Hornby DUBLO 3 RAIL

[BOARD OF TRADE]

I have over the years modelled most scales etc.but have started to buy some 3 rail Hornby Dublo stuff to make an 8 x 4 layout in a garden shed that the wife has had built in the garden.

Years ago I got a Triang train set,aJinty.a Green EMU with an illumunated V at the front and three short LMS coaches.I wll never forget the excitement of seeing the Train Set box and the red and yellow packed delights inside.

My cousins had a Hornby Dublo 3 rail layout which we couldnt play with together except if I added my coaches and we joined the couplings with cotton thread.

Anyway whilst my 2 rail Triang seemed more realistic than the 3 rail Dublo system I never forgot the lovely bright red etc of the tinplate coaches with printed windows and the trucks with printed sides etc.

Anyway I have decided to create a LAYOUT(yes I know it's unfashionable) and play trains again.

Are there any people as interested etc in this old fashioned theme?

I wonder why there is no Hornby Dublo group on this website. 

Just a thought.

Les

[brianusa]

There  is one under collectibles but very underutilised.  Looks like most herein are OOers who don't dabble with toy trains and have put away their childish things to operate miniature railways instead!  I have a Hornby O tinplate layout and I doubt if there are many here who are interested either.  Fortunately there are dedicated forums to both systems with a very active content .  Check out the Hornby Railways Collector Association site.

 

Brian.

[andy2308]

Les, you're not alone!

 

I've been collecting HD 3 rail for years and I'm in the process of building an exhibition layout at the moment (I have a blog here too)

 

Even though as kids we had triang 2 rail, there was always something the sight, sound and smell of 3 rail tinplate that mesmerised me from an early age!

 

Cheers

 

Andy

[Dublodad]

Hi Les and Andy,

 

I would suggest that you should check out the HRCA web site. I know that Brian is a member, but is isolated in the USofA. If you have a real Dublo interest, there are HRCA local group meeting throughout the UK. These are are listed on the site in the "public" area. Feel free to visit any of the local groups, if you can. I am sure that you will be welcomed by the Dublo and "O" gauge "nuts" (like me) who attend.

 

Terry

[andy2308]

Thanks Terry - I am a member of the HRCA but still haven't yet made it to a meeting!

[Colin_McLeod]

As well as HRCA there is a place called RMweb where us Dublo 3 rail fans can exchange ideas, pictures etc.

 

The link shows my HD in my previous house. Just about got it going again in my present house and will post some pics on this thread shortly

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/70/entry-218-Hornby-dublo-3-rail-in-cork/

[Dublodad]

Hi Andy

 

You should try a meeting, it can be addictive. No doubt you read the meeting reports in the journal. I cannot access the HRCA site at the moment, but i would think that the Wessex group in closest to you in wildest Dorsetshire. I have never been to that group, living in rural Berkshire, the Thames Valley and Chiltern Hills groups are my normal ones.

 

hope to meet you at a meeting one day.

 

Terry

[daftbovine]

Although I never had Hornby Dublo 3 rail as a child, I have always liked it and have started to put together a collection so I can eventually build a layout. There's something very captivating about Hornby Dublo trains racing round a layout.

 

Unboxed HD items can occasionally be found here at reasonable prices so when I see something I fancy I usually buy it. They may not be very accurate but Dublo locos are easy to work on, robust and have been built to stand the test of time.

[Jenny Emily]

My first train set was HD 3 rail, because it used to be so cheap to buy secondhand. My Father and I used to have an exhibition layout that did the rounds in varying forms until about 2005. There are still a lot of items in display cabinets at my parents' house, and an R1 and a City of London live here along with a tray of the super detail Mk I coaches and occasionally get a spin on Trinity Road. 

 

The biggest problem these days is the old controllers. The wiring in their flexes has become potentially lethal, and I have yet to find a modern controller that tolerates the high current draw and the frequent shorts when the pick up skates go through pointwork. 

[Colin_McLeod]

Jenny have you tried the H&M controllers? Duette etc.

I am using a Codar 2000 purchased from E Bay a number of years ago. The Codar controllers were made in the 1960s when nealy all trains had a higher current draw so were designed with that in mind. They were also ahead of their time in that they had "momentum" and "brakes" which work very well with my HD locomotives.

