Dublo 3 Rail Layout

I guess a lot of us caught Dubloitis this way. I bought Silver King because he was ridiculously cheap (about £18 as I remember), and the rest is history…
In the job lot of HD stuff I bought recently here in France there was also a very tired A4 tender from a Silver King. An overnight soak in WD40 with the other 10 or so vehicles in the lot (most of the wheels on the rolling stock were rusted and seized) and all the wheels freed up. Most of the paint on the rear of the tender is flaking off, but structually it’s all fine. So I’m now on the look out for a tired lone A4 loco to pair it with as my next restoration job. So if any one reading this has a tired (but complete) Dublo 3-rail A4 in the bottom of your scrapbox, I’ll be pleased to take it off your hands for restoration!
PS Especially if it’s a non-runner! They’re the most fun to bring back to life !

 

Dear Wolseley, and others,

Re #273 above, HD Stanier 8F no, 48158, Lot 154 below. According to "Stanier Locomotive Classes" AJ Powell ( Ian Allan, 1991; ISBN 0-7110-1962-2 ) Class 8F, 2-8-0, pp 88-96.

1 / The Hornby Dublo, and later Wrenn, depicts the pre July 1942 Lots with Curved Reversing Reach Rod, as did WD, later LMS 8246-8297 & 48773/4. Commencing with 8000-8011 Crewe, 8027-95 Vulcan Factory, 8012-26 Crewe, 8096-8110, Crewe, 8111-8125 Crewe, 48246-63 NBL, WD order sold to BR 1949, 48286-97, Beyer, Pecock, 8293 to the LMS in 1943; rest of B,P transferred to BR, 1949. 8126-45 Crewe, 8176-8225, 8264-85 Beyer,Peacock

2/ Commencing with LMS 8146 (Crewe 7/42, LMS 8146 (Lot 154 Order E426 Crewe 7/42-3/43) Straight Pattern Reversing Rod with a shorter steady bracket, and applicable to the following locomotive numbers, in order of Lot build, 8146-65 Crewe, 8600-8609 Eastleigh, 8166-8175 Crewe, 8610-12 Ashford, 8625-39 Brighton, 8400-29 Swindon, 8510-39 Doncaster, 8613-17 Brighton, 8618, 8619 Ashford, 8301-30 Crewe, 8331-40 Horwich, 8640-60 Eastleigh, 8620-24 Ashford, 8679-89 Brighton, 8671-74 Ashford, 8341-50 Horwich, 8663-70 Brighton, 8500-09 Darlington, 8430-39 Swindon, 8675-78 Brighton, 8351-90 Horwich, 8440-79 Swindon, 8661,62 Eastleigh, 8540-59 Darlington, 8391-99, 8490-95 Horwich, 8730-52 Darlington, 8753-72 Doncaster, 48773,74 NBL 48775 Crewe, last 3 for WD, to BR July, 1957.

3 / Initial batch 8000-8011 had a Domeless Straight Throatplate Boiler, and was incompatible with subsequent locomotive chassis.In May 1938, 8003's frames were modified to allow a Sloping Throatplate Boiler to be fitted, thereby releasing a spare boiler for the first group of now 11 locomotives.

4 / Commencing with 8027 VF 7/36 & 8012 Crewe 12/36, Sloping Throatplate Boiler became standard.

5 / Tenders, were either welded or riveted, commencing with 8176 (NBL 3/42) riveted tanks (8176-8225, 8264-85), as were those tenders built by the LNER at Darlington. and Doncaster (8500-59, 8730-72).

Crewe tenders from 8000 till 8026 were riveted, then from 8096 welded tenders were provided (8096-8175).

Commencing with 8301 (Crewe 1943), tenders built at Crewe (8301-30), Horwich (8331-8399, 8490-95), Swindon (8400-79), and Southern Workshops (8600-8729) were welded.

The Railway Executive Committee / REC, who ran British Railways on behalf of the Ministry of War Transport, authorised the construction of additional heavy goods locomotives to the Stanier LMS 8F 2-8-0 design, hence additional construction by the workshops of the LMS, LNER, GWR, and SR.

6 / Re #278 above, of the City of Glasgow, post Harrow Disaster rebuild, on pp 86-87 of the above book, there is a BR-LMR B&W photo of the unsteamlined, complete with continuous front running plate of BR lined green 46250 "City of Lichfield" (Crewe, 5/44) at Euston in in 1957 with then new (heraldic) crest, also irreverently known as ferret and dartboard, as opposed to the earlier cycling lion emblem.

