently bought a Wrenn City of Glasgow body, but that's another story.....

 

The A4 was the one out of the three I hadn't given much thought to - after all I already have two of them (OK, so I have five Duchesses.....) - but it turned out to be in the best condition of the lot, albeit with missing paint and a third of the transfers (including most of one nameplate) missing.  It seemed too good to throw out, so I bought a spare A4 chassis, which arrived a couple of weeks ago, and a tender, which arrived a couple of days ago.  I am planning to paint it in BR light blue, but when I will get around to it I'm not sure.

Edited July 28, 2017 by Wolseley

[sagaguy]

That`s a shame about the City body,My HD locos that i have retored & repainted have been two rail chassis converted to 3 rail.The chassis & bodies are a bit of a mine field,HD City chassis are different to Duchess chassis in body fixings along with Wrenn chassis & bodies.My City of Liverpool & others.

 

 

                       Ray.

 

                 

 

                 

 

                 

 

                 

 

  

[Wolseley]

The chassis & bodies are a bit of a mine field,HD City chassis are different to Duchess chassis in body fixings along with Wrenn chassis & bodies.My City of Liverpool & others.

 

I haven't tried doing it yet, but it seems to me to be fairly straightforward to fit a Duchess chassis to a City body - file a bit off the top of the chassis at the front, drill a new hole in it for the body fixing screw, and fabricate an extension to the back of the chassis.  I'll give it a go when I've finished with the A4.

[sagaguy]

Late Wrenn City chassis are the ones to watch,different fixing again.I had to provide a new fixing.

 

 

 

                          Ray.

 

 

                                  

[GeoffAlan]

After a very second hand Hornby O gauge tinplate clockwork I had from being too small to lay track or wind up the 0-4-0 locos (There were two), I got a brand new Dublo set with Dutchess of Montrose, two Blood and Custard carriages and three assorted goods wagons, plus Guard's van for Xmas 1956! Over the next 10 or so years I added a 4MT Standard Tank, a red crane with auxiliary wagons and more goods wagons. I then spent a lot of time slot car racing before returning to model railways, this time in N gauge!

Every time I visit Locomotion, Shildon I look at their Dublo layout on display and smile.

Yes the third rail and tin plate track was not as accurate as modern two rail track, but it stood up to a five year old's track laying and playing remarkable well. Something no currently available system could survive, IMHO.

[Golden Fleece 30]

 

My current project is a restoration of a Hornby Dublo A4, and is something I hadn't planned on doing.

 

It began with the purchase of three locomotive bodies, a Ringfield Castle, an A4 (Golden Fleece) and a City (the nameplates were missing, but I'm pretty sure that it was a City of London rather than of Liverpool) for a fairly nominal amount.

 

The Castle looked as if it might be beyond repair and, when I received it, it obviously was.

 

The City was the one I wanted.  I was planning to repaint it and fit a Duchess chassis (a three rail City chassis would have been too hard to find and too expensive and a Duchess chassis can, with a bit of work, be modified to suit).  The City body, however, proved to be in poor shape.  It had been repainted (no real problem there, just a bit more work) but looked as if it had been sandblasted prior to painting, with all the sharp details of the moulding rounded off or eroded to the point where they were indistinguishable.  So it joined the Castle in the bin.  I subsequently bought a Wrenn City of Glasgow body, but that's another story.....

 

The A4 was the one out of the three I hadn't given much thought to - after all I already have two of them (OK, so I have five Duchesses.....) - but it turned out to be in the best condition of the lot, albeit with missing paint and a third of the transfers (including most of one nameplate) missing.  It seemed too good to throw out, so I bought a spare A4 chassis, which arrived a couple of weeks ago, and a tender, which arrived a couple of days ago.  I am planning to paint it in BR light blue, but when I will get around to it I'm not sure.

 

Its not too difficult to fit a Duchess chassis to a City loco, here is one of mine, the top one.

 

Garry

Edited July 28, 2017 by Golden Fleece 30

[Golden Fleece 30]

Late Wrenn City chassis are the ones to watch,different fixing again.I had to provide a new fixing.

 

 

 

                          Ray.

 

 

                                   20161106_091342.jpg

This Wrenn chassis is also used for their A4, using different valve gear pinned into plastic clips.  The rear end has an extension plate screwed on for use on the City locos.

[Golden Fleece 30]

 

My current project is a restoration of a Hornby Dublo A4, and is something I hadn't planned on doing.

 

It began with the purchase of three locomotive bodies, a Ringfield Castle, an A4 (Golden Fleece) and a City (the nameplates were missing, but I'm pretty sure that it was a City of London rather than of Liverpool) for a fairly nominal amount.

 

The Castle looked as if it might be beyond repair and, when I received it, it obviously was.

 

The City was the one I wanted.  I was planning to repaint it and fit a Duchess chassis (a three rail City chassis would have been too hard to find and too expensive and a Duchess chassis can, with a bit of work, be modified to suit).  The City body, however, proved to be in poor shape.  It had been repainted (no real problem there, just a bit more work) but looked as if it had been sandblasted prior to painting, with all the sharp details of the moulding rounded off or eroded to the point where they were indistinguishable.  So it joined the Castle in the bin.  I subsequently bought a Wrenn City of Glasgow body, but that's another story.....

 

The A4 was the one out of the three I hadn't given much thought to - after all I already have two of them (OK, so I have five Duchesses.....) - but it turned out to be in the best condition of the lot, albeit with missing paint and a third of the transfers (including most of one nameplate) missing.  It seemed too good to throw out, so I bought a spare A4 chassis, which arrived a couple of weeks ago, and a tender, which arrived a couple of days ago.  I am planning to paint it in BR light blue, but when I will get around to it I'm not sure.

 

Here are my Dublo A4 repaints, all 34 BR A4's. 60001 is bottom right and 60034 top left.

 

Garry