locomad2

Track magic read on this forum years ago it was actually ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) same stuff put in some power steering bottles in cars. Tried it on one of the tracks, worked wonders, I took advice and found only needed a very small amount cuts down cleaning, less stalls on points Still need a track cleaner, current 2 rail layout has over 75 yards of track and 45 points

Thank you Ruffnut Thorston for the information on the wagon really interesting, I never knew that peco made a different wheel for triang track nor actually came across any. The peco type T wheel will certainly never go though peco streamline code 100 points as a unalterable wheel cannot be adjusted, unlike the triang pin point or even the siding axle, just look the difference Nor did mine have pin point on the axle Does the pin for the coupling actually pull out ? And swop for a peco one ?

Seem to have acquired a habit of collecting old made kits, old die-cast wagons etc and came across quite cheap a 2nd hand Wills die-cast track cleaning wagon, having read about it in the HD "bible" took a chance and purchased it. Not really seen many about perhaps too useful. Surprised to see Peco type T wheels designed for triang track, need replacing plus is there a box fitted to the outer side lugs?, know the handles Picked up too a GF wagon didn't realise they had tin plate roof easy to repaint

I've had quite a few wrenn, most perform as well as Hornby dublo but there has been quality issues, armatures tend to fail, plastic inner wheels cracked and the metal tyre falls off, paint work on some is patchy. However cracked plastic wheels especially pony truck tend to happen on Hornby Dublo, after all they are mostly over 60 years old

Interesting thread having both 3 and 2 rail layouts which have got larger over the years what different locos can haul means a lot to us, as mentioned locomotives of the same type class etc can perform vastly different. I've a few castles all 2 rail some quite easy haul 7 SD coaches other can't manage 3 why ? Swop motors hardy any improvement, watching the ampmeter some use 0.4 amps othere exceed 0.6 yet yet quite happy racing round a track for hours. Drag, rolling resistance, value gear, type of oil, magnet strength, armature condition type of wheel, all make a differance One thing I can be sure of, those locos I've had over 50 years been used constantly over the last 5 decades generally preform the best, like a 2-6-4T 80033, 2 rail quite easy to pull 50 HD wagons around a track with minimum of 3ft curves on an absolute flat track, the 2 later make a lot of difference, probably why 3 rail don't perform as well sharp curves!

Never noticed that 3 rail weaker than 2, have both, however the current 2 rail is a lot larger with 9 foot siding, 3ft radius curves and point. So perhaps never really tested long 3 rail trains. This allows at least 40 wagon 2 rail trains and have noticed locos work better, perhaps the sheer momentum of heavy wagons prevents stalls which you get more with 2 rail especially on insol frogs points. As for reversing almost impossible with tension lock hence peco hd coupling, often just to get started a loco needs to reverse whole train just to get started just like real thing

Lost posts seem to be happening more frequently

My only experience with armatures are Wrenn ones and perhaps some repaired HD ones, mainly the commuter to wire solder has failed. Repair is hit and miss, you have to clean the very thin wire, tin it and solder to commuter, i use lead solder, it takes some practice. Rewinds are time consuming can be done by hand again its the soldering which is tricky, wit a broke armature you have nothing to lose

Somewhere on here someone made a layout boards using plastic corrugated stuff similar to estate agent boards, I've used it to made some large 00 building and structures very durable easy to cut and glue

Noticed it myself good decade ago on some of my modelling projects made in the 1970's, mainly military plus a few railway stuff like smoke deflectors, very brittle especially the thin stuff. Having used scrap stuff noticed too old bank cards ie credit cards go brittle with age although these are thicker, paint etc doesn't seen to protect them nor left in dark boxes. What really is brittle is Hornby Dublo 2 rail track sleepers while peco tends to go soft

