Dublo handrail wire and split pins

[numpty]

What is the diameter of the thin and thick handrail wire and split pins that Hornby Dublo used?

 

Can anyone suggest a supplier for the handrail wire and split pins?

 

Thank you.

 

[MikeCW]

22 hours ago, numpty said:

What is the diameter of the thin and thick handrail wire and split pins that Hornby Dublo used?

 

Can anyone suggest a supplier for the handrail wire and split pins?

 

Thank you.

 

I use stainless steel wire, available from my local hardware chain store. Though I live in New Zealand I'm told the same or a similar product is sold in UK hardware stores.

I use two sizes: 1.0mm and 0.8mm diameters.  The heavier wire, though marked as 1.00mm, is nearer 1.2mm (at least my batch is) and is a good match for handrails on older Dublo engines such as the Duchesses and A4s, the 0-6-2T and 2-6-4T. The finer wire is good for later models such as the Bo-Bo (see below) and for some Wrenn products.

 

 

The wire needs to be cut to length (don't use expensive Xuron shears!) and straightened.  Clamp one end in a bench vise, grip the other end in decent pliers. and pull hard, at the same time praying that the wire doesn't come out of either the vise or the pliers.

 

I use split pins which are available at a very reasonable price from Modelfixings in the UK. More details about these and a comparison with Dublo originals is in the post below.

When I use 0.8mm wire I sometimes use the 1.2 mm split pins, crimping them up on the wire with pliers.  Finer split pins sometimes don't seem to "fill" the holes in the body sides sufficiently.

 

Duchess of Buccleuch is a repaint with 1.2mm stainless steel wire handrails and Modelfixings 1.2mm split pins.

 

Bo-Bo  D8036 is another repaint but this time using 0.8mm stainless steel wire with 1.2mm split pins.

 

Finally, Sparrow Hawk in early BR guise (yes I know that she didn't haul the 1928 pattern corridor tender as modelled by Hornby Dublo, and that "British Railways" on the tender side isn't  level!) has 0.8mm wire handrails with finer Modelfixings split pins.  I'm not that happy with the result for a couple of reasons. As I noted above, the split pins don't "fill" the original holes in the boiler casing sides.  Also, at least to my eyes, they don't look sufficiently like Binns Road products, the style I'm trying to retain.  One can't make a "scale" A4 out of the venerable Hornby Dublo casting and I'm careful not to try. So my other A4 repaints have reverted to 1.2mm wire handrails which are very close to the originals.

 

Hope this long-winded response is of help.

 

Mike

 

 

Edited February 12, 2020 by MikeCW
Clarification

[gtis]

Hi 

I used these

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A2-Grade-Stainless-Steel-Split-Cotter-Pins-Metric-Imperial-Small-Medium-Size/371947238706

and these

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-X-0-7mm-diameter-Nickel-Silver-modellers-wire-300mm-long/113187761911
but like Mike says the holes are too bit in the body but when I sprayed with Matt black paint and Matt lacquer seems to help

neil

Edited February 12, 2020 by gtis

[Il Grifone]

When in the distant past I indulged in exercises like detailing Dublo products*, I plugged the holes. IIRC I used matchsticks and wire insulation, but I was fitting proper knobs rather than split pins. I do have a box of the latter, but can't remember where I got them and it was decades ago anyway.

 

*In my defence, I plead that they were the best/only available at the time.

[MikeCW]

18 hours ago, MikeCW said:

When I use 0.8mm wire I sometimes use the 1.2 mm split pins, crimping them up on the wire with pliers.  Finer split pins sometimes don't seem to "fill" the holes in the body sides sufficiently.

 

I should add that another reason for using split pins that fill the body-side holes is that, when spreading the tails of the pins inside the locomotive body (always a struggle), split pins which are a loose fit in the holes will tend to open up around the handrail wire,  Pins which are a snug fit in the body-side holes will remain crimped around the wire. This both looks better and holds the handrail straight.

 

Also, having looked again at my photos of the wire coils, it looks like the thicker wire is labelled as 1.0 mm and not 1.2 mm. Careless of me! However, when I put the dial calipers on the thicker wire it came out as around 1.1+ mm. I don't think that that the difference matters much in this context! The main thing is that it's a good match for HD handrails. I've edited my original post accordingly.

Mike

Edited February 12, 2020 by MikeCW
Clarification

[locomad2]

Use 0.6mm mig wire, split pins aldi often sell sets with very small split pins in.