Playing with Hornby Dublo 3 rail again

[GeoffAlan]

I have just found this thread!

 

The original video took me back 60 years to my first electric train set. I'd had a very second hand ) gauge Hornby Clockwork set before that with both an 'LMS' and identical 'LNER' 0-4-0 complete with carriages and wagons, before that and being 6 my Dad screwed the HD rail down onto a large board that barely fitted behind the settee in the 'Front Room'* when put away for visitors. (*Always with capital letters.)

 

I ended up some years later with the original duchess of Montrose and two Blood and Custard carriages and a short goods train, plus a BR 4MT and quite a lot of stock I'd bought from pocket money. Pride of place was a bright red brakesdown crane which came with plastic wheels and couplers, so as to be 2 rail compatible. I had a lot more rail and points and laid it straight to the carpet when I wanted to play.

 

My friend Michael had a Triang set and we once settled an argument about respective pulling power by putting a long straight of each type of track end to end with some string between the couplings. The Duchess hauled his American outline, but BR logoed, locomotive backwards as if it wasn't even their. The 4MT did the same, albeit with a little wheelspin! 

 

Happy days and a start to a lifelong interest in modelling, trains and having fun.

[sagaguy]

I wasn`t certain where to post this but it had a Dublo style box.In the Daily Mail today in the answers to questions article,this appeared.

 

                     

 

                     

 

 

I`d never seen one of these before & on making enquiries on other forums,mainly Facebook,these were a limited run by the Engine Works of Canterbury of 25 kits of which only 12 have been accounted for,i wonder where the other 13 are.

 

                            Ray.

Edited January 1, 2018 by sagaguy

[Il Grifone]

I did see the question posted in the Mail, but couldnt be ar bothered to answer it.

 

Just looking at pictures of this horror brings on an attack of claustrophobia!

[Golden Fleece 30]

Hi Ray,

 

It was not really Dublo as bodies, underframes, bogies etc were all resin with no cut outs for a motor but the loco works did do Dublo repairs etc so probably used the blue and white to stand out. There was nothing I know of to suggest Dublo, never classed as Neverwazzas. Their work and spares were quite expensive, if in stock, which often they were not, when I tried anyway. They probably expected people to use a Beetle or Tenshodo flat motor bogie that did not go through the underframes.

 

They were mainly classed as 00 or N gauge repairers with a little second hand. From what I understand their weathering of models was quite good.

 

See the 4DD on the link below

 

Garry

 

http://bulleid4dddoubledeck.co.uk/models.html

Edited January 2, 2018 by Golden Fleece 30

[Robin Brasher]

Tony Cooper makes some replica boxes for Hornby-Dublo and some coaches, wagons, accessories and train sets called Coopertrains. He pays good money for coaches in mint condition and uses some parts for replica coaches. For instance he sells 4064 1st open corridor SR for about £125 to match the coaches that Hornby Dublo did make. The way coach prices are going these will one day be competitive with new coaches.

 

I have bought loads of replica boxes from him for my Hornby-Dublo collection. The boxes are works of art but they do not enhance the value of my collection as they are not original.

Edited January 2, 2018 by Robin Brasher

[Golden Fleece 30]

Tony Cooper makes some replica boxes for Hornby-Dublo and some coaches, wagons, accessories and train sets called Coopertrains. He pays good money for coaches in mint condition and then resprays them. For instance he sells 4064 1st open corridor SR for about £125 to match the coaches that Hornby Dublo did make. The way coach prices are going these will one day be competitive with new coaches.

 

I have bought loads of replica boxes from him for my Hornby-Dublo collection. The boxes are works of art but they do not enhance the value of my collection as they are not original.

Tony's coaches are brass etchings and he uses the donors for the ends, underframes etc. I have been to his house and seen these. One way to tell that they are not sprayed either is that the window edges still show brass. The printing of the lining, numbers etc is similar to Dublo and he told me everything was done, wagons as well etc, within about 10 miles of his house. Not only that but his sides were like all my Neverwazza coaches, they had FLAT sides, and not the Mk1 curve as Dublo ones did. The maroon EMU sets he sold had cast aluminium driving cabs. He said they were slightly smaller as an original was used as a pattern so shrinkage came from that but it was not enough to worry about. The locos are at least painted by Mike Turner who does some of the building too. I did the drawings and had etched smoke deflectors and coupling rods for at least another 25 Spam Cans and Royal Scots.