[Dublodad]

Hi Jenny (love your Trinity Road threads)

 

I normally use Dublo A3 controllers (1955 vintage) and I have had no problems with the flexes. They can be replaced, but the rivets need to be drilled out. Others use H & M or Gaugemaster. The motors should only take a maximum of 0.65 amps, so any modern electronic controller of 1 amp capacity should be Ok. My 1970's Codar controller runs them.

 

If the Dublo motor is taking more than 0.65 amps, it is need of some TLC and probably a remag. The motors were built to last, hence locos from 1938 and 1939 still running, mazac rot permitting. Meccano identified the causes pre the second unpleasantness, yet they still get it wrong in China 60 plus years later.

 

Terry

[Jenny Emily]

We ran the trains from several A3, and A2 and a C3 controller (With the T15 Transformer). The problem was that the insulation on the wires on the flexes (and by inference, the electrics inside the metal cases) was degrading and my Father and I felt that they were becoming potential death traps if they continued to be used. I would suspect that any mains electrical equipment from a similar vintage should be viewed now with extreme caution.

[andy2308]

I've used two Duettes for the new layout (built them into a new panel) only reason I didn't re-use my A3 controllers was that I find low speed control difficult and wanted all of my controllers housed in one central control panel.

 

Mine have held up pretty well, the flexes are in good order and they sailed through their pat test last year so they've been relegated to the loft layout.  

 

The old H&M stuff is pretty bomb-proof and should go on for years, also there's no rubber cables inside.

 

Your old controllers could be rewired quite easily.

[Dublodad]

I have never had a problem with any of the flexes on my eight A3;s. Damage would usually occur at the exit from the casing or the plug end, I have never seen a perished flex on any Dublo transformer. The internals of an A3 are "built like Tanks". I am more sceptical of the flexes of A2 or T15 transformers, because the flat flexes have thinner cores which wlill be more prone to break where "bent" at the exit from the casing. Testing would confirm problems in this area.

 

I agree that low speed control can be a problem with A2 and A3 controllers as the level of control is dependent on the current draw of the individual motor. Of course the next Dublo controller - the Marshall II and Marshall III overcome this being variable transformer controllers. The downside being the limited steps on the controller ( Seven each direction on a Marshall III).

 

A modern 1 Amp electronic controller should be ideal as suggested earlier.

 

Terry

[andyman7]

Although there are other sites out there, I would encourage you to make use of the collectable/vintage topic on this site. It's only underused if folk don't use it! Whilst the main focus of this site is modern/scale there's a good fount of memories/recollections to be mined. As someone who likes modern scale modelling but also collects vintage RTR I like being able to wander between themes....

[antrobuscp]

Interesting thinking back to 1950s models. My first layout was Triang - the grey plastic based track, some very short coaches and early Princess locos. I was mainly interested in operating and found the Triang simply too temperamental, and switched to HD 3-rail for reliable running. I built up a big layout - 2 circuits plus separately controlled goods yard and coach sidings. I added the Trix overhead system to part of it so could "juggle" 4 trains on the 2 circuits. All wired on cab control - helped with electricity and circuits in Physics classes. I still have a few locos converted to 2-rail that work well using an H & M Powermaster. Simple, reliable, and built to last.

[Jenny Emily]

I'll need to find some-one to do some rewiring - I don't like messing with anything that's on the mains side of a transformer! Just a word of warning though, my Grandmother's house a good few years ago suffered a fire caused by the insulation around its 1950s vintage wiring breaking down. My Hornby Dublo controllers passed PAT tests at every exhibition they went to and were used at up to 2005, but I still wouldn't trust them now. All it takes is insulation to break down enough for the live wire to touch the case the once, and it's game over, isn't that a bright light I'm heading towards, are you St Peter....?

[Nedrahn]

I agree with the above regarding controllers - I've yet to find anything that can defeat a good H&M. I suppose that's asking for one to go bang the next time I switch it on.

 

I've been picking up some 3 Rail stock lately. Don't ask me why, apart from the fact that they were very cheap. The latest is a 4MT Standard Tank, which had been broken down for conversion to 2 Rail. I guess the project was abandoned a long time ago. I've reassembled it as 3 Rail. Crude though it might be, there's something about 3 Rail. I always love seeing vintage H-D layouts at shows, with that wonderful clatter as the trains go round.

