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New Beginnings in 0 Gauge - Hornby Tinplate!


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In the 1950s we travelled everywhere by train. Our longest journey was to the Highlands for the entire school summer holiday. My first encounter with model railways was when my cousin set up his Hornby 0 Gauge train on my grandmother’s kitchen floor. The tinplate station and all its accessories fascinated the four year old me, as my older cousin focussed on running operations! 

 

While on holiday a fortnight night ago I found some odd model railway items, as well as a great range of railway books,  in a secondhand bookshop in Chorley. One of them was the Hornby 0 Gauge No. 1 Buffer Stop. Here was the start of my next CakeBox! A new beginning for that first model railway inspiration.

 

WizardTrains here on the Forum has created building designs in the same style as the tinplate models. I would like to create a little scenario - a section of siding with a wagon, accessories and backdrop emulating the bright colours of those early tinplate models.

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/135983-Hornby-tinplate-looks-using-corel-draw

 

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Edited by Marly51
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Thanks BrianUSA and Dickon - I am reading a bit about the history of Hornby and tinplate trains just now. This New English Library large format book, ‘Model and Miniature Railways’ by Patrick B. Whitehouse and John Adams, cost me £6.95 in 1976! Some useful information and photographs of the trains and accessories.

 

Marlyn

 

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Congratulations!

 

If you want an accessible history, a bit deeper, but not too deep, go for “A Century of Model Trains” by Allen Levy.

 

If you want depth, “ Clockwork, Steam and Electric” by Gustav Reder.

 

Slippery slope you ‘re on.

 

Kevin

 

 

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40 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Congratulations!

 

If you want an accessible history, a bit deeper, but not too deep, go for “A Century of Model Trains” by Allen Levy.

 

If you want depth, “ Clockwork, Steam and Electric” by Gustav Reder.

 

Slippery slope you ‘re on.

 

Kevin

 

 

 

Hehe - Thanks Kevin! As if I don’t have enough projects!

Edited by Marly51
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A while ago I came across a website for a company which produces model railway backscenes, including some naive interpretations for 0 gauge tinplate and ‘Thomas’ layouts. I hope to produce something like this for the Cake Box model.

 

https://www.qualitybackscenes.co.uk/the_gallery.html

Edited by Marly51
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I am waiting for some old Hornby track to arrive before I draw/mock-up my plan for this Cake Box Challenge. I have found a couple of Dinky Toys figures which were produced as accessories for Hornby 0 Gauge. They are detailed as white metal unpainted, I am wondering if these might be reproductions? 

For the little diorama I am planning, it will incorporate:

 

- Hornby buffer stop 

- section of Hornby 0 Gauge track

- Hornby tinplate open wagon with a ‘drop in ‘ coal load

- platform made from card with paper textures to emulate Hornby tinplate buildings

- Dinky Toys Fordson flatbed lorry

- backscene in the style of Hornby tinplate buildings

- low relief lineside hut, scratchbuilt in the style of Hornby tinplate buildings (if there is space)

 

I do have these lovely white metal 7mm scale figures from ‘S&D Models Phoenix 43, which I could attach to small bases to fit in with the toy like nature of the scenario! 

 

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Edited by Marly51
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2 minutes ago, OOman said:

Hi Marly51 I can’t wait to see your start on the cakebox. I’m a keen fan of Hornby 0 gauge and look forward to seeing your progress.

 

Oldies like me have happy memories of Hornby 0 Gauge. As a youngster, it was not not the done thing for us girls to be interested in trains, but some of us still got involved with either our dad’s or brothers layouts, even if it it was only to focus on the buildings and scenery. :)

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2 hours ago, OOman said:

Hi Marly51 that’s a great find, I like die-cast models especially with some age and history.

I presume you are going to paint the wagon.:good_mini: 

 

Could do OOman, but not sure I should just leave it? The rubber tyres are still intact, but one is a bit mis-shapen. I have seen some good videos about refurbishing die-cast models.

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One reason we like these old toys is for the years of fun they have played in peoples lives.  Certainly I have repainted some Dinkies and tyres are available, but generally I let them remain in played with condition as are most of the Hornby trains.:mellow:

     Brian.

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One thing I am enjoying about these mini CakeBox projects is the opportunity to explore different scales, railway histories, model manufacturing histories, real and fictitious scenarios, etc :)

 

I have a tinplate wagon, but it is a clip-on version with no buffers and ‘plastic’ wheels? Still reading background history of Hornby 0 Gauge tinplate and assuming this would have been part of a cheaper toy train collection? Because I am using the buffer stop, I have purchased another wagon which has buffers and the automatic  ‘hook and loop’ couplers.

 

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Edited by Marly51
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I have this Hornby ‘M Series’ Station dating to 1930/31 as my reference for creating the Hornby graphic style in  the CakeBox model. The grey open wagon (‘M Series’ scale) is much smaller than the standard 0 Gauge brown tinplate open wagon with automatic couplings. Unfortunately there is not enough room for the brown wagon, plus the buffer stop, which I would have preferred. :(

 

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Edited by Marly51
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Hi Marly51 that is a shame but I think your cakebox will look nice still with the grey M series wagon.

Are you going to keep in with the original way as I know the track bed was always painted a dream colour and the surrounding area of grass were painted green. The other thing you could do is instead of painting most exhibition layouts and a green cloth under the trackbed. :D

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4 hours ago, OOman said:

Hi Marly51 that is a shame but I think your cakebox will look nice still with the grey M series wagon.

Are you going to keep in with the original way as I know the track bed was always painted a dream colour and the surrounding area of grass were painted green. The other thing you could do is instead of painting most exhibition layouts and a green cloth under the trackbed. :D

 

I have some grass mat to cover the main part of the base. Think I’ll try and keep the model toy-like, with figures on bases, coal staithe as a drop-in feature. May model part of a building in the style of Hornby Tin-Plate, with a platform at the back, so that the coal lorry is above track level in the background area.

Edited by Marly51
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