 

His replica tank wagons at least had original bases stripped and then teflon coated as opposed to paint.

 

Garry

Edited January 2, 2018 by Golden Fleece 30

[Il Grifone]

Tony Cooper boxes will enhance the value, though obviously not as much as the original. I would think you'd get your money back or at least a good percentage of it.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Tony Cooper boxes will enhance the value, though obviously not as much as the original. I would think you'd get your money back or at least a good percentage of it.

At one time people tried to pass Tony's boxes of as origionals so that is when he started putting his name on them to prevent any fraud/deception.

 

Garry

[Robin Brasher]

Tony's coaches are brass etchings and he uses the donors for the ends, underframes etc. I have been to his house and seen these. One way to tell that they are not sprayed either is that the window edges still show brass. The printing of the lining, numbers etc is similar to Dublo and he told me everything was done, wagons as well etc, within about 10 miles of his house. Not only that but his sides were like all my Neverwazza coaches, they had FLAT sides, and not the Mk1 curve as Dublo ones did. The maroon EMU sets he sold had cast aluminium driving cabs. He said they were slightly smaller as an original was used as a pattern so shrinkage came from that but it was not enough to worry about. The locos are at least painted by Mike Turner who does some of the building too. I did the drawings and had etched smoke deflectors and coupling rods for at least another 25 Spam Cans and Royal Scots.

 

His replica tank wagons at least had original bases stripped and then teflon coated as opposed to paint.

 

Garry

Thank you. I have amended my post.

[Wolseley]

I have never understood this obsession that some people have with boxes having to be present and in mint condition.  I would rather buy two excellent pieces of unboxed rolling stock than pay the same money for one with a box.

[cctransuk]

I have never understood this obsession that some people have with boxes having to be present and in mint condition.  I would rather buy two excellent pieces of unboxed rolling stock than pay the same money for one with a box.

 

It's the gloat factor !

 

A childhood spent staring at unattainable blue and white / red and white boxes, stacked on the shelves of the local Hornby Dublo agent.

 

As age (hopefully) brings disposable income, the prospect of fulfilling those childhood dreams of having those (or very similar) boxes stacked on their own shelves is too strong for some people to resist.

 

Whilst I can empathise with that motivation, I prefer to spend my disposable income on the more detailed models that come with modern production methods and kit-building.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[brianusa]

When boxes come with any s/h purchase they're nice to have but not necessary and not worth any extra, except perhaps to box collectors.  I am now old enough to remember toy train shops in the late thirties and early forties stacked with red Hornby boxes, obviously before all this disappeared for the duration.  Being only of tender years then, I have no idea what they contained but the association of red boxes and Hornby trains has remained  and the reason I returned to tinplate trains and occasionally I do happily 'gloat' at those that I have.

 

Brian.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Having just bought a January 1958 Railway Modeller I saw this advert for the Bristol Castle, £4-1s-0d in 1958, and it already has people converting it to 2-rail.

 

Inside there is a double page spread on converting it to 4 different locos and improving its already good looks.

 

Garry

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here is the advert for the new Bristol Castle in the October 1957 RM.

 

Garry

[Golden Fleece 30]

Here you are Ray, a really nice 3-rail layout from October 1957.  The track looks to be Wrenn but I have not read the article yet.  How I wish I had a room this size.

 

Garry

[sagaguy]

Wasn’t this Edward Beals model railway.I seem to recall this layout in the 50s.

 

Ray.

[Golden Fleece 30]

Wasn’t this Edward Beals model railway.I seem to recall this layout in the 50s.

 

Ray.

No Ray,  This was called North Midland built by Theo Pearson.  The write up says probably the oldest 4mm system with a continuous history starting from the very origin of 00.