 

I've had a 3 Rail N2 for years. Some time ago I tested it on Marklin stud contact track (powered by a DC controller). To my surprise it ran well. Now that I've got some more stock, I fancy repeating the experiment. There's only one problem: where have I 'carefully stored' the track? When I feel brave enough, a journey into the wilds of my loft might be called for.

[Dublodad]

Hi Jenny

 

Within the HRCA groups that regularly attend, we connect the transformers via an RCD(s). This should trip if the case becomes live.The most important core in the mains cable being the earth core. The integrity of this is essential on non "double insulated" piece of electrical equipment.

 

Terry

[Jenny Emily]

We used to be members of the HRCA in the 1980s/90s. Back then no-one talked about rewiring controllers. I've looked at one of the old A3s, and the flex is crazed on the outside. When I take the plug off and check the wires within, I can rub what feels like a gritty dust onto my fingers from the insulation. The plug is not going back on; this controller is at the pining for the fjords stage. Whilst the flex might be easy enough to replace, I have to wonder about the insulation used within the transformer and the other bits inside the case that cannot be replaced. The thing is that there is every chance that it would work if plugged in, but would you want to be touching it whilst it is?

 

One option might be to try the Gaugemaster controllers intended for the larger scales as I believe these will supply a bigger umpf to juice hungry motors and may be more tolerant to the occasional brief short of the skates bridging the rails on points.

[BR60103]

Jenny

For the shorts where the skates go through point work, try wiring a car lamp bulb in series. We use a lot of these on our layouts.

We note that a block with a couple of HD or Wrenn locos may cause the bulb to glow a bit with the current draw,

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...I've had a 3 Rail N2 for years. Some time ago I tested it on Marklin stud contact track (powered by a DC controller). To my surprise it ran well. Now that I've got some more stock, I fancy repeating the experiment. There's only one problem: where have I 'carefully stored' the track? When I feel brave enough, a journey into the wilds of my loft might be called for.

Some years ago now I saw a private layout laid with Peco's Streamline and the Marklin compatible stud contact they used to sell, switchable to enable either of 2 rail or 3 rail operation. Never have I seen H-D perform so well, the easy curve radii and large rad Peco points a big difference from seeing the stuff crashing about on tinplate 3 rail track.

[Colin_McLeod]

I have 3 rail locomotives on my tin plate layout (see post #6) but I also have HD 2 rail locomotives on my main layout and I agree with 34C that they run extremely well on the more gentle radii.  I have an 8F that runs ever so sweetly all over the layout, and also a Deltic that trundles wherever I send it without any hesitation at all - including over pointwork and double slips.  It runs at scale speed pulling seven HD superdetailled carriages, and will also run at a very slow crawl when shunting.

 

Excellent stuff Hornby Dublo.

[BOARD OF TRADE]

As well as HRCA there is a place called RMweb where us Dublo 3 rail fans can exchange ideas, pictures etc.

 

The link shows my HD in my previous house. Just about got it going again in my present house and will post some pics on this thread shortly

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/70/entry-218-Hornby-dublo-3-rail-in-cork/

Thanks excellent,I look forward to seeing more pics.

[Sweeps]

I have over the years modelled most scales etc.but have started to buy some 3 rail Hornby Dublo stuff to make an 8 x 4 layout in a garden shed that the wife has had built in the garden.

Years ago I got a Triang train set,aJinty.a Green EMU with an illumunated V at the front and three short LMS coaches.I wll never forget the excitement of seeing the Train Set box and the red and yellow packed delights inside.

My cousins had a Hornby Dublo 3 rail layout which we couldnt play with together except if I added my coaches and we joined the couplings with cotton thread.

Anyway whilst my 2 rail Triang seemed more realistic than the 3 rail Dublo system I never forgot the lovely bright red etc of the tinplate coaches with printed windows and the trucks with printed sides etc.

Anyway I have decided to create a LAYOUT(yes I know it's unfashionable) and play trains again.

Are there any people as interested etc in this old fashioned theme?

I wonder why there is no Hornby Dublo group on this website. 

Just a thought.

Les

I've just basically done the same thing, don't know what it is but must be something to do with the bomb proof nature of the equipment and the sound and smell of it working reliably. Some good items on YouTube concerning the repair and maintenance I've recently picked up a few really battered logos but with a clean, re spray and using those stick on decals from ebay I've made quite a good job, something I'd never risk doing with the latest Hornby or Bachmann offering.