Hope this is of interest, with best wishes and regards from Echidna.

 

Very nice! I also have a Commonwealth of Australia in experimental blue but it’s 2-rail. I found a very worn HD Body stripped it, and repainted and lined it out. It’s mated to the chassis of my old Triang Flying Scotsman and also inherited the latter’s tender. It’s nowhere near as well done as yours though. I’ll probably repaint it again at sometime once I get back into 2-rail. I’ll redo the nameplates too as my technique on PowerPoint has really improved (and my printer too!) since I did it 15 years ago.
In other news, 48158 has had a complete stripdown and a full service and will now handle 20+ Heavy HD wagons around the tortuous curves of my layout with relative ease.
While in the subject of rolling Stock, I picked up a few brand new Hornby wagons from Hornby’s bargain bin last time I was in Margate. At £5 each they were irresistible. I’d like to be able to use them on the Dublo layout, but they have NEM couplings…

Has anyone made Simplex couplings which fit into NEM pockets? Someone with a 3D printer?
Elsewhere, the retaining walls are installed, and the tunnel behind the goods yard is progressing.

 

Some serious weathering needed but it’s getting there…
Looking at the pictures, I’m going to have to bite the bullet soon and start getting some ballast down between the running lines. I’m not too sure how to go about it though. I don’t want to damage the track, which like everything else on the layout needs to be easy to dismantle as a house move is likely in the next 18 months or so…
I figure my usual 2-rail technique with PVA and water which is fine on Peco Streamline nickel silver, is a bad idea on tinplate based track.

 

And I forgot, back in February, 6231 got her smoke deflectors…

de had a visit from sister (4)6232 -
in the works for a major service…


before delivery to my son in law - I’ve infected another victim with Dubloitis

Even after complete strip down and a full service, she was still a very lumpy runner initially but she got miraculously better after I disconnected the TV suppressor (you can see it wrapped in blue tape in the first photo). I don’t know why or how these things go bad, maybe the internal insulation breaks down with age, but I nearly always disconnect them now and it generally makes a huge différence, she ended up as smooth and powerful as 6231 and 6234.

Finally in February, Royal Mail (and La Poste) delivered… Royal Mail!
The set came complete with 3 mail bags, and its original green button Dublo switch. The only thing missing was the instruction leaflet, so I’ll have to have a hunt on internet. I’m sure someone will have uploaded a .pdf file of it somewhere.

I installed it next to the MPD, but it’s not wired up yet, which is probably just as well as I think I’m going to move it to the other end of the layout next to the goods shed.

 

They are available. Bit pricey this one.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20472269...+FWTJqDd+gZSCe4+y3mnlqhNvn|tkp:Bk9SR5bEt5nkYw

 

Hi, there is a YouTube video, more of a slideshow here :-



So you have more than one source available to read, as the eBay listing may dissapear at any time.

Jim

 

Thankyou gentlemen !​

 

I’d rather find a "full HD" A4, the Triang chassis really lack traction power (on 3-rail track) in my experience. And one day, I’ll have a 2-rail layout to run it on again. If I get time, I’ll dig it out of storage and post a Photo.

 

Nice loco. I do like the idea of mating it to an HD chassis. I have one of these tenders. It was given to me paired with a Triang red Princess Royal.
If only it was possible to find spare plunger pickups it would open the way for lots of 3-rail conversion possibilities. But they seem pretty much impossible to find these days and no one seems to produce reproduction versions, which is a great shame. I searched for a lone 8F tender for ages, but the few I saw on eBay went for ridiculous prices. In the end it was cheaper to buy 48158 complete!

 

It’s all 60016’s fault!
He started it!

 

Hello All, with regards to HD 3 rail pick up plungers,i have always thought that the Märklin skid to be a mechanically better option with less drag, and not necessarily needing a continuous centre rail, as I think centre stud contact to be a really good idea.
On a related matter, and just out of curiosity, does someone make reproduction HD three rail track ? or is everyone dependent on second hand sales ?
Regards, Echidna.

 

Hello All, as a Gateshead or Heaton shed allocated A4, photos of 16 are uncommon, regards, Echidna.