 

Garry

 

Garry

[sagaguy]

I bought this wreck from Ebay a few weeks ago for the grand total of £34.After lots of Homebase paint stripper & elbow grease,

 

                      c8872fcf9f1c9d0f748b297575682ffe.jpg

 

The ugly duckling turned into this

 

                     20171229_162729.jpg

 

I`m just working on a dummy power car now for my motor drive car to haul.

 

                         Ray.

The finished unit!,I think i have enough now!.

 

 

                      Ray.

 

                

[Wolseley]

Wasn’t this Edward Beals model railway.I seem to recall this layout in the 50s.

 

Ray.

 

 

No Ray,  This was called North Midland built by Theo Pearson.  The write up says probably the oldest 4mm system with a continuous history starting from the very origin of 00.

 

Garry

 

Garry

 

 

If I recall correctly, Beal's railway was called the West Midland, which seems rather a coincidence.  Was there some connection between the two?

Edited January 20, 2018 by Wolseley

[Golden Fleece 30]

If I recall correctly, Beal's railway was called the West Midland, which seems rather a coincidence.  Was there some connection between the two?

No idea, I have heard of it but as yet never seen any photos or write up.  Having read this one last night it was interesting to read he made all his own track, started before the war, using 1/8" x 1/16"  brass strip soldered to brass sleepers every 3" or so and then gluing card sleepers between.

 

Garry

[NCB]

Theo Pearson's North Midland was mentioned in another thread fairly recently. Remarkable stuff. The water in the harbour was real. And it all started pre-war. That 1957 RM magazine was the first one I had, remember it well.

 

Also remember the RM with the Bristol Castle announcement in it. It was another year before I managed to get my hands on one, as a combined Birthday and Christmas present. A few years later I converted it to 2-rail myself; in retrospect not sure I'm too happy about that! By 1957 I'd taken over the 3-rail HD stuff my brother had, and still have it, plus stuff I added to it. Keep meaning to give it a run out. Probably hasn't been used for 50 years. There were a few things I wanted but money was a bit tight, like the 2-6-4T. Keep on being tempted to try an Ebay purchase!

[roythebus]

Back to the Bullied DD train, there is a Facebook Bullied 4DD group. In fact there's 2 motor coaches left in existence, one just up the road from me at Sellindge and the other at the Lamport Railway in Northampton. They have a record of where most of the kits went.

 

As for converting 3 rail to 2 rail, in the mid 60s I done quite a few conversions, patiently cutting alternate driving wheel spokes with a saw, filling the gap with Araldite, put them in the oven to cook, then doing the other spokes once the first lot had set! Jones Bros at turnham Green used to sell plastic bushes that I used for bogie wheels.

Edited January 21, 2018 by roythebus

[detheridge]

IIRC there were some pics of Theo Pearson's North Midland railway in one of the Model Railway Constructor Annuals. Unfortunately there were no further details. As well as HD locos, it looks like the coaching stock may have been Exleys, and there are some rather chunky freelance locos there as well.

[Golden Fleece 30]

IIRC there were some pics of Theo Pearson's North Midland railway in one of the Model Railway Constructor Annuals. Unfortunately there were no further details. As well as HD locos, it looks like the coaching stock may have been Exleys, and there are some rather chunky freelance locos there as well.

Exley coaches are my preferred choice above any other (my you tube videos will vouch for that and look on the Exley thread) and better still if hauled by a Hornby Dublo loco.

 

Garry

[Ian Kirk]

Hi,

A photograph of the North Midland was on the cover of the First "Plans for larger Layouts".    As a boy I was fascinated by this picture and hankered for the chance of real water on my Layout.  As a teenager I built a layout in the attic of the family home and laid the baseboards on the bar of the A frame roof which was about chest high.  I screwed plywood across the bottom of a couple of joists and sealed this with polythene and bitumen. This was then filled with water. If my parents had known what was above their bedroom.... Fortunately it did not leak and I used up my tight radius Triang track inset in card to  build quite an extensive harbour system. (THe main lines had "scale" track) Minic clockwork boats and ships could negotiate the sections of real water dock.  I removed much of value when I left home but enough remained to remind me when I cleared the house some years ago after my Mother had died. It was a sort of Model Railway Archaeology.

best wishes, 

 

Ian