I do understand why 30 odd years ago you picked these coupling about the same time I decided these were about the best tension lock about. Small closer fitting better than others, did airfix make a wider one ? Easy to fit in a box and fit on other stock. At the time did have some HD wagons and locos but decided not to convert them as planned to buy what I considered more realistic and newer models. Fast forward to today, as prices went up found toy fairs etc HD stock more available and a lot cheaper, so was stuck with peco/HD coupling, also my layouts got a lot bigger so now 50 wagon trains are common. I do like shunting and discovered 50 wagon trains with peco coupling can reverse without derailments not quite so with tension lock

In a way yes, but in my opinion due to covid, 2 years of in and out lockdowns drove people back to housebound hobbies gardening, DIY, walking, plastic kit building etc etc and of course model railways. Myself during this time finished off all unbuilt kits, brought forward retirement plans and taking to others all similar experiences. Swap meets are fewer fleebay took off, prices rose, some took advantage and sold stuff, others made good use of stuff left in boxes for years and built bigger layouts

My experience over last 50 years running and operating layouts with larger than average fleets of locomotives is that reliablabity is worth something. Hornby Dublo, Wrenn are excellent but need constant oiling, Older triang in almost same class, then closely followed by Lima especially their Diesels and older motors. I've a few Lima Diesels Detics, class 37 etc and odd steam one Crab etc, they look quite good, were good value in their day and just go on and on and don't fail. Mainline, Bachmann, Replica, newer Hornby, both margate and China are just a joke

Yes it was HO, but I've seen on sale a OO one made later. I purchased a working Class 33 HO for £2 in 1990's when HO was not popular, runs well

It has one fault if you call it a "fault" using traditional cab control (common return) if you drive both on double tracks in opposite directions they wipe out not only digital radio but WiFi and mobile signals as well.

I too disagree, in agreement with Coombe vale. I've 2 Jouef class 40's both over 40 years old and run very well, quite capable locomotives, I have however noticed they need a good 20 volts to get going quite capable of handling this voltage

Never though 45 years ago when I built this might it become "collectable" Always worked well, nice little runner, never had model coupling fitted used only chain link

According to my late father timber was "rationed" as late as 1957, you could only by it at "official" timber yards and for DIY restricted to 7s and 6d per week. So his first house layout took 6 months to build as you could only buy so much per week. Apparently "Sundeala" was not rationed at the time as it was sold as loft installation and someone though this would make idea base for layouts

Yes done similar jobs in the past, my childhood (2nd layout) got saved, cut up transported to my 2nd house ( into attic), then reused parts on my existing 7th layout. I've also moved from garage to summer house then bedroom, one just needs to think, take care but it saves a lot of rebuilding Use hand tools to cut sundala, try to cut right angle, you might from underneath need to add extra supports and leave a gap to cut between. The main reason is to stop vibration using power tools, track needs to be removed or cut with a dremel. Wires if need cutting need proper labelling easy to repair using block connectors. If chicken wire then plaster used in scenic mountains that can be a problem, you need to support after and repair, Polystyrene or form easy to cut though using a large hand saw very slowly expect some damage at edges

Yes I've come across it and the link is Wrenn, this time on a Barnstaple WC I purchased cheap from a toy fair about 10 years ago, body was in a poor condition with similar cracks on the body, also came with it a tender which clearly the body paint work had faded. Unfortunately I've no photos it quickly got stripped using grit/sand blast gun, and repainted, the tender was matched to a similar Wrenn/HD WC which also had a faded "beige" paintwork. Interesting this body has a HD tag under the running plate, and the tender a HD tag also, the running plate in black has a poor match near the smoke detectors. Prehaps someone could tell us the correct paint used did HD use acrylic? or emumal, plus never really matched the colours exactly All my repaints of mazak bodies have had a cellulose primer used (car paint), was a primer used in manufacturer?. I've also had issues with early Wrenn or very late Hornby dublo (made at wrenn) quality, burnt out armtures are quite common, and faking paint jobs on wagon chassis

