Converting 2 rail models to Hornby Dublo 3 Rail?

[Leicester Thumper]

Hi all.

 

I do seem to be obtaining quite a little collection of HD stock and track. I already have enough to start the layout, but considering that i bought the majority of it 5 years ago or more, whenever I try to buy a loco I seem to be out of touch with the prices. I have had an idea (albeit not a new one) to convert some Triang Hornby and 1980's and 90's Hornby models to 3 rail so they can join my small fleet of locos. It would also help me add a little variety. 

I just wondered, I know that there used to be such conversion kits available to carry out this modification, do these kits still exist? or is there a supplier of said conversion kits? I have some curiosity of devising a conversion myself, So I don't feel deterred even if no such conversion kits exist anymore. 

 

I was also wondering which locos would be the best to convert, obviously diesels can be a given choice most of the time due to the design of the chassis, particularly where one bogie is motorised and the other is a dummy. 

 

I also wondered if anyone here has done such conversions before and wondered what the results were.

 

I am currently searching the forums as I typoe looking for information.

 

many thanks, LT

[TheSignalEngineer]

I did several for my HD layout in the 1970s and 1980s. Usually it was by fitting either a home made or HD pickup depending on the underside clearance, sometimes it had to be on the tender. to improve rail contact i usually connected the two-rail pickup to the chassis return or sometimes reversed one set of coupled wheels. My conversions included Hornby Hall, Ivatt 2-6-0, Pannier and Class 47, Jouef Class 40, Airfix 0-4-2T and Fowler 0-6-0, Lima Crab, Warship and 94xx.

[DCB]

 I have done quite a few conversions the other way 3 rail to 2 rail  and just a couple from 2 to 3 rail and the main problems are finding somewhere for the pickups and getting adequate traction, with plastic bodies.

Even standard 3 rail locos are a bit feeble traction wise compared to 2 rail my old H/D Duchess of Montrose used to struggle with 4 coaches in 3 rail days, now with 26mm Romfords and 2 rail converted it sails along with 8 heavy H/D coaches and has managed 24 mixed Hornby/ Bachmann / Lima coaches..

There is little room under most 1960s to 80s Triang Hornby chassis as the centre gear wheel prevents the use of  the H/D "Spoon" type pickups so when  I did  convert a Triang Jinty chassis to 3 rail for a Gaiety Pannier and I had to use two pickups one in front of the worm wheel and one behind, each with just one contact and fixing them to the chassis was not easy..

    I think If I were converting a tender engine to 3 rail I would use the castle or 8F 3 rail tender with the vertical plunger pickups either as is behind suitable locos or as a pattern.  but I would suggest that you use cast white metal kit bodies to get enough weight to pull a reasonable load..For wheels  Non Insulated Romfods on Markits  Triang conversion axles might be an answer

Ironically the flanges on the early Triang chassis with mazak wheels can easily be ground down to suit H/D rail but the 60/70s  wheels with steel tyres  cannot easily be turned down..   

[Leicester Thumper]

I see. I might have to do some investigating. 

I had thought about trying an airfix 31 or a triang 31. the tender engines do seen rather easy in some cases, I am very tempted with a Hornby B12.

 

thanks for the feedback, interesting about the traction comparisons as well.

[DCB]

The old Triang 31 is pretty nasty as it has plastic armature bearings, a plastic fatigue prone brush holder and plastic axles and effectively all the driving wheels are insulated, the Lima Chassis is a much better bet as the trailing bogie has a plastic frame to which a skate or pair of plunger pickups can be fitted.

I doubt the current B12 motor is up to hauling H/D stodk, but I do have several older Triang B12 and Hall chassis with various bodies and Hornby Dublo (2 rail) wheels weighted down with lead.  However they can't equal a Hornby Dublo Castle pulling power being limited to 7 Triang Coaches up a 1 in 35 where the Castle takes 9 or to 15 H/D wagons where the Castle takes 19., and an 8F takes 22 or more   

[Golden Fleece 30]

I have been converting my old Tri-ang locos to 3-rail to run on both Dublo and modern Peco track, it is not really that difficult to do depending on the loco.  I have even turned the steel tyres down on very old Tri-ang locos and it is not that hard to do, there will be an article in RM in the not too distant future on how I have done this.  I also fit non insulated wheels all around  so do not have to rely on any pick-up wires.

