3 rail 12volt dc locomotive and tender.

[Steamshed]

I am new to O guage model rail and am looking for a good usable 3 rail 12v dc  locomotive and tender to run on my old Hornby track. 

I would also be interested in carriages and figures. 

I am working on a budget so not hugely expensive items. 

Any help would be very much apreciated. 

 

John. 

[Philou]

Hello Steamshed,

 

Just checking - do you mean O gauge or did you mean OO gauge? If the former, then the tinplate stuff, if the latter, then Hornby Dublo/Trix Twin?

 

By the way, welcome to RMWeb.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

 

[Steamshed]

Hi Phillip. Good to hear from you. 

It is O guage that I am looking for sorry I should have made that clearer. 

 

John. 

[Philou]

Hi again,

 

It may be that Nearholmer of this parish can advise you as it is he who is into O gauge of yesteryear (and probably others). Try dropping him a PM. You may also have better luck if you ask the Moderators to move your topic into 'Scale Specific' where there is an active O gauge section.

 

Sorry that I can't help further - my scale is OO!

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[Nearholmer]

Steamshed

 

a lot depends on what the budget you are working to is.

 

Probably the least costly option, thinking about both new and secondhand, is an ETS 0-4-0 diesel shunter, which is c£150 new, and available to order via W J Vintage. It is a ‘starter model’ of a generic kind, available with wheels compatible with old Horby track.

 

secondhand things for this format are almost universally “collectible”, so tend not to be cheap, i’m afraid.

 

Also, go carefully when it comes to secondhand ETS on eBay, because most of what comes up is 2-rail, and has wheels that tend to jump off of old Hornby track anyway.

 

A good price guide is this excellent on-line dealer https://thestationmastersrooms.co.uk/  His prices aren’t ‘rock bottom’, but you do get good service, and his descriptions are accurate; if he says it works, it works, which isn’t always the case on eBay.

 

If you really have your heart set on a tender loco, the options get a bit more costly ...... one is to buy a Hornby 1950s 0-4-0 tender engine, which are £50or less in good cosmetic condition but with tired clockwork, and fit an ETS chassis, costing about £150. You can do the same even cheaper with a 1950s Hornby tank engine, which can often be found really cheap ..... I paid £2 for mine!

 

Hope that helps, Kevin

Edited August 31, 2019 by Nearholmer

[PatB]

If you're prepared to look across the Atlantic, post-war Lionel and Marx equipment can be had for very reasonable prices, if you can find a supplier with sensible shipping charges. Even with some of the postal charges, the cost of the more common pieces in playworn but decent condition compares very favourably with Hornby, Bassett-Lowke or new coarse scale kit. I have a mid-50s Lionel GE 44-Tonner which runs very nicely indeed on the 12V setting of a universal laptop power brick. I would assume their steam locos would run equally well. 

[Steamshed]

Thankyou for the advise, still looking if any one has anything. 

Working to a budget but good price paid. 

John.