My view is you can have both, a really good well detailed locomotive which looks right has excellent chassis/motor/ drive system which is powerful reliable etc etc and doesn't cost the earth Just Hornby at present doesn't offer such, I've paid good money over the last decade for Hornby products and they have all fallen to bits, failed to pull what they claim, suffered mazak rot, etc etc Myself with retirement looming I am going to concentrate on super detailing extisting locomotives mainly Dublo as they have proved to be RAMD products. The locomotive generally breaks down to body, easy super detailed, and chassis, I've already added to the range by building bodies, old K's, Wills, Airfix kits etc and using Dublo or old triang chassis. I rather spend the time than wasting money on products which don't last a few years, that Simon bloke on the Hornby telly program tells us Hornby trains are purchased for a lifetime pity they don't last as long. A Dublo WC Barnstaple cost about £5 in 1964, that's been in use for nearly 60 years on 7 layouts with many hours of use and still going strong, Hornby MN lucky to get 3 years use and cost £150

WWW "means world wide web" to me it means "what went wrong", Hornby has become like nearly all other manufacturers obsessed with turning out stuff which looks good, expensive, but doesn't last, easy to break, doesn't work, and can't be repaired. 4 decades ago I ended up on a American Quality control program RAM-D, meaning Reliable, Assessable Maintainable, and Durable, something to do with keeping B52 Bombers flying for years to come, they are still flying. Then I noticed, collected and kept things which I knew would last, RAM-D products I call them, Land Rovers, Hornby Dublo trains, LEGO, Meccano, British made tools etc etc Now i notice stuff purchased in 1980's has lasted both garage and train room have stuff like 1980's radios, wolf power drills, H&M transformers etc etc (generally stuff purchased since has failed) Recently lady friend purchased a modern Dyson v10 cordless hovver ~ £300, its crap, lasts a out 10 minutes on a full charge, takes 4 hours to recharge, unlikely to last a year, filter already causing "computer error", so out comes from Railway room, my 40 year old Kirby Hoover to finish the job, now that's a RAM-D product

I couldn't find it either prehaps pre 2010, so I've taken apart the one I've done, Body - 2 large lugs which hold the dinky push along chassis, drill out the rivets to remove the chassis, file or cut away front lug and thread the rear lug, you might to remove or file a small amount off Looks like I added a few lead plate weights. Chassis I've used a Hornby 0-4-0 chassis produced in the 1980's, looks like I removed something at the rear and fitted a bolt which fits into the body The front held on by a push fit of the cylinders looks like I filed a small amount off the chassis Kept the original coupling hope this helps

Brilliant film just watched it on utube so thanks for the info, yes large 3 rail O gauge layout featured in the film plus a discussion about Royal Scot tenders, did anyone spot a very young Stanley Baker policeman plus another Sam Kidd brief appearance. Film itself quite gripping

I assume you mean those 2.5mm brushes either brass or graphite plastic peco? sold years ago, think fitted to wonderful wagon series and K's kits. Myself never used them on standard HD chassis as I never found a way to drill the hole from inside, however found they worked well on old Triang non pin point axle stock. They are easy to push the old axle out leaving a big hole which just needs enlarging a bit, then pressed in with new pin point axles already in place with wheel. Here's a old Britannia tender fitted years ago, Never got round to repainting the axle boxes so shows well pushed in graphite plastic brushes, peco type A wheels, about 1:75 slope test. Peco type A and standard HD plastic wheels can be bent in to fit, however found over time this causes the axle never to be properly straight and causes wagon to wobble over time. Standard HD wagons you can remove the axle holder and replace with standard 2 rail plastic wheels, with peco wheels the axle is longer and often find 2nd hand HD wagons fitted with them years ago ( 3 rail to 2 rail conversions), and have the pin point bit of the axle cut off crudely with something like wire cutters. I've often come across so called "mint" HD wagons at toy fairs, HRCA collector's meets etc with tin plate wagons in mint condition in original blue boxes, cardboard inserts ( coupling protectors) etc only to find Peco type A wheels fitted, such is the joy of buyer beware