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Hornby dublo


ddoherty958
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The breakdown train packing vans seem a god bargain at 5/-. When Wrenn started selling them ISTR they were a bit cheaper. I bought quite a few and repainted them in bauxite for a cheap standard van! A couple of mine ended up on Airfix meat van chassis for a bit more detail.

 

Interesting to note from the Hattons list there were no AL1 locos left over, no SR driving trailers and no EE type 1 or Deltics! Even the little shop at the end of Battersea High Street were selling those cheap, but not the AL1s. I got mine from Patricks Toys where i worked after school. I managed to get a set of mainline and suburban coaches at trade price through Patricks. But that must have been afet HD had closed down, or maybe after Wrenn took over? 

 

Otherwise Hobby Supplies opposite Chiswick Station provided a good source of the SR EMUs at sensible prices.

Edited by roythebus1
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I remember when Triang took over Hornby.  We had a very good local model shop and one of the assistants showed me a letter from Triang.  It told them they should reduce the price of their existing HD stock.  The letter clearly stated the new prices should be 25% OF the original price.  Presumably Triang were going to make some recompense for their loss.

 

I therefore bought a 2 rail Castle and A4 for 25/- each instead of £5.

 

It later turned out that it was an error.  The letter should have said 25% OFF but they never asked for the models back !

 

I've never met anyone else who remembers this.  Perhaps it was amended quickly and I was lucky being in the right place at the right time.

Rodney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

This had to be an absolute bargain from Hattons,Dublo 2 rail EMU pristine apart from a pair of perished traction tyres.New Marklin tyres and a drop of oil and away it went,i don`t think it had been run that much if at all.If anyone can decipher the address on the box,i`d be interested,it may be Iceland or Auckland,course it could just up the road.Anyway,here`s the photos.

 

 

                                         Ray.

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Idle Saturday morning tea drinking thought...

 

Can I ask the brains trust what batteries were used with the Dublo battery controller?

 

And what was the practical experience?

 

How long did they last?

 

What voltage were they?

 

Dublo stuff tends to draw quite a bit when loaded up but I presume you wouldn't be running an 8f and 30 waggons on one.

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On 18/02/2023 at 09:45, SR71 said:

Idle Saturday morning tea drinking thought...

 

Can I ask the brains trust what batteries were used with the Dublo battery controller?

 

And what was the practical experience?

 

How long did they last?

 

What voltage were they?

 

Dublo stuff tends to draw quite a bit when loaded up but I presume you wouldn't be running an 8f and 30 waggons on one.

Yes remember them well going back to early 70's, 3 day week, high risk days of power cuts.

 

Dad rigged up 3 4.5v ever ready blue batteries in series using metal plates on screw terminals, think supplied with controller, up to layout using double pole switch to a HD battery controller, limited use in regular power cuts on high risk days and nights with no telly, under "tiller" lights, (which seemed brighter),we could at least keep occupied. One loco could be used, no cab control, no common return to dual controller.

 

As about 8 wagons or 4 coaches was the maximum all locos seem to cope but some ran better on pure DC others didn't, triang smoke units ones tended to trip the 1 amp trip switch fitted.  Don't remember the battery needed replacement, but do remember they had a cardboard casing, one battery leaked so all got thrown away by mid 70's then power got back to normal

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I was fascinated by Dublo for a while as it was my dad's introduction to the hobby in the 50s, and in the 90s it was pretty cheap.

 

then, having got a working loop of 3-rail track, the temptation to buy Trix Twin started creeping in.

 

Ended up owning...   

 

N2 x 2, one 2-rail runner, one 3-rail non-runner.   

A4, 2-rail, came without a tender and now has a Triang Scotsman tender as a result

Duchess - 3-rail non-runner repainted in BR express blue  

2-6-4t 3-rail

3x R1s

"Gaiety" N2 bodyshell that i always intended to complete with a working Dublo chassis

Trix warship

Trix GWR 0-6-2T

Trix AL1 - this was my most recent loco purchase in about 2006, saw it on eBay described as Triang R753 AL1 despite being mint and boxed, you'd think the box would be a giveaway,I paid £20 for it.   

GraFar 9400-class GWR pannier, 2-rail

about 8 Trix plastic Mk1s in various colours

2 Trix tinplate carriages with internal 3-rail lighting circuits

Several Super-Detail Dublo Mk1s

Rake of very shabby Dublo pullmans which I converted into an unmotorised Brighton Belle. Never ran right, Dublo pullman bogies were terrible.  Eventually it ended up on Lima Mk1 bogies with new plasticard chassis and ran push-pull with 73101 in pullman livery

One end of a Trix Transpennine, without bogies. now sitting on Hornby 110 bogies.

About 30 Dublo super-detail wagons as these were superior to anything Hornby was selling new in the 90s.

and about the same number of Wrenn wagons.

Few GraFar suburbans in various colours including one seemingly unused unpainted bodyshell

 

 

 

 

Edited by Captain Slough
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Hi Mark,

There is but I don't know what the following is like in Australia. Met some Germans a few weeks back that travel annually to the UK to buy 3-rail but that is a little closer!

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I ran a decent-sized fleet of Hornby-Dublo Super-Detail wagons, all bought used and unboxed in the 90s as I liked the heavy way they clattered over the rail joints and the fact that my freight engines actually looked like they were working hard when given a full rake of them to pull

 

if anyone's trying to build up rakes of matching wagons ping me with what you need. None are mint, none are collectors items, some are weathered, repainted or have a tension-lock coupler on one end to facilitate inter-running with my fleet of Wrenn wagons and non-HD locomotives.

 

As a matter of historical curiosity I also have 2 Triang R577 convertor wagons made around 1965-8 which were sold from the factory with one coupler of each type and were specifically made to facilitate mixed trains of Dublo and Triang/Hornby/modern stock

AllDublo.jpg

Edited by Captain Slough
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  • 7 months later...
On 18/02/2023 at 10:45, SR71 said:

Idle Saturday morning tea drinking thought...

 

Can I ask the brains trust what batteries were used with the Dublo battery controller?

 

And what was the practical experience?

 

How long did they last?

 

What voltage were they?

 

Dublo stuff tends to draw quite a bit when loaded up but I presume you wouldn't be running an 8f and 30 waggons on one.

 

A bit late replying as I missed it back then!

The Dublo controller used three 4.5V bell batteries with screw terminals connected in series. These were very expensive (3 or 4 shillings each IIRC*). It was claimed this would give nine hours operation. They were hefty beasts (presumably would last for ever (or almost their shelf life anyway) powering a door bell) and would have no difficulty powering a Dublo motor. These seem to be no longer available, though the similarly chunky 6V lantern batteries are - at £3/£4 a shot. Wilko used to stock them, but that's no longer an option!

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14 hours ago, sagaguy said:

They were the old Eveready 126 batteries.Modern equivilents are available but at a price.

 

        https://www.smallbattery.company.org.uk/sbc_a6570.htm

 

                       Ray.

Except it says they are out of stock - so no, not available.

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  • 1 month later...

Hello all,

Bit late to this topic as Im a relative new comer to dublo.

Having only been messing about with it for a year or so.

I have read through the whole thread now and have found some interesting information.

Personally I started into 3 rail with a little 0-6-2 train set. Which I had acquired.

I was so impressed with it and the solid nature of the build quality on what was almost 70 years old that it was soon added to with more track and a 4mt with a rake of blood and custard ex lms coaches.

I have pretty much sold off most of my modern built model railway collection and built a 50s style dublo trainset. (Definately not a model railway)

I keep buying all these non running locos and with a minimum of fuss and a quick zap with the re magnetiser. Theyve nearly all turned into wonderful runners.

Its a little addictive. 😂

 

Edited by The Blue Streak
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So the count as of today.

 

2 x Atholl ( one is horse shoe)

1 x montrose

2 x Nigel Gresleys (1 is horseshoe)

1 x silver king

1 x Early motor Bristol Castle

1 x early motor 8F

4  × 4mt tanks ( 1 has a wrenn lms body)

4 x 0-6-2 tanks.

About 15 coaches varying from post war Gresley teaks to super detail MK1's.

And about 30 various wagons, fuel tankers, vans, horseboxes etc.

There is also some dublo platforms, stations, signal cabins, foot bridges, signals and turntable etc.

More recent aquisitions are the must have breakdown crane and operating mail coach.

Theres a tiny bit of 2 rail stuff and a couple of Wrenns awaiting conversion.

 

Reading through that. Theres seems to be quite a bit in a relatively short time. Whoops.

But it was mostly funded through selling off other collections of modern built gear.

 

Yes Id definately say addictive.

But a lot of fun too.

Its So relaxing to pull one of these apart and get it running. 

Rather than the hair pulling experience of modern chinese made models.

 

Today we are running tank engines.

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Edited by The Blue Streak
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On 16/10/2023 at 21:12, Il Grifone said:

 

A bit late replying as I missed it back then!

The Dublo controller used three 4.5V bell batteries with screw terminals connected in series. These were very expensive (3 or 4 shillings each IIRC*). It was claimed this would give nine hours operation. They were hefty beasts (presumably would last for ever (or almost their shelf life anyway) powering a door bell) and would have no difficulty powering a Dublo motor. These seem to be no longer available, though the similarly chunky 6V lantern batteries are - at £3/£4 a shot. Wilko used to stock them, but that's no longer an option!

  

In my teens I cut open 6V lantern battery only to find 4 "D" 1.5V size batteries wired up in series, same with the 4.5V bell battery think they are 3 AA wired up in series. Currently  use 3 AA 1.2 rechargeable in series to power door bell as cheaper than using mains power transformer with high cost of electy

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