 

The pick-ups range from standard Dublo to my own designs which can vary from loco to loco.  I have used centre pick-ups on a Dublo 8F chassis when a tender is not needed like the WR 2-8-0 tank.  The photo below shows the Airfix 0-4-2 tank.

 

One interesting loco I did recently was the Lord of the Isles which now pulls 9 Exley coaches very well without slipping.  A lot of these are on YouTube  under Garry Hall.

The latest loco conversion is the modern Heljan/Hattons Beyer Garratt which is also on You Tube.

 

[Il Grifone]

The old Triang 31 is pretty nasty as it has plastic armature bearings, a plastic fatigue prone brush holder and plastic axles and effectively all the driving wheels are insulated, the Lima Chassis is a much better bet as the trailing bogie has a plastic frame to which a skate or pair of plunger pickups can be fitted.

I doubt the current B12 motor is up to hauling H/D stodk, but I do have several older Triang B12 and Hall chassis with various bodies and Hornby Dublo (2 rail) wheels weighted down with lead.  However they can't equal a Hornby Dublo Castle pulling power being limited to 7 Triang Coaches up a 1 in 35 where the Castle takes 9 or to 15 H/D wagons where the Castle takes 19., and an 8F takes 22 or more   

 

I would agree with the criticisms of the Tri-ang 31 bogie (also the EM2 which differs only in the frame casting), but seeing so many have survived it can't be all that bad. They are easier to find than the Lima version (which I would agree is superior) and fairly easy to convert with a pickup under the unpowered bogie.

 

The B12 I've converted is quite powerful and will pull five Dublo coaches without any additional weight. (I find most Tri-ang conversions will only manage three.) I find later Tri-ang wheels are quite happy on Dublo track. Hornby and Lima run perfectly.

 

The Dublo legacy is their wheel standards which were adopted by Hornby about the time it ceased to be Tri-ang - Hornby. It's unfortunate that they kept the awful Tri-ang Mk III tension lock coupling rather than the Peco/Dublo type IMHO. My 3 rail conversions (and BR stock generally) get fitted with these.

Edited December 14, 2015 by Il Grifone

[Golden Fleece 30]

I am looking at putting two motor bogies in the EM2, for some reason this is the only Tri-ang loco that has a motor mount at each end of the body.  I know it is not quite the same as the standard end but it has a moulded section with a hole in which saves trying to glue plasticard in place.  There are a few other things on the cards so it will be a while before this is done especially as I need to work out the 3-rail pick-up on a low bogie.  That might mean a new base plate for the wheels made from copper coated paxolin/fibreglass but I will wait.

 

I do like the B12 chassis also and have one modified for 3-rail and waiting for some valve gear as I have it under an old Replica B1 body.  Another is waiting in the wings for different valve gear as this is hopefully going under a Bachmann V2 body.

 

The L1 is not bad too as seen here.

 

 

Garry

[DCB]

Lots of people seem to be disposing or old mazak non insulated Romford Drivers, both in store and on Ebay   Ideal for 2 to 3 rail conversions....

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here is a photo of the Tri-ang Lord of the Isles steel tyred wheels I turned down against a set of original ones.  I actually find these easy to do, also the 2-6-2 with tyred wheels and with plain solid wheels.

 

Garry

[The Tri-ang scale modeler]

Hi guy's I am doing a bit of a complicated  project, I am modifying my Tri-ang 1950's R.55 diesel to a CD Rom motor to work on Hornby Doublo Track (I've shortened the chassis of a HST from Hornby Railways too do so) but I am curious about the actual conversion standpoint. I understand you could have gotten a miniature power converter for S scale American Flyer trains (AC-DC) from Radio Shack, but the two stores that I've been too closed and needed some input of where I could get something smaller, that I could acquire for the performance of the locomotive.  when I get around to making the power pickups and I am curious on  how to do that as well, do If you lot could inform me on any RM Web magazine tutorials or DVD's that I could acquire, that'll be pretty excellent or just simply explain of what I might be able to do. and yes I am aware this diesel needs touch ups and a spot of gloss varnish, what would you recommend to get that Doublo feel?

 

And I do apologize for all the Edits, just a bit confused of the information I should type  

Edited September 9, 2017 by The Tri-ang scale modeler