Zinc Pest Strikes Again

[Il Grifone]

I've just found this:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-Dublo-3-Rail-Pre-war-Style-Wagons-circa-1948/392820465295?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225076%26meid%3Deeeb0f92ffc7444eb4e33713a1d0f2a7%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D363008367508%26itm%3D392820465295%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWebWithBBEV1Filter%26brand%3DHornby&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

These (or least the four that still have bits of the underframe casting*) are pre-war wagons (note the couplings- I don't think any of these were released post-war except possibly some of the first sets from 1947?**). The GWR van is quite rare, but unfortunately one side exhibits severe corrosion(I have a post-war one like this!). The others are common. I suppose at £10 each the offer is not out of the way (especially considering the seller). A couple of half-decent wagons could be made up but I can't say how much longer they would survive. The GWR van should have a white roof and appears to have acquired the metal finish roof from the LMS van. (Later examples of LMS vehicles had grey roofs. I'm not sure when they changed, possibly with the restamping?)

 

* Apparently pre-war printings survived the war (how?) and all pre-nationalisation Dublo wagon bodies are pre-war up to about 1950/51. This is the date of introduction of the 'Esso Royal Daylight', 'Power' (less hand) and silver 'Esso' tankers (despite what it says in the 'bible' - I received these for Xmas 1951and wondered why the box stated 'Power Ethyl, but the tank itself didn't). My opinion is that they ran off some more of the others about this time, missing some of them which accounts for their rarity. Missing would be the GWR wagons (less the cattle truck), the LNER high sided wagon (obviously also the version with coal load), all the SR wagons and the LMS cattle truck.

The sintered iron wheels appeared at about the same time (1951?).

 

**Mythical (export only?) creatures like post-war LNER articulated sets. (The articulated coaches as supplied in pre-war sets are all 3rd and Bk/3rd (with consecutive numbers like the real thing) whereas the post war sets included a1st/3rd and Bk/3rd as separate coaches. The full 3rd was available as a separate coach, but I don't recall it advertised. I do remember some being cleared in 1954 (with grey roofs).

 

Does anyone know anything further?

Edited May 31, 2020 by Il Grifone

[BR60103]

I have a full 3rd with a white roof. Bought in the 60s; our hobby shop had a shelf full of teak coaches.

 

[Il Grifone]

Yes the white roof was normal. They just cleared the last stocks with the grey roofs of the BR version. It's easy enough to swop them.

 

There are two variants of the end, with brown or, usually, black gangways. It has been suggested that the brown is to represent a non-corridor coach, but that should have both sides with compartment doors.

The third appears much rarer than the other variations. I only have two (1 brown, 1 black). I suppose this is to be expected, as the sets have 1st/3rds and Bk/3rds.

[D51]

The 3rd class LNER coach was advertised, but not illustrated, in the Hornby-Dublo leaflet for 1954/55 and in the Bassett-Lowke catalogue for 1954.

The price was 9/- for UK, and 7/9d. or $1.75 for overseas.

 

Frank

[Il Grifone]

I missed that! It was probably preferred to sell the BR version (they never did a third in BR livery) and these were cleared to the larger retailers. I never saw one in my favourite local toy shop, only in a large (ish) shop in Plymouth (Lawson's) when we were on holiday (1954 or 1955). They also had the TTR Diesel Flier so it was